DIRECTOR Mitchell Altieri; Phil Flores WRITER Mitchell Altieri; Phil Flores; Adam Weis STARS Cory Knauf; Samuel Child; Mackenzie Firgens DVD 15 October
For those who have seen The Hamiltons, this sequel will be something of a surprise. Previously, the emphasis was on the interactions of this dysfunctional vampire family and their struggle to assimilate themselves into suburbia, whereas The Thompsons opts for action and violence. The result is something a tad more throwaway, but fun nonetheless.
The plot is simple: the Thompsons, having changed their name to avoid detection, have headed to the UK in search of help in order to survive; life on the run and laying low is not conducive to plentiful, bloody meals. That help comes from the Stuarts, a pub-owning English clan that is considerably more gleeful in its vampirism. At first it appears that worries may be over for our Americans, however their hosts reveal themselves to have ulterior motives.
Very much a film more concerned with style over substance, character development falls by the wayside here, as does the script and indeed even some of the acting. And yet, this doesn’t particularly matter, the pacing handled extremely well over a relatively short run-time; fast and fun, there is no pretence here for anything other than a bloody ride.
