By Joshua Knopp/managing editor
Some things just don’t matter. Dylan Dog: Dead of Night is one of those things.
The titular detective (Brandon Routh) relocates from an Italian comic book to New Orleans in this Americanized film to keep the world of humans and the world of vampires, werewolves and zombies separate. While retired at the beginning of the film, an intriguing client (Anita Briem) and the death and conversion of his partner (Sam Huntington) into a zombie, Dog decides to sort out the underworld one last time.
This movie is clearly based on a comic book. Blocky camera angles, Routh’s noir narration and a plot with many stray hairs are signatures of a film that attempts to pay homage to a story that was developed in an art form where many characters can thrive. Unfortunately, in film, only a handful of those characters can truly be developed, and Dylan Dog suffers because it tries to do its source material justice.
That said, the sub-arcs are done quite well. Huntington makes a perfect sidekick, striking a mix of dim-witted and capable. He somehow makes his character seem more human as he learns how to continue to live as a zombie. Briem acquits herself in a similar fashion as a femme fatale.
The movie would deserve its length if it did anything original. The only monsters featured are vampires, werewolves and zombies. And despite one of the primary characters learning how to be one of these creatures over the course of the film, the takes are mainstream. Dog is portrayed as an experienced detective, but his insights aren’t beyond that of a mildly attentive movie fan.
The film mechanics are also dry and repeated. The movie functions as a film noir with a coming-of-age sub-arc and follows the formulas closely. For a film that claims to be black comedy, it’s really not that funny.
Add in some really bad makeup, and Dylan Dog becomes a movie that, while all right, really isn’t worth the price of admission.
