Today’s quick review: Daybreakers. Ten years after the majority of the world’s population were turned into vampires, blood shortages have pushed them to the brink of starvation. Ed Dalton (Ethan Hawke), a hematologist for one of the largest blood suppliers, is working tirelessly to develop a safe blood substitute. But his research takes a different path when a human survivor (Claudia Karvan) introduces him to a cured vampire (Willem Dafoe).
Daybreakers is a sci-fi action movie about a future where vampirism is widespread and society has undergone drastic changes to accommodate it. Ethan Hawke stars as Edward Dalton, a vampire scientist trying to end vampires’ dependence on humans. Daybreakers puts a fair amount of effort into its world and uses it as a foundation for a decent plot and a smattering of action. However, no single aspect of the movie is enough to make it stand out.
Daybreakers’ greatest feature ends up being its setting. The film works out the myriad changes that a world of vampires would need to make in order to function, ranging from food and social status to the means used to protect vampires from sunlight. The changes are integrated well into the story, doled out at steady pace and meaningful to the plot. None of the changes are jaw-dropping, but they do make the world robust and interesting to explore.
Beyond its setting, Daybreakers fits comfortably into a particular niche of the dystopian sci-fi genre. The plot has a reasonable progression as Ed tries to first work within the system and then outside it to solve the blood shortage. Ed makes for a sympathetic protagonist, if not an especially deep one. The action is never central to the film, but it is fairly satisfying, with gory combat between vampire troops and human survivors.
Overall, Daybreakers is a solid entry into the sci-fi action genre. The movie is far from groundbreaking, but it has everything it needs to please fans of the genre: a rich world, a decent cast, and well-constructed plot studded with a bit of gory spectacle. Those looking for popcorn will get just what they want. Those hoping for all-out action or a deeper plot can do better elsewhere.
For better vampire action, try either the Blade or the Underworld series. For a more action-oriented sci-fi movie with a similar plot, try Equilibrium. For a more thoughtful sci-fi drama starring Ethan Hawke, try Gattaca. For a dystopian sci-fi thriller that offers both action and speculation, try Minority Report.
6.4 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 to 7.0 for satisfying execution of a decent premise.