Vampires have been split into two clans because of a dispute on feeding. Vampires use their breath to put their prey to sleep and take a suitable amount of blood from a small incision without killing the “donor”. The other immortal clan known as the “Vampaneze” chomp down on their victim’s neck and consume all of his or her blood. The two sides have lived by a truce that prevents them from interfering in each other’s affairs. If a vampaneze kills a vampire or vice versa the truce will be broken and a war will erupt between the two vampire communities and probably bring down Armageddon on the world.

Darren (Chris Massoglia) is a clean cut popular kid that gets straight A’s on his report cards while Steve (Josh Hutcherson) is a rambunctious yet slightly troubled teen from a broken home. Despite the sharp differences in their backgrounds both boys call each other “best friend”. One day, Steve gets annoyed with Darren for being such a goody two shoes and never doing anything risky or risqué. They spot a flyer for a traveling freak show called Cirque du Freak and Darren sees this as a chance to prove he has a wild side. When night falls the pair head for the theater to see the freakiest show on Earth.

One of the performers is a gentleman named Crepsley (John C. Reilly) with a pet spider named Octa. While Darren is enraptured with the vibrantly colored creepy crawly Steve is startled by the performer’s uncanny resemblance to a vampire featured in one of his occult books. Both want to find out more about Crepsley for their own reasons and the more they discover about Crepsley the deeper they’ll get entrenched into the vampire world. The journey will change the lives of both boys as well as their relationship.

Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant is a very interesting film. Beginning with the wildly animated opening credits the movie delivers a strange yet amusing adventure especially for those who lean towards the macabre. I was also surprised to discover that the plot is more about the vampires than the circus troupe. The key points are Darren and Steve’s introduction to Crepsley, Darren’s transformation into a vampire, the effect of Darren’s transformation on those closest to him and the vampire war that looms on the horizon.

The Cirque du Freak is kept neutral by the troupe leader, Mr. Tall (Ken Wantanabe). They want no part in any supernatural war. They just want to travel and perform in peace. The drawback is that I didn’t get to spend as much time with them as I wanted. Except for Darren’s roommate Evra / “Snakeboy” (Patrick Fugit), Rebecca / “Monkeygirl” (Jessica Carlson) and Madame Truska / “Bearded Lady” (Salma Hayek) most of the other performers are relegated to bit parts. I wanted to know more about Cormac Limbs (Jane Krakowski) and her ability to regenerate her torn body parts or how Alexander Ribs (Orlando Jones) got his incredibly trim waist size. Rhamus Twobellies (Frankie Faison) was certainly due for a flashback tale. But no, The Vampire’s Assistant is mostly about the vampires.

The film is actually an adaptation of the first three novels in the 12 book series known as “The Saga of Darren Shan”. Since I didn’t read the books I don’t know how much was left out but I would assume that the screenwriters trimmed off a lot of backstories and side plots to focus on Darren’s vampire turn. Even though I didn’t read the book some of the events did seem a bit on the rushed side so as to comply with the 90 minute running time. Though it didn’t affect my enjoyment of the film I’m gonna make a guess that some of the book fans will be crying foul at the abridged version of the first three novels.

With the Harry Potter film series about to bow out studios are racing to find the next big fantasy book series to turn into a franchise. I can’t help but recall how The Golden Compass was groomed to be the next Potter-esque film series. Due to so-so reviews and a lackluster box office take The Golden Compass remains a singular cinematic creation with no sequel yet in sight. Like The Golden Compass, Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant ends with a slew of loose ends that areleft to be explored in future installments. It would be another crying shame if The Vampire’s Assistant met the same fate as The Golden Compass. I would hate to have another intriguing introduction left to rot because of bad press and poor box office receipts.

I remember being a little puzzled by John C. Reilly’s footage in the previews. I’m so used to him playing comedic and silly characters that I didn’t think I’d be able to take him seriously as a wizened yet witty vampire. I ultimately liked what I saw. He was funny when he needed to be and intimidating when the moment called for him to bear his fangs. I also liked his romantic liaisons opposite Salma Hayek. I don’t know if he’s what the readers had in mind to portray Crepsley but as a filmgoer I thought he did quite well.

Michael Cerveris plays a mysterious man named Mr. Tiny. The best way I can describe him is a scholar on the supernatural who has literally been to hell and back and now uses his knowledge for his own demented gains. I think his trips to the “other side” have cracked his skull. Why else would he want to incite a war and bring about the end of the world? I would welcome a sequel to learn more about this being that stirs great dread and caution in both vampire and vampaneze alike.

The vampire lore is a little different this time around. It appears a stab to the heart is still an effective way to kill a vampire and they sleep in coffins so sunlight is also hazardous to their health. If a vampire doesn’t feed he/she will become weak and eventually expire. It’s unclear how much blood a vampire needs in the Cirque du Freak universe but the vampires are able to get by with small sips from a human. Instead of flying the vampires are able to run really fast using an ability called “flitting”. The fingernails of the vampire are also useful for blood transference and as offensive weapons. They even have a vampire council that, I assume, makes and enforces the laws.

The tone of the film is quite sinister. Marketing this film must’ve been a small nightmare because it’s not a completely family friendly production. There are cuss words, there are some slightly intense scenes of violence. There’s a scene where a blood-parched Darren almost devours his little sister. The movie dangles it’s feet into the deep part of the pool but never fully dives in. Personally, I wouldn’t mind letting my 14 year old brother see it but more prudish folk will probably steer their kids away from it.

Wow, this movie was harder to review than I thought. I liked the movie overall. It’s dark and twisted yet has some rib-tickling elements of humor. I dug the characters and the story’s version of vampire mythology. The cast played their parts well enough that I really want to see them return for a sequel. Horror fans might enjoy the kid-friendlier romp while some parents will be less inclined to let their children see the PG-13 flick. I really believe that Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant has teeth (or should I say “fangs”) but it would be really lame if all those cliffhangers at the end don’t get resolved in “Cirque du Freak: Part II”.