PERFECT CREATURE

Written by Fantasma el Rey

Set in Nuovo Zelandia, an alternate New Zealand, Perfect Creature is a highly imaginative vampire tale with some good elements and a good concept but falls a bit short of being a truly good vampire film. Vampires and humans now live side by side in peace and understanding. The movies plot revolves around two brothers, one good (Silas) and one on the loose and gone crazy, (Edgar) preying on humans for the elixir of life. The story becomes one of good vs. evil and the search for the renegade Nosferatu. Good brother, Silas, joins forces with the local police, who think they are looking for a serial killer, to try and keep them from killing Edgar. Both brothers happen to fall for the same strong willed female detective and the film continues down the beaten path of the suspense/horror thriller.

Yet these are not your average bloodsuckers, for you see they were the by-product of a long ago alchemist’s search for eternal life. These day walkers can be best described as the keepers of science and knowledge. Not some scary monsters that creep into the bed chambers of sexy young women trying to steal their blood. No, these perfect creatures are more like angels. They protect the innocents of the weaker human race. The vampire society, which is all male and known as The Brotherhood, can be seen as the church. People adore and celebrate them by going to mass and donating their blood.

As the film progresses I couldn’t help but notice similarities to characters of The Bible. The rebellious brother gone mad makes statements that reflect the story of Lucifer’s envy at being a superior being whose purpose is to serve a weaker one. The good brother is a church all-star and is to take over as head vampire one day but he too rebels after discovering the evil truth and dirty secrets of the ‘hood. His dedication to righteousness and protecting humans is unshakable and it isn’t too much of a stretch to see Jesus here. This biblical aspect makes an interesting twist to vampire lore but the story overall is dull and could have been better and the film itself could have had more pop.

The special effects are good as far as the fictional city is concerned, which is best described as Victorian era meets post-World War II England with modern technology thrown in for kicks. As for the vampires themselves, their movements in action scenes and during fights seem Matrix-esque and somewhat cartoonish, especially as they climb walls in super-fast motion. This trick really just comes across as if the film was speed up. What is interesting though is the sound that’s made when a vampire bites his victim. It’s a sound very much the same as when the cap is twisted off the top of a refreshing carbonated beverage.

I simply felt that the film fell short of it potential. If it told more of the Brotherhood’s past and secrets or truly bordered the realm of horror and science fiction as it wanted to, it would have been worlds more exciting and enjoyable. Who knows perhaps the sequel will be better? Because oh yeah they left it wide open for more. So keep your eyes to the sky, ghoulies ‘cause some killer vampire/angel gone nuts may be buzzing around trying to get to you.