Movies: 30 Days of Night

If you read a lot of comic books, you might remember "30 Days of Night," a fairly popular book that eventually served as a case study in how to milk something for all it's worth. The number of sequels and spinoffs on the original concept boggles the imagination, especially when the first comic book was merely average. Now, the story of Barrow, Alaska and its beleaguered residents comes to the big screen, and to be honest, I think it's one of the few film adaptations that improves upon the source material.

The premise is simple - Barrow is so far north that every winter the sun doesn't show itself for a month; and vampires are coming to feast on everyone there. Josh "My voice is a cheerless monotone" Hartnett leads the show as Eben Oleson, the Barrow sheriff, and there's a panoply of minor characters following him that you know are destined to be vampire chow. The mission is simple - last the 30 days and try to see another sunrise.

This film adaptation is competently directed by David Slade, though it's certainly not as groundbreaking as "Hard Candy." The plot sags drastically around the middle - this isn't surprising, since it's hard to convey a month of time in a movie like this. There is a wicked sense of humor on display here in certain scenes - like where Eben is trying to fry some vamps with his Mom's pot-growing sunlamps.

All in all, it's not a bad movie, and seeing it in a crowded theater will give you many "Oh snap!" moments from the audience. "30 Days of Night" doesn't take very many chances with the whole zombie/vampire/horror conventions (yes, there's the obligatory "our friend has turned into a vampire" scene), but if you're just looking for some entertainment this weekend, it'll fit the bill.

Rating: 7/10