Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Directed by Fran Rubel Kuzui, Buffy the Vampire Slayer follows Kristy Swanson’s Buffy Summers as she’s forced to battle a vicious, centuries-old vampire named Lothos (Rutger Hauer). There’s ultimately never a point at which Buffy the Vampire Slayer is entirely (or even partially) able to live up to the seemingly foolproof nature of its high-concept premise, as the movie, written by Joss Whedon, suffers from a sluggish feel that ensures its 86 minutes often feel much, much longer – with the less-than-spellbinding atmosphere compounded by an absence of wholeheartedly compelling, sympathetic characters. (It’s quite telling, certainly, that the most intriguing and engaging figure here is Paul Reubens’ evil Amilyn, and it’s clear, ultimately, that Reubens’ consistently engrossing turn remains an obvious highlight within the rocky proceedings.) Having said that, Buffy the Vampire Slayer benefits from Kuzui’s easygoing approach to Whedon’s screenplay and Swanson’s affable turn as the somewhat one-note protagonist – which does ensure, at the very least, that the picture remains watchable from start to finish. The protracted finale prevents the whole thing from concluding on the memorably rollicking note Kuzui has intended, though, and it is, in the end, impossible to label Buffy the Vampire Slayer as anything other than a fairly forgettable little comedy.

**1/2 out of ****