Plot: What’s it about?
In the distant future, vampires still exist in the realm outside of human awareness, but they’re not the stereotypical neck biters, to say the least. These vampires can walk in the sunshine, control their bloodlust, and even be decent citizens, perhaps even police officers. So when they present the truth to the human race, it shouldn’t be too harsh of a transition, as most of the vampires want to live in peace with mankind. Of course, some rotten apples want to topple the human control over the world and as a result, the bond is still uncertain, to be sure. So the forces on the good side wish to let that bond become strong and as such, they have to locate and neutralize all threats to the peaceful coexistence, whichever side they might come from. In this case, a killer is stalking the streets and leaving behind a blood trail a mile wide, as the victims have their throats torn out and their blood drank, as if a renegade vampire were behind the deaths. Now FBI agent Steven Grant (Bokeem Woodbine) and his vampiric partner Aaron Grey (Adrian Paul) have to solve the case soon, but can they even get along, let alone piece together this complex mystery?
As I love vampire movies, I figured The Breed was worth a look, but I had minimal expectations, based on the reviews I had tracked down. The film has a few lower card names (Adrian Paul, Bokeem Woodbine, and Bai Ling), but no real star power and that was good news, as it meant the movie itself might be the main focus, as opposed to one of the stars. This is a sleek, very glossy vampire flick and it has a certain sci/fi tinge at times, which was a positive, I thought. Some cool ideas and new twists are also presented, which vamp cinema fans should enjoy. You can tell this was shot on a low budget, but the visuals look terrific, the locations are awesome, and on the whole, it seems like the cash was spent in the right places. But some extra cash would have boosted the production values and that would have helped, especially in the action & fight based sequences, which could use a hand. The makeup is quite good though, with some of the best fangs in recent memory and in a vampire picture, those sharp teeth are crucial, of course. I recommend this one as a rental to vampire cinema fans, but keep your expectations realistic.
Although he hasn’t much experience on the silver screen, most folks will remember Adrian Paul from the television series Highlander. He is given an interesting character here and he puts it to good use, with a more than solid performance. As his role is filled with small touches thanks to the writing, I doubt he had to exercise too much of his creative muscle, but in any event, his turn is enjoyable and that’s what counts. Of course, this kind of material won’t push any actor to their limits, but the character is a rather unique one, so Paul has some moments to shine and when the time comes, he does just that. You can also see Paul in such films as Love Potion No. 9, Dead Men Don’t Dance, Susan’s Plan, and Highlander: Endgame. The cast also includes Bai Ling (The Crow, Wild Wild West), Bokeem Woodbine (3000 Miles to Graceland, Dead Presidents), and Zen Gesner (Dumb & Dumber, There’s Something About Mary).
Video: How does it look?
The Breed is presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, with a full frame edition included on the disc’s flip side. This is a very dark, visually complex movie and with a low budget involved, I had doubts about this transfer. But this treatment holds up very well and delivers the goods, so the visuals come through just as intended. The colors sometimes take on natural hues, but most of the time, a select assortment of hues are dominant, with rich reds and metallic green shades the most common ones. It is kind of like in The Matrix, where greens and blues have a metallic look, that’s close to the visual dynamic here. The black levels are razor sharp and that’s vital, as the film is draped in shadows and bathed in darker hues. This couldn’t have been an easy film to transfer, but I commend Columbia for this excellent visual presentation.
Audio: How does it sound?
After the lush visuals, the audio had some big shoes to fill and while the included Dolby Digital 5.1 option isn’t reference level, it’s an above average track. The eerie atmosphere is enhanced by some masterful, subtle use of the speakers. The more reserved scenes have a nice amount of depth and of course, the power kicks on when some extra juice is needed, like in the action driven sequences. The musical soundtrack is clean and well placed also, while dialogue is clear and never hampered by volume troubles, not even for a second. This disc also includes 2.0 surround options in English and French, as well as subtitles in English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Korean, Chinese, and Thai.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes some talent files, the film’s trailer, and an audio commentary with director Michael Oblowitz and star Adrian Paul. The two provide a decent session, but pat each other on the back a bit too much, if you ask me. Even so, Oblowitz reveals some of his low budget magic used on The Breed, while Paul recants some production stories and of course, prompts Oblowitz with comments and questions.
