Today’s quick review: BloodRayne: Deliverance. In the Old West, Rayne (Natassia Malthe), a half-vampire gunslinger, travels to the quiet town of Deliverance to meet a close friend. But when she arrives, she finds her friend dead and the town in the clutches of Billy the Kidd (Zack Ward), an ancient vampire with a plan to make an army. Narrowly escaping Billy and his gang, Rayne teams up with Pat Garrett (Michael Pare) to take back the town.
BloodRayne: Deliverance is a fantasy action Western from director Uwe Boll. The movie picks up with Rayne as she makes a new life for herself in the West. Deliverance fits comfortably into the same mold as the original BloodRayne: a budget action flick that relies on its heroine for its thrills. But Deliverance also comes with many of the same issues, including limp action, slow pacing, and thin character work and storytelling.
Deliverance’s problems start with its heroine. Rayne makes for an ineffectual vampire hunter. Her powers as a half-vampire rarely matter, she’s prone to rushing in without a plan, and her track record against Billy the Kidd’s gang is mixed at best. More generally, Rayne’s personality shifts from scene to scene, and Natassia Malthe doesn’t have the stage presence to pull off the role. With a weak protagonist, the rest of the film never clicks.
Even beyond Rayne herself, Deliverance has issues. The plot is tenuous even relative to the first movie’s standards. Characters are killed off just as unceremoniously as they’re introduced, meaning that Rayne’s allies only ever act as placeholders. The movie’s pacing is another major strike against it. Deliverance takes a long time to even introduce its main character, and its attempts to draw out its action seems simply sap them of tension.
BloodRayne: Deliverance ends up being a movie with very little to offer. Its action, story, acting, and overall craftsmanship all fall short of what they should be. Its only appeal lies in its premise, a vampire hunt in the Old West, and the rare moment of unintentional comedy. Fans of the original BloodRayne or Uwe Boll’s work in general will know roughly what they’re in for. Everyone else will want to steer clear.
For a more interesting horror-tinged Western fantasy, try Jonah Hex. For an offbeat Western with an emphasis on action and unusual characters, try The Warrior’s Way. For more stylish vampire action, try the Underworld series. For a somewhat more engaging action movie from Uwe Boll, try In the Name of the King.
2.6 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 3.5 for a premise with modest potential and badly flawed execution.