Fright Night (3D)

Stars: Anton Yelchin, Colin Farrell, Imogen Poots, David Tennant, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Toni Collette, Chris Sarandon

Director: Craig Gillespie

A fast and furious revamp (pun slightly intentional) of the 1985 spoof horror, bolstered by inspired casting in Farrell as the vampire who moves in next door in what might well be Wisteria Avenue, and Tennant as the camp TV horror-night host who actually knows more about the occult than first appearances might indicate.

A classy cast is filled in by Yelchin as Farrell's teenage neighbour, Britain's wide-eyed Poots, with a flawless American accent, as the girl who fancies him 'especially now your face has cleared up' and Collette as a mom whose disbelief is all too quickly shattered when vampire Farrell sets fire to her house.

The film's a bit slow to start, but director Gillespie soon gets things smoking; non-stop action is kept on high by the fact that Farrell really does appear invincible, and his constant attacks underline the hammer-hard nature of the pace.

It's a real treat for horror fans, and a second bite that, with the added benefit of good 3D CGI effects, for once by by no means disgraces the original.

David Quinlan

USA/UK/India 2011. UK Distributor: Walt Disney. Colour by deluxe.
101 minutes. Widescreen. UK certificate: 15.

Guidance ratings (out of 3): Sex/nudity 0, Violence/Horror 3, Drugs 0, Swearing 2.

Review date: 28 Aug 2011