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Queen of the Damned (Full Screen Edition)

Queen of the Damned (Full Screen Edition)

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Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Highly disappointed.
Review: I'm a gracious fan of Anne Rice, and as said before they hacked the book horribly. I anticipated the release of this movie, because i love the vampire chronicles. Yet on opening night they just killed it. I bet the movie was great for those who never read the book or loved it. It bothered me that Marius was said to have made Lestat. Or that they never made a reference to Louis or Claudia, saying he was always alone. Or the time he spent with Armand. Where was Mekare... The ancients were never named in the movie. Something else agitated me was the fact is that they made it a love story of Lestat and Jessie..
Oh well, I know I'm not alone in my feelings. Not that the movie was all that bad, but I just really loved the book...

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: good movie
Review: i though queen of the damned was a good movie! i've seen it 3 times now and it keeps getting better and better!!! even though it doesnt follow the book..its an awesome movie!i think everyone should watch it!!!!!!!

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: I'll be "Damned"
Review: I saw the movie on it's opening night. I had read a copy of the script as well as reviews so I knew what to expect. At first I thought, "You gotta be kidding me", then I had to take a moment and process it all after I went home. The movie lacked in a lot of ways but the script was it's most profound enemy. Never had I read such frivolous drivel in all of my life. The characters were not at all developed. I thought there was too much going on. When it came to where the Queen makes her grand entrance, there was no build-up and it all seemed anti-climatic. Poor Stuart Townsend got "hosed". Aaliyah was great but her role was sooooo minimal I almost felt like finding the studio heads at Warner Bros. and smacking them silly. Everyone knew her part wasn't a large one, yet the studio promoted it as if it were all about her. If anyone had read the book they would have known otherwise. It is a shame that such a talented woman had to be associated with such a piece of work. This movie could have been so much better and with little effort. I am deeply disappointed but I will say compared to other vampire movies, this is a keeper. I don't know what that says, but I honestly think that--Go Figure!

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Queen of the Stupid
Review: If you are an Anne Rice fan and are expecting a movie based on the book, don't look for it here. It seems as though the writers thought it would be enough to just read a short summary of the book in order to write the script. If you've read the book, don't expect anything that was in the book to appear in the movie. If you've never read the book, don't expect to understand a thing about the movie.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: More detail.
Review: I am a vampire fan and vampire movies are my favorite. But this movie needed more detail. Like how did Akasha become queen and how did she get her king. The legend behind Akasha. It was nice to tell us about it. But if the movie was going to concentrate on Lestat and what made him famous and how and who bore him. They could at least came up with how Akasha played by Aaliyah became who she was. Like I said need more detail. And there was not enough struggle on how Lestat became a rock singer. We all know that it's hard in the show business world and there was no struggle at all to how he became a rock singer. The movie just wasn't complete. It missed out on crucial detail. But in general I do like the movie.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Rice Fans Should Be Pleased
Review: If vampire tales are your cup of blood, then this Goth-fest based on the Anne Rice Vampire Chronicles should prove to be a satisfying experience. A veritable consortium of the undead in a contemporary setting, "Queen of the Damned," directed by Michael Rymer, is a story of shadows and darkness, and of the unfortunate souls who dwell therein for eternity.

The vampire Lestat (Stuart Townsend), bored with a world that no longer excites him, has been "asleep" for many years; but suddenly, the sounds of that world he hears from his extended slumber change, and liking what he hears, he ventures forth to investigate. What he finds is a world filled with new sounds, a new kind of music-- driving and penetrating-- sounds that assault the senses and make him feel alive and welcome. And he knows that at long last his time has come, that it is time for him and those like him to come out into the open and face the world on their terms. Toward that end he becomes the front man for a band-- a singer and performer unlike any the world has ever known. He presents himself as a vampire, and very quickly amasses a following that extends far beyond London (where it all begins), and will ultimately take him to Death Valley, California, where he plans to give a concert that promises to be beyond anything anyone has ever seen or experienced.

Lestat is powerful, without question, but there are those of his kind who do not take favorably to the fact that he has revealed them, one of whom is Marius (Vincent Perez), a vampire powerful in his own right-- the vampire, in fact, who "made" Lestat so many years before-- and they are gathering, coming together and making their plans to meet Lestat at the concert. And they are not going for the music. But there is something else, as well: At one point Lestat has inadvertently awakened the "Mother" of them all, the most powerful of all the vampires, Akasha (Aaliyah), who is about to make her presence known to all, and especially to the one she has chosen to rule by her side as her King: Lestat. And at the concert, rest assured, Akasha will be in attendance, without fail.

Make no mistake, this is Lestat's story, and Rymer presents it amid a setting rich with atmosphere and with some exquisite moments, though his film has less bite to it than say, "Interview With the Vampire," or "Bram Stoker's Dracula." He sets a good pace, and there are some scenes that provide some real thrills, but overall the film isn't as soaked in menace as it could be, or as much as one might expect. In the final tally, in fact, the amount of flesh that is incinerated wins out over actual blood-letting, though there is more than a taste of gore, and more than a fair share of lips and mouths dripping with the red stuff. There's some good F/X on hand, too, especially in the sequences that accentuate the speed of the vampires, as they move and hurtle through the air faster than the naked eye can discern. It's a decent job by Rymer, but he could have put more teeth into it had he played up the alienation hinted at by Lestat; as it is, you get a sense of his detachment, but not enough to get you totally involved.

In "Interview With the Vampire," Tom Cruise brought some charismatic star power to the role of Lestat, but Townsend is even more effective, with a look and an attitude that captures Lestat perfectly. He plays him with a sense of acceptance, and under closer scrutiny you may even find a hint of remorse and longing. It's a good performance, and one that sells his character convincingly.

As Marius, Vincent Perez does a nice job, too-- he is, in fact, one of the strengths of the film-- though his character is a bit ambiguous; that, however, has more to do with the way he was written than with Perez's performance, which is quite good.

Turning in noteworthy performances, as well, are Marguerite Moreau, as Jesse, a young woman too curious for her own good; and the gorgeous Lena Olin as Maharet, Jesse's Aunt, who ultimately plays a pivotal role in the outcome of the drama involving Lestat and Akasha.

And as Akasha, Aaliyah is an absolutely riveting presence. What more can one say about her other than she is a gifted performer, with tremendous talent and beauty. And, tragically, she has left us much too soon.

The supporting cast includes Paul McGann (David), Christian Manon (Mael), Claudia Black (Pandora), Bruce Spence (Khayman), Matthew Newton (Armand), Tiriel Mora (Roger) and Megan Dorman (Maudy). With a much stronger story than the usual offerings of this particular genre, Anne Rice fans, especially, will be pleased with "Queen of the Damned," a film nicely crafted and delivered by director Rymer and his engaging cast. By focusing attention on the drama of the story-- and the way it's presented-- rather than concentrating on merely providing some cheap thrills, Rymer has succeeded in turning out a true horror film that is definitely a cut above, and one that just may whet your appetite for more of the same. And that's the magic of the movies.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Awesome
Review: I thought this movie had a lot of good actors. The storyline was very easy to follow. Stuart Townsend did a terrific job as Lestat. Two of my devot Anne Rice fan friends' were determined they were going to hate this movie, but both highly enjoyed it and praised Stuart and Vincent. The movie had really great action scenes and love scenes. My favorite scene is the bath tub scene. Go see the movie I recommend it highly.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Queen of the Duped
Review: What a disappointment. While Townsend made a better Lestat, and Aaliyah made a great Queen, the plot was too bad to be forgiven. The makers of this film need to apologize to Anne Rice.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Didn't go for the plot
Review: I never read the book. I didn't going into it looking for a deep plot. I went expecting a two hour very sexy rock video. I got exactly what I wanted. If this movie did anything else, it proved that Tom Cruise was the WRONG choice for Lestat but Stuart Townsend was perfection.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Undead Happily Ever After
Review: Anne Rice's "Queen of the Damned" blasted into theaters...; a hard-rocking, fast paced vampire film which follows the charismatic vampire Lestat, played flawlessly by Stuart Townsend. Lestat has arisen from a decades-long sleep, lured from his crypt by the new music of a new century. His quest for adoration and the wish to live his undead life with passion draws him to become a rock star.
Lestat's music, written for this film by Korn frontman Jonathan Davis, is precisely what one would expect from a vampire; alluring, filled with angst and some wonderfully eerie vocal harmonies. His songs summon the most ancient of all vampires to his side, including the Queen of the Damned, Akasha, played by the late Aaliyah, who believes that vampires should rule the earth. She begins a crusade to recruit Lestat as her new king, but not before a young mortal paranormal researcher, Jesse, begins a star-crossed relationship with him.
This adaptation of Anne Rice's novel include excerpts from another in the series, "The Vampire Lestat." Though some movie-goers might be slightly disappointed in certain aspects of the film, in all totality it is a creative, highly effective supernatural adventure that fans of Anne Rice, horror film, and vampires in general will enjoy seeing. It's quite a journey told from the unique perspective of a centuries-old French vampire, and the young mortal girl who falls for him...to death and beyond.


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