The Hawk

Issue date: 1/31/07 Section: Entertainment

Martinez and Dancy go through the motions.

It's hard not to be intrigued by a movie with a title like Blood and Chocolate. That is, until you actually see it.

Loosely based on a young adult novel of the same title by Annette Curtis Klause, the story revolves around a brooding, teenaged Vivian (Agnes Bruckner) who works in a candy shop by day (the chocolate), and is a member of a secret society of werewolves by night (the blood). She is betrothed to the pack's leader, Gabriel (Oliver Martinez), but falls for a young and handsome American comic book artist - excuse me, graphic novelist - Aiden (Hugh Dancy), who is, coincidentally, penning a graphic novel about werewolves, of all things.

The producers of the popular werewolves-fighting-vampires Underworld series bring this uninspired tale of teen drama, set in Bucharest. It is easy to forget that it is Bucharest, however, because everyone speaks perfect English and all of the signs are also in English .

Not since Michael J. Fox has a teen wolf been this conflicted about his or her lupine heritage. Vivian faces pressure from her overprotective cousin, Rafe (Bryan Dick), who warns her to dump Aiden, or as he cleverly calls him, "Meat". Rafe and his mischievous band of werewolf friends are absinthe-swilling, Goth-clubbing Eurotrash who stalk humans for sport.

Things take a turn for the worse when Rafe confronts Aiden and tells him to leave town. Aiden fights Rafe and finds out his werewolf identity. What follows is one of the film's many corny lines.

"I swear I'll get on the next train out of here," a frightened Aiden screams.

"I am the train!" counters Rafe nonsensically.

Aiden kills Rafe, and after a good 15 seconds of conflicted feelings, Vivian decides to fight to reject her oppressive wolf family in exchange for her human boy toy.

The dialogue is poorly written and painfully contrived. Early on Aiden tells Vivian (who he doesn't realize is a werewolf) the characteristics of werewolves and all of the ways to kill one. Want to bet that all of this information turns out to be pertinent later in the film?

The film is clearly limited by a budget that makes it look more like a made-for-TV romp than a Hollywood film. The werewolves change form at will by diving, turning into a cheap CG flash of light, and landing as a real wolf. Unlike other film werewolves, there is no painful transformation, so if you hear an agonized groan during these sequences, it is likely just the audience. When not in wolf form, they are recognizable as werewolves by doing lots of unnecessary jump kicks off of walls.

Continued...

Page 1 of 2 next >

Article Tools