Welcome to the Cirque Du Freak, a traveling sideshow filled with magical creatures, misunderstood freaks, and the mysterious vampire, Larten Crepsley (John C. Reilly). Drawn to the dark, unpredictable world of the Cirque, 16-year-old Darren (Chris Massoglia) decides to trade in his ordinary life for a chance to become an immortal vampire. As Darren explores his newfound powers and faces unexpected enemies, he'll find that his existence as a member of the undead is filled with more challenges, suspense and fun than he ever thought possible. Based on the best-selling book series and co-starring Salma Hayek, Ken Watanabe, and Willem Dafoe, it's a fast-paced, suspenseful journey critics call, "Imaginative!" (Peter Hall, Cinematical.com)
Best Horror Comedy of 2009February 25, 2010 A. Ketzler(Columbus, OH USA) 5 out of 5 found this review helpful
Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant took me by surprise more than any other movie last year, and I couldn't wait for it to come out on Blu Ray. Horror comedies, in my opinion, are hard to pull off because the director is trying to serve two audiences at the same time. The Vampire's Assistant pulls this off very well as it simultaneously creates a dark, moody atmosphere while never letting things get too serious.
You can read about the story in the description, so I won't get into detail about plot elements. The main story moved along at a good pace with never really any down-time or uneccesary scenes. If anything the movie is probably a little on the short side. This film, I believe would have been more well received if some of the characters and plot points were fleshed out a little more. There is simply too much story to cram into just under two hours. Despite the time constraints the cast does an excellent job of creating a dark atmosphere, all centered around the delightfully absurd world of a freak show. The comic elements are subtle but work better than other horror/comedies such as Zombieland (which I also love).
Visually the film is a delight, with excellent make-up and special effects, as well as sets that perfectly set the tone for each scene. Everything from the old theater, to the graveyard and the freak's camp are visually stunning. The wolf man was probably the most impressive character in the film, and listening to the director (special features) talk about his vision of the wolf man and how it came to fruition in the film was very interesting.
I typically do not watch the special features, but I watched every single one and came away wishing there had been more. The tour of the freak camp was very cool, and each feature was presented in a creative manner.
This is a highly underrated film that probably could have done better at the box office with over-the-top gore or slap-stick comedy elements, which have become the status quo for Hollywood blockbusters. I'm not saying this film is for everyone, but if you're into vampire films and don't mind a good bit of comedy to keep things from getting to depressing, then I think you'll really enjoy The Vampire's Assistant. Get some popcorn, turn down the lights and turn up the volume. The show is about to begin...
Surprisingly excellent movieNovember 17, 2009 Christopher Williams(San Diego, CA United States) 6 out of 7 found this review helpful
I did not know what to expect from this film. My wife really wanted to go and the trailers looked good - so we went.
The film had been out for only two weeks and was now showing in very few places which was not a good sign. When we got there, the theater was almost empty which was also not a good sign.
The movie was outstanding. It held my attention for the whole time. It was at once funny and serious. The thread of morality that ran through it was very thoughtful. For me, it had the sense of a European "art" film - perhaps a little too subtle for a few critics.
If you can get to see it, do so. If not, rent it when it comes out. I doubt you will be disappointed.
BEST VAMPIRE MOVIE EVER!!!November 23, 2009 Amy J. McDonald(APO, AE United States) 10 out of 13 found this review helpful
I'm a fourteen year old girl, and I LOVED THIS!!! I went into the theater thinking this was going to be some lame teen vampire romance movie- it wasn't!!! This was kind of scary, and hilarious at the same time. It's all about a boy who is turned into a vampire and(duh) becomes the assistant to a vampire in a travelling freak show. The main guy, Darren, never wanted to be a vampire, but his best friend Steve did. Steve becomes jealous and joins the "bad" vampires, and they have a really cool fight scene at the end. The special effects aren't cheesy, and didn't make me laugh during all the fight scenes like the ones in Twilight did. Not to mention the two main guys are really cute! Me and my friend were glued to the screen the entire time, and didn't even leave the theater for a free popcorn refill! I LOVED THIS MOVIE!
Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant.......March 4, 2010 blackaciddevil(in the USA somewhere.....) 2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I'm not familiar with the book series, truth be told, but probably will be in the near future after seeing this movie. Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant is the film adaptation of the first three books of the book series "The Saga of Darren Shan" by author Darren Shan. It tells the story of teenager Darren Shan(the authors' pen name)who mistakenly breaks a 100-year-old truce between two warring factions of vampires(the Vampanese & the Vampire Clan) and is pulled into the lives of misunderstood sideshow freaks.
I wasn't expecting much out of this movie considering it's PG-13 but it ended up being a very entertaining movie that ranks up there with the Harry Potter and Percy Jackson movies.
Even though this movie received mixed reviews when it was first released in theaters, I'm sure it will gain momentum and a fan base after people see this movie. I really liked it, and I'm finicky when it comes to Vampire flicks.
How it should be done... period.March 6, 2010 H. Barton 2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I myself am a reader of the book Cirque du Freak, it captured my attention right from the start and didnt let me down. When i first went to watch this movie i was expecting a flop. Most movies that i have personally seen that have books of their own have all turned out to be such. They ended up twisting the Cirque du Freak's first novel but by no means was it a flop at all. They took the book and twisted it but instead of messing it up turned it into their own. I must say this is actually my first time rating and reveiwing a movie. I have watched and bought movies before but until this one i never felt like i should go out of the way to say my veiw until i watched this peice. AMAZING, fun for all of those who have read the books and not.
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