Dylan Dog: Dead of Night [2011]

July 20, 2011

Too casual to be remembered, Dylan Dog: Dead of Night is an entertaining movie perfect for one viewing. It’s based on a comic book that I did read when I was younger but can’t remember a single thing about. Apart from our main character, of course. So, you might be a little disappointed if you were a fan but if this is your first encounter with Dylan Dog, I’ve got good news for you!

This is a fun blend of horror and comedy also featuring some noir vibes. After all, we’ll be following a private detective trying to find out who’s responsible for a string of gruesome murders. The story is tight along with dialogues but you have to remember that this is still a PG-13 movie. This means there will be no graphic violence and all that type of stuff. We will, however, get zombies, vampires and all sorts of other creatures so there’s that.

So, if you’re looking for something energetic and supernatural to keep your attention, look no further than Dylan Dog: Dead of Night. With a budget of $20 million going mostly towards sets and the special effects department, the movie looks great. Set in picturesque New Orleans and unfolding mostly during the night, it features a rich and vibrant fantasy world. One of the best things about this movie are the monsters. They all look phenomenally good along with our main boss Belial. I was waiting for a way to include Marduk’s Souls for Belial song and I found it.

Dylan Dog is a private detective working meaningless cases with his assistant Marcus, haunted by his terrible past. When someone is haunted by his past you can expect the death of a girlfriend/wife/fiance and this is the case here too. But when he gets a case with a very attractive damsel in distress, Dylan will find himself again in a world of zombies, vampires, werewolves, and many more creatures, trying to uncover the assassins of the damsel’s father.

Dylan Dog: Dead of Night stars none other than Brandon Routh, the guy who played Superman in the now-forgotten Superman Returns from 2006. He was a good choice although Sam Huntington stole the show here as his assistant Marcus. We all know that these comic relief characters can make or break a movie and this one fucking made it.

Finally, I know that there’s a lot of wasted potential here and that if they’ve just gone for the R rating, the whole thing could have been much better. I guess the huge popularity of the Underworld franchise along with Buffy and True Blood influenced their decision-making. And if you’re looking for a more darker and artistic vision, do check out Dellamorte Dellamore.