Blah, blah, blah, yadda, yadda, yadda... something about it being totally unfair to compare and contrast the film and television versions of this particular property because they are quite different beasts and aspire to meet different tones and aesthetics. Insert a comment about how the film was clearly going for a more campy, comedic riff that interpreted Joss Whedon's script in a more light-hearted fashion and should be allowed to stand on its own. Drone on a bit about how one can like both the film and the series, or even appreciate and prefer the film for its own unique take on the material. Yakkity-yak.
Well, I really don't agree. I think one can definitely compare the two forms that "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" appeared in during the 90's. And it goes without saying... the series was the better version. By quite a wide margin. It's a contemporary classic and not only one of the finest television franchises to emerge in the past twenty years... but arguably one of the best shows of all time. With a great self- aware but still spooky and tension-filled tone, ideal casting and top- notch writing for the most part, the series was about as perfect as can be.
The film? Well, it's a bit of an interesting failure. There's a lot to enjoy here, and it's fun to see a slightly more whimsical and campy variation of the iconic character. But it's far too uneven for its own good and ends up an entertaining but incredibly mediocre experience.
Buffy Summers (Kristy Swanson) is your typical snarky, privileged Los Angeles valley-girl high-school cheerleader. She loves shopping, talking back and her clique of preppy friends more than anything else. So you can imagine her surprise when a mysterious man called Merrick (Donald Sutherland) informs her that she is "The Slayer"- a chosen one gifted with superhuman strength and reflexes who is destined to do battle with the forces of darkness- most notably vampires. Now, she is forced to begin training to fight the hordes of evil that begin descending upon her town, including the vile and cruel Lothos (Rutger Hauer), a vampire king who seeks to destroy her.
Honestly, I didn't mind the casting and I felt for the most part they were great choices for their respective roles. Being the first person to tackle the role before it was later perfected, Swanson makes for an amusing if not sometimes grating lead in Buffy, and if you can get past the handful of moments where she's totally unlikable, you'll end up being invested enough to stick with her. Sutherland and Hauer both add a sense of class to the film and inject some much-needed elegance. I also quite enjoyed the key moments where Hauer is allowed to ham it up a bit. Given the film's more comedic leaning, it works adequately. And supporting roles by the likes of Luke Perry and Paul Reubens also round out the supporting cast quite nicely- especially Reuben's as Lothos' second- hand man Amilyn. He's flippin' brilliant in the part and has one stand-out scene that I won't spoil- but suffice to say will have you rolling on the floor with laughter.
Directorial duties are handled by Fran Rubel Kuzui, who does a fairly decent job visually, but can't quite find the right balance between humor, horror and drama. She does well enough with the action, but is perhaps a bit in over her head with the mythology that is being presented, playing it up a bit too much for laughs in moments that should be serious. Thought often the gags do land well enough to illicit a laugh at least. It's a competent shot, but aiming for the wrong target.
And this goes beyond direction. The film feels at odds with itself from time to time, and I can't help but feel key decisions were made that were to the detriment of the story and characters. Story goes that the film was repeatedly re-written during production by everyone from the producers to the director to the cast, and it kind of shows. There are hints of writer Joss Whedon here and there, but it feels watered- down and made all the more bland. Heck, at times it even seems contrary to itself- a prime example being the fact that the film tries to build- up Buffy as the opposite of the classic damsel, yet she has to be bailed out repeatedly by the men in her life during action set-pieces. It cheapens the whole experience. Sure, have it happen once, maybe twice... but I counted at least three times she had to be saved by men in the film. The story suffers because it feels quite fractured by the muddled tone and some issues with the pacing and structuring that I can only assume is from the re-writes and subsequent re-edits to play up the laughs. It's just pretty darned sloppy, and comes across as incredibly and irritatingly uneven far too often. They took it too far towards the light and took away too much of the darkness. It lacks purpose and impact.
Still, it got a few laughs out of me. And I can see people enjoying it to one extent or another. Does it match the ideal quality of the television series that followed five short years later? No. It doesn't even come close. But is it a terrible film? Not really. It's pretty much mediocre by any stretch, but watchable and fun in a campy way. My suggestion? Watch the show first. And then check out the film if you're interested in seeing the character done in a completely different manner.
I give the "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" movie a middle-of-the-road 5 out of 10.
