Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant (DVD)

produced by Leslie, E., Donner, L., (Producers), Weitz, P. (Director & Writer), & Helgeland, B. (Writer). (2010). Cirque du freak: The vampire's assistant [DVD]. Universal City, CA: Universal Studios Home Entertainment

Interest Level: Ages 13 to 18
Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 109 minutes
Subjects/Themes: Friendship, Vampires, Freaks, Horror

Plot: Darren and Steve go to a freak show where they meet Larten, a vampire.  Steve begs Larten to make him one of them but Larten refuses.  Meanwhile, Darren steals Larten's poisonous spider, Octa.  After Octa bites Steve, Darren becomes Larten's apprentice, a half vampire, in order to get an antidote for Steve.  This means that Darren must fake his death and leave his family in order to learn how to control his powers.  Mr. Tiny finds the grieving Steve and turns him into a different kind of vampire, the kind that kills to feed.  Mr. Tiny sets events in motion to start a war between the two kinds of vampires by pitting the two friends against one another.

Personal Thoughts: This movie is based on the first two books in the Cirque du Freak Series by Darren Shan.  The movie is rated PG-13 for the violent actions scenes, disturbing images (in one scene Darren has his neck snapped in order to fake his death), and some language.  Possibly a good vampire movie for those who wanted more action and less of a love story than what was found in the Twilight movies.  The movie has a dark and deadly feel throughout, full of shadows and mist.  There are themes of friendship and not judging people by what they look like.  Suggested for older tweens and teens.  If they like the movie then they'll probably be reaching for the next book in the series to see what happens next.  While there was a lot going on in the movie, there was still a lot of unfinished business.  No wonder though since there are ten more books that follow the first two.  

 

Author's Website: Darren Shan Website