Review of Queen of the Damned

Review: 'Queen of the Damned' is a horror film directed by Michael Rymer. It is loosely based on the third novel in The Vampire Chronicles series by Anne Rice. This is not you're typical vampire tale. It's a gothic and fun story and is not heavy like 'Interview with the Vampire'. If you're a fan of vampire lore and can't turn your brain off about the information on them, you might have a hard time with this movie. Although, not as bad as 'Twilight'. Lestat de Lioncourt (Stuart Townsend) is awakened from his slumber. Bored with his existence, he has now become this generation's new Rock God. While in the course of time, another has arisen, Akasha, (Aaliyah) the Queen of the Vampires and the Dammed. He wants immortal fame, his fellow vampires want him eternally dead for his betrayal, and the Queen wants him for her King. Who will be the first to reach him? Who shall win? While the acting might not be the best I've seen, the actors are portraying their characters in such an overly dramatic way that it makes sense still. Especially Aaliyah when she comes on screen as the Queen Akasha. You know right off that this is not a character to be messed with, and she will get her way one way or another. I do like a lot about this movie aside from the acting, such as the amazing soundtrack. Being made in the early 2000's when goth-rock was in the up and up even if for a short while. I didn't once believe that the character of Lestat was singing these songs because they all sound like distinctly different voices, but the songs were great. I enjoyed the overall story being told, but for it being called 'Queen of the Damned' I think it should have been her story instead of Lestat's. Akasha was very under utilized in this film. Overall, the movie had no short of entertainment and while it might not have been the tightest structure, the characters, soundtrack and story are enough for this to at least be a guilty pleasure when the moment calls for it. 3.5/5