Now back in 2009, Patrick Lussier had directed a few films (Dracula 2000 trilogy and White Noise 2). But he would get a bit of a bigger chance when he and Todd Farmer teamed up to bring a new vision to the legend of Harry Warden. It would usher in a bit of new age of 3D films as well. Personally, I was ecstatic when I had heard he was behind it.
My Bloody Valentine 3D, as it was released as, was another entry in remakes and reimaginings. But the very cool thing is that it also broke new ground. It wasn't keen on just being a rehash of the original film. They wanted to take similar ideas and literally tell what could have happened next. And that is something that is really good as it helps the film stand out.
My Bloody Valentine 3D was released in February of 2009. It would end up going up against another slasher - Friday the 13th (2009). The interesting thing is the cast as both films had the Winchester Brothers (Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles). I remember when these were released that My Bloody Valentine beat out Friday the 13th (2009).
The film opens with a title sequence that literally launches us into the world and sets the ground work with exposition. A mining crew is trapped in a cave in after Tom Hanniger (Jensen Ackles) made a mistake. Harry Warden was the sole survivor of it and had been in a coma. On the night of Valentine's Day, Warden wakes up and leaves a huge amount of bodies in his wake. Quickly pursuing Warden is Sheriff Tom Atkins. It all leads to the Valentine's party that was being held at the mine. Warden goes after Tom, Tom's girlfriend Sarah and their friend Axel. I use the term friend loosely as Axel is a bit of a douche towards Tom.
Ten years later, Tom returns home after his father passes and leaves him the mine. Tom just wants to sell the mine and be on his way. But he's not the only one returning as Warden also has returned. He's continuing his rampage and murders from years earlier. But things have changed while Tom was away, Sarah and Axel married. Axel also is now the Sheriff of the town as well.
Now, I love this film. It is one that I know has some issues. There's probably some story issues. But it's fun. It moves as a good pace. The characters are all solid as the actors and actresses bring their A-game. It's easy to see that they put their all in the film. The film also doesn't take itself seriously as there is some camp in it. I mean this is the film that had a woman run around in the buff while being chased by Harry Warden. Normally that would be considered ridiculous. Here, its a bit camp.
Jensen Ackles delivers such a fantastic performance. I really wish that this film would have taken off. Because it would been nice to see a sequel. By the end of the film, I was so floored by Ackles transformation in his role. At first, I enjoyed him as Tom. He was just coming to grips of returning home and he's just unsure of what to make of life. Honestly, his performance at first is a likeable guy. But when he transforms into Harry Warden, it's a whole nother character. He's cold and calculating. He has no qualms about who he attacks if they get in his way. It's just so good.
Jaime King is Sarah Palmer. She delivers a pretty solid performance. At first, she could be seen as the damsel in distress. But she's got a bit of a backbone to her and some fight. She's not going to take things lying down. This is a bit of an improvement over the original for sure. Honestly, Jaime King has delivered quite a few good performances in the horror genre. She's one of the reasons that I enjoyed Silent Night 2012.
Kerr Smith is Axel. Now, at first, he's a douche. Typical alpha male bullshit. However, there is some layers to his performance. It's interesting seeing his caring for his family. Unfortunately that comes too late as he's already revealed to be a cheating scumbag. He does a good job with what he's given. There is a lot of red herring with Axel. That's totally understandable as Axel is the Miner in the original film.
Also there's Tom Atkins basically playing himself. He does a great job. It honestly left me wanting more of his character in the film. But he has one of the most memorable deaths in the film.
While some would be quick to label this a remake, I'd consider it a reimagining. And it delivers solid. There is a bit of gore in this film. Actually there's a lot. In one instance, hospital walls are layers with blood. For the most part, there are a few deaths that are unique. The biggest standout is Tom Atkins getting the pickaxe threw the jaw and then ripping the jaw off. It's so visceral.
My Bloody Valentine is a solid film. It was a bit ahead of it's time. But it's a bit of a fun rollercoaster. Whenever I don't know what to watch, I'll usually throw it on as I find it an interesting watch. It's just a bit disappointing that we never received a sequel.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5.
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