Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992) Review: Valley Vampires
“She knows a sucker when she sees one”Synopsis: A flighty teenage girl learns that she is her generation’s destined battler of vampires. | ![]() Watch now on Amazon |
Calamity Brains:
Taken separately from the series, the Buffy movie is fairly entertaining drivel.* It’s what you would get if you crossed Clueless with a mediocre vampire movie. The concept of a valley girl cheerleader being chosen to protect her community from vampires is a great one, but that’s really the best part of the movie. Acting and character development are pretty thin, which would be forgivable if the movie fully leaned into its ridiculousness – but it doesn’t.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer is full of missed opportunities. For example, the one-liners and soundtrack never quite reach the epic levels they seem destined for. Guys, there is literally an ’80s-style training montage, but it’s not even set to ridiculous music. I honestly felt a little gypped after that one.
Watching Merrick (Donald Sutherland) interact with spoiled Slayer Buffy (Kristy Swanson) is fun, as is seeing Rutger Hauer, Paul Reubens, and David Arquette flit around in vampire makeup. It never quite makes up for the movie’s shortcomings, but it’s enough to mostly fill in the gaps.
All in all, Buffy is entertaining, but mindless. You could throw it on in the background and not miss anything, or possibly watch it as a headliner some night when you really, REALLY need to turn your brain off. It’s definitely not a must-see, but it’s worthwhile as a cultural footnote.
*Note: If you’ve only seen the series, be warned: this movie is about on par with the M*A*S*H movie. You can tell it’s related to the series, but it’s definitely not in the same vein. Fans are likely to be disappointed by its inanity.
Calamity Brains’ Rating: C+
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