[DVD Review (R2)] MY BLOODY VALENTINE 3D
Ah, there’s nothing like a slasher horror movie. There are loads of examples of the genre, from the great (like the original Halloween) to the terrible (most of the recent entries!). And there are also loads of old slasher movies that are being remade. In fact, it seems to be one of the more popular genres of movies to be given the remake treatment in recent years! So how do you make your remake of a movie stand out from all of the others? How about jumping on the resurgence of 3D and making it into a 3D version? Great idea! So that’s what Lionsgate did with their remake of the 1981 Canadian movie of the same name.
And, on the surface, it seems like a good idea. But I’m jumping ahead. Let’s get the plot of My Bloody Valentine out of the way, shall we?
Eleven years ago a small mining community was rocked to it’s core when a methane explosion occurred, trapping 11 miners underground. Five days later, when the rescuers manage to get to the trapped miners they only find one miner still alive, Harry Warden, as he has apparently killed all the rest to conserve the air and survive himself. Harry is hospitalised as he is in a coma and a year later he comes around and returns to the mine – only to find a party being held and the person responsible for the explosion, Tom Hanniger (Jensen Ackles), in attendance. Harry starts killing the party goers and is only stopped from killing Tom by the arrival of the Town Sheriff (played by genre fave Tom Atkins) who shoots him. Harry disappears into the mines deepest levels and is presumed dead.
Eleven years later, Tom returns to the town, as his father has died leaving him the mine and he intends to sell it off. But his arrival seems to have resurrected the assumed long dead Harry as a series of deaths start, performed by someone dressed in miners gear just like Harry did ten years previously.
And that, in a nutshell, is the plot. Pretty much a standard slasher movie, with an assumed long dead terror returning to seek retribution and the people who survived the initial encounter with said terror trying to survive again and discover just who is responsible and stop the murders etc.
But it has to be said, My Bloody Valentine 3D seems to know exactly what it is, and is proud of it. The makers seem to know full well just how generic the plot is, and they have fun with the fact by jazzing up the old-school slasher movie that it is with the 3D gimmick. And the 3D is played for all that it is worth! Tree branches, gun barrels, pickaxes and bloody body parts are thrust at the screen at any given oppertunity and it is that that saves it from just being another mediocre slasher.
The acting is no great shakes, really. Jenson Ackles is way too serious throughout – which I suppose fits with the character as he was responsible for the deaths of quite a few people, but it might have been better if he was a little more sympathetic of a character. The other two leads, Jamie King as Sarah Palmer (who was Tom’s girlfriend on the night of the massacre in the mines) and Kerr Smith as Axel Palmer (now the town sheriff) come across as a little more sympathetic and well rounded as people (even with their foibles) than Tom does.
And that’s quite a good thing, seeing as they seem to be in the most danger throughout! There is a fairly dramatic scene within the supermarket that Sarah runs, as she and one of her employees are chased by the miner that, even though it plays out exactly as you would expect is:
a) done well
&
b) utitilises the 3D effect to it’s utmost
And that is something that My Bloody Valentine does very well. As I said, this is a mediocre slasher movie. There is nothing new on display here and, even allowing for the “surprise” twist ending (the only surprise really being how they explained it as it had been fairly obvious from the beginning), there is nothing that is going to surprise you if you are a fan of slasher movies, or even if you have only seen one or two of them in the past.
But what elevates it above other “watchable but mediocre” slasher movies (like the recent Prom Night remake) is the use of 3D, and it is easily one of the best examples of 3D I have seen on DVD – even if it isn’t up to the levels it probably was in the cinema – in a very long time.
Special Features
The full release also features the movie in 2D, as well as a commentary, 2 Featurettes, deleted and extended scenes, an alternate ending, gag reel and trailers – unfortunately none of these were available for me to review.
Don’t go in expecting the best movie in the world, or something that is going to absolutely rock your world to it’s core and show you something in the slasher genre that you have never seen before, as you won’t get it. If, on the other hand, you want to see a slasher movie that has no pretensions that you are watching the next Best Picture nomination or some piece of high art and just want to watch something for a good time then you could go far wrong than watching this popcorn-friendly horror. Add on the impressive use of 3D (at every given oppertunity!) and you have a movie that is as fun as it is dumb.
Apart from being scared (which no traditional horror movie has managed, as far as I’m concerned, for years), what more could you ask for in a horror?
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13 Responses to “[DVD Review (R2)] MY BLOODY VALENTINE 3D”
It kinda sucked, IMO. I mean, this might sound confusing, I liked it, but I thought it sucked. Nice review by the way
It does “kind of suck” but it is so unpretentious about what it is, and so unashamedly old school that it’s hard not to like it! Which is what makes it a fun popcorn movie. It’s not going to win any awards (except for 3D, maybe) but it is just fun.
Agreed, it was fun, kind of funny too
I heard it was really good
I bet there were scenes were you saw shit coming at your face and you said “well this is a 3D scene”
I hate it when movies make it that obvious, cuz then its annoying when you see it NOT in 3D and you see stuff thats supposed to hit you in the face stop in the screen, and linger there…lol
Its hard to explain but basically i hate watching 3D movies in not 3D mode lol
lol, I hear ya. I mean it was very cheesy..but I think you get what I mean
This movie is totally a theater experience type film, something you need to see on the big screen with a room full of people.
I myself found it very entertaining, it had some nice kills the 3D was really great; it doesn’t reinvent the wheel, yeah but it was fun none the less. Oh and, plus there was Tom Atkins back on the big screen.
Yep, guys this might seem like spam, but please don’t take it like that, please. I’ve got some scripts, want any? Toy Story 3 and shutter Island, i’m trying to get Public Enemies but this guy that ahs it won’t give it to me
Okay dude did you say you had the Halo script a while ago? thats sick
And be careful saying that online lol
You dont wanna be talking about this a lot
i know man, however…
Here’s Halo
http://swamptales.us/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/halo.pdf
you didn’t hear it from me, lol
What the f-
Is Peter Jackson on this?
I thought they didnt even start it yet
Id hate to question you broh but, is this legit? Jesus it sounds awesome though
‘The aliens are winning”
Yep man it’s legit, Latino Review reviewed this one. Btw I’m not sure if they started, if it gets made, I shall be there opening day.
Yeah holy shit me too, im halfway through and its freaking awesome
And…I do like the videogame
Same here man, same here. Half way through it? Crap, lol. It is awesome, this would make a FANTASTIC movie
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