Dylan Dog: Dead of Night

As the final credits rolled on “Dylan Dog: Dead of Night,” I felt giddy and sad at the same time. Sad because this movie was quickly dismissed, but giddy because this movie has the spirit of a great era of cinema — the '80s.

"No pulse, no problem" was Dylan Dog’s (Brandon Routh) motto until a lapse in judgment cost him not only his position as peacekeeper of the undead but his true love as well. After the death of his business partner, Marcus, (Sam Huntington), Dylan is forced out of retirement to find the person or creature responsible. The deeper Dylan digs, the further he gets into a conspiracy amongst the undead.

I read a few reviews before I finally got the pleasure of seeing this movie and I have to say they were wrong. “Dead of Night” is a fun romp through the world of the supernatural with a great mix of comedy and horror. It reminds me so much of "The Monster Squad," one of my childhood favorites, because it is a serious movie but also has such a great sense of humor. One of the best scenes — small SPOILER ALERT — is when Marcus wakes up in the grocery store with Dylan and realizes that his once missing arm has been replaced by someone else’s arm. It’s this scene, amongst others, that makes this movie so fun because it shows the funny side of something as serious as becoming zombified.

The acting in this movie is dead on, pun intended. Routh brings Dylan Dog to life and gives him likeability. While I’m a fan of Routh in “Superman Returns,” I thought it was more interesting to see him as a character that was a bit more flawed. Despite his flaws, Dylan is still heroic because no matter the odds he doesn’t run away from a fight, and I believe Routh was the perfect choice for the role.

The other highpoint to the movie is Sam Huntington as Marcus. I have been a fan of Huntington since he was in “Not Another Teen Movie.” His quick wit and sharp tongue have always made him a scene stealer, and “Dead of Night” is no different. Whenever Huntington is onscreen, his larger-than-life performance overshadows many of his co-stars. One of my favorite lines is when Elizabeth (Anita Briem) does Marcus’ make-up to cover up his pallor skin and he proclaims that he looks like a dead hooker.

The only complaint that I can muster up is that Huntington and Routh weren’t allotted enough screen time together. Their chemistry together was the biggest reason that made me want to keep watching.

I am also a little disappointed to see that there aren’t any special features on the Blu-ray release. As well as the cast works together, I would’ve thought that some behind-the-scenes featurettes or even some bloopers but unfortunately viewers are left with nothing.

I still highly recommend purchasing this movie because it has so much to offer and definitely didn’t deserve the bashing it received.

Film: 3.5 Yaps Extras: 0 Yaps