Movie Review: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992)
Synopsis: A popular Los Angeles high school student learns she is "the chosen one," a re-incarnated vampire slayer that has lived multiple lives and has been killed multiple times by the vampire, Lothos. She is reluctant to accept her inherited role but soon must protect her high school from Lothos and his vampire army.
Who's in it? The movie stars Kristy Swanson, Luke Perry, David Arquette, Donald Sutherland, Rutger Hauer and Paul Reubens.
Is it a goofy movie? Yes, at least at times. However, in a world where movies tend to take themselves a bit too seriously (mostly out of fear of trolls nitpicking every mistake), there's nothing wrong with goofy from an entertainment standpoint.
In fact, in many ways, this film is superior to a large percentage of vampire movies. There is a likable protagonist (Swanson) who goes on a bit of a character arc throughout. A powerful villain (Hauer) that maybe should have gotten a bit more screen time and a plot that isn't unnecessarily complicated and moves at a reasonably fast pace.
And let's not forget the well-timed comic relief scattered throughout the film. Just because it is a comedy doesn't mean it needs to have a joke every few seconds. In this case, the overall plot is serious, and the jokes just lighten the mood on occasion. Some of the jokes are so well timed, they become memorably pleasant surprises. This includes the death scene involving Paul Reuben's character, Amilyn. As ridiculous as that scene is, it makes me laugh every time.
My only real complaint is the one I mentioned before, the main bad guy, Lothos, probably could have used a bit more screen time to build his character and make him more believable as a vampire that had survived for hundreds of years. Frankly, he seemed a little too easy to kill because of this.
Final Opinion: Even though it is classified as a comedy and takes a lot of liberties with vampire lore, it is still one of the better vampire films out there. It's nothing like the television show it inspired but that's not a bad thing either.
My Grade: A
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