My Bloody Valentine 3D Review

Posted by Joseph Lee on 01.17.2009

Harry Warden will tear your heart out. That wasn't a pun. He will actually do it.



Starring:
Jensen Ackles as Tom Hanniger
Jaime King as Sarah Palmer
Kerr Smith as Axel Palmer
Edi Gathegi as Deputy Martin
Tom Atkins as Burke

Story: After a mine collapses, miner Harry Warden kills twenty-two people before he is shot down and vanishes in the mines. Ten years later, someone is killing off the residents of Harmony once again. Is it Tom, who has mysteriously returned after the original incident? Is it the former sheriff Burke? Is it the new sheriff Axel? Or is Harry Warden back to finish what he once started?

Fun Trivia: This film is the first R-rated film to be shot in the new Real D 3D technology.

To say My Bloody Valentine 3D had a lot against it going in would be an understatement. For one, it's a remake of a cult film that many have a fondness for. Plus it relies on 3D, which many would call a gimmick and it was dumped in the middle of January, which normally isn't a good sign. There are many who thought this movie would be bad. Horror fans thought differently. The horror websites and fans on the internet have been buzzing with the hype this has been receiving, due to it's use of the technology and R-rating to make a treat for genre fans everywhere.

I will say one thing. Horror fans will not be disappointed. My Bloody Valentine 3D feels like a valentine's day card for the horror fan. It was crafted with love for the genre, and features everything that once made the old slashers great. It's always been my viewpoint that if you're going to remake something, you should take a great concept with a flawed execution and then take it up a notch. It's hard to argue that the filmmakers did not achieve that with this film.

The original, My Bloody Valentine(1981) is a little heard of slasher film that came out after the startling success of the original Friday the 13th(1980). It was made to cash in on the success. A miner named Harry Warden began dispatching teens and removing their hearts. It has since went on to become something of a cult favorite. Some liked it and some didn't. I was one of the ones who didn't. However, that's not to say it didn't have good points. For one, the thought of an evil coal miner killing people with a pickax is perfect for a slasher film. The concept of him removing the hearts of his victims on Valentine's Day is a great touch.

In the remake, all of the parts that work about the original are kept, some new elements are thrown in and to make things even more entertaining, 3D technology was implemented to give audiences a great show. As I mentioned before, horror fans and specifically fans of slasher films of the past will love this. Harry Warden is presented as a menacing killer who seems to be everywhere. In addition to that, it features the elements that used to be in every great slasher: gore and nudity. The nudity is mostly contained to a five minute stalk sequence featuring a completely nude Betsy Rue running for her life in a parking lot. The gore is abundant. There is plenty of blood splatter and graphic killings for the audience to enjoy. It would be a crime to give away any of the great kills so I won't do that here.

As far as the 3D technology goes, it's true that this movie was made to be shown in 3D. If you are able to see this in 3D, I recommend you do so. It comes off looking great. However, if you watch this in the standard 2D, you may be a little disappointed. You may feel like you do when watching Friday the 13th: 3-D and you see the effects without the glasses. It could come off as cheesy if you don't have the experience of Harry Warden coming right for you.

There are some other minor flaws as well. The acting was all over the place, as many of the cast members were clearly there for cannon fodder. And that's okay. This movie isn't about the acting and there are enough solid cast members in there to hold everything down. Genre veteran Tom Atkins makes his horror return here. He is the glue that holds this together, as he manages to keep everything solid. Jensen Ackles does fine as the leading man, too. Another small problem is the ending, and that is you may be able to guess who the killer is. They'll try to throw some red herrings into the film every once in a while, but those same red herrings will be dispatched quickly so it will remove them from the picture.

But if you can forgive the minor flaws and love this film for what it is, you'll have a good time. To be honest, if you're going to see My Bloody Valentine 3D, you're not there to see a Hitchcock mystery with Shakespearean acting. You want to see what the title implies, and that's a bloody slasher. This film delivers that in all of it's 3D glory. Go in expecting to have a good time and you won't be disappointed.

The 411: My Bloody Valentine 3D is a slasher with an old-school mentality and modern technology. It makes clever use of the Real-D format, and gives the audience lots of thrills. Horror fans will love the blood that soaks the film, in addition to the homages to the original and the presence of Tom Atkins. If you go in expecting a fun slasher and nothing more, then you will be entertained. See it the way it was meant to be seen, in a packed theater in it's 3D format.

Final Score:  7.5   [ Good ]