Lost Boys: The Thirst Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

Lost Boys: The Thirst Blu-ray Movie Review

Ahhh.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman October 19, 2010

If I'm going to do this, I'm going need weapons. Lots of weapons. Lots of really expensive, custom-made weapons.

This is more like it. After the low energy rehash of The Lost Boys that was Lost Boys: The Tribe, Lost Boys: The Thirst kicks the series into overdrive and delivers a fast-paced picture that's gloriously cheesy and way over the top, but done so in a lovingly-realized and well-conceived way that makes it a fun diversion and a perfect follow-up to the first two Lost Boys pictures. A light tone, good characters, a few surprises, plenty of action, lots of wit, a great script, and a focus on Edgar Frog all allow The Thirst to quench fans' craving for an honest-to-goodness sequel and one that doesn't leave a bad taste in the mouth. Better yet, the film plays with a wink-and-a-nod attitude whereby the humorous antics actually work rather than fall flat or come off like the filmmakers were simply trying too hard to please fans. This is the sequel that should have been; while there are a few references to The Tribe, The Thirst works best as a followup to the first film while ignoring that the second even exists.

Bad to the bone.

Edgar Frog (Corey Feldman) may be the world's top Vampire hunter, but his personal life is in shambles. His most recent mission saw a dear colleague turned into a Vampire, and low funds have just forced the bank to evict him from his humble trailer. As if that weren't enough, his hometown of San Cazador is about to host a dangerous rave where a new drug, The Thirst, is to be widely distributed. The Thirst is no ordinary drug; it converts its users into Vampires. Frog is approached by the mysterious Gwen (Tanit Phoenix) who requests that he rescue her brother Peter (Felix Mosse) from the dangerous DJ X (Seb Castang) and the other Vampires who wish to use him as a living sacrifice at the rave. With the help of his friend Zoe (Casey B. Dolan), an action reality television star named Lars Vongetz, and plenty of fancy Vampire-slaying weaponry, Edgar goes to work, but he uncovers a much darker secret behind the Vampires' far-reaching plans that could shape his destiny and forever change the way he looks at Vampire slaying.

Forget whatever lingering negatives exist from The Tribe; The Thirst is nothing but a fun picture that's respectful of the series and its characters. It's evident from the beginning that The Thirst is a picture several notches better than its predecessor; not only is there more well-realized and exciting action in the opening minutes alone than in the whole of The Tribe, but the picture immediately demonstrates more in the way of production vales, quality writing, and superior acting compared to anything seen in the 2008 film. In fact, Lost Boys: The Thirst never looks like a direct-to-video film; while it doesn't look like a mega-dollar summer blockbuster, either, it's evident that the filmmakers were determined to make a movie that could rise above expectations and labels, and the result is easily one of the best direct-to-video films since the advent of the market. Loyalty and adherence to the original, a playfully serious script, strong action, and of course another wonderful performance by Corey Feldman all make The Thirst a quality picture and, more importantly, a worthy entrant into the franchise.

Of all the positives, though, Feldman's performances shines through as the best; this is his movie, whereas in The Tribe he played second fiddle to no less than three additional characters. With Edgar no longer relegated to secondary status, The Thirst allows for all of the character's fun little mannerisms and verbal quips to dominate the picture. Feldman more or less grunts and groans his way through the movie, but it works, oddly enough. The almost neanderthal dialect suits the character very well; here's a man whose life has been defined by loss, violence, and most recently, isolation. Feldman manages to play the character as a serious Vampire hunter who's been hurt morally, physically, and emotionally; that he's almost reverted to a base state of existence is no surprise, and he pulls it off perfectly by finding that very fine line between overly tough and gruff and playfully funny. He's certainly the film's greatest strength, and while the other characters are mostly generic -- including one who is a writer of novels that glorifies the sex appeal of Vampirism a la Stephenie Meyer or a phony reality TV action star who thinks he's all that and a bag of chips -- they all smartly get out of the way and only do what's needed of them to allow Feldman to dominate the picture.

Lost Boys: The Thirst Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Lost Boys: The Thirst arrives on Blu-ray with a proficient 1080p Blu-ray transfer. The image is sharp and nicely detailed throughout, representing one of the smoother and more natural direct-to-video images yet seen on Blu-ray. Colors are well-balanced, even if they do look somewhat dim, a trait that dominates the entire movie to create something of a bland, cold, and gray tone. A light-to-moderate fluctuating grain structure is visible through most of the movie, though when it spikes it adds to the transfer a decidedly over-sharpened appearance. Blacks are generally strong, and flesh tones capture that colder and paler appearance that dominates the film. A few soft spots and occasional banding and light background blocking are sometimes visible, though rare. Lost Boys: The Thirst isn't at the pinnacle of the format, but Warner's transfer is commendably solid all-around.

Lost Boys: The Thirst Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Lost Boys: The Thirst features an ambitious and aggressive DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack. A high-powered dance tune that plays over the opening credits delivers a barrage of sonic goodness, with music enjoying fine clarity and plenty of energy as it spills from every speaker, supported by a strong and thumping low end. Such attributes are found in several spots throughout the film, giving the speakers a punishing workout at several points through the entirety of the 81-minute runtime. The track also features a few spacious and realistic environmental atmospherics, notably outside of Frog's trailer home and several seaside scenes. A few potent sound effects are strong but occasionally hit-or-miss. A strong, gusty wind heard during a skydiving sequence doesn't quite completely engulf the listening area; it's more of a massive wall of sound rather than a distinct and realistic effect. Nevertheless, the track excels far more often than it stumbles; supported by seamless dialogue reproduction, Warner's DTS track is a winner.

Lost Boys: The Thirst Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Lost Boys: The Thirst contains only a few special features. How to Kill a Vampire 1080p, 5:44) features Corey Feldman in-character as Edgar Frog, showing viewers his tools of the trade. Charisma Carpenter Hosts The Art of Seduction: Vampire Lore (1080p, 12:20) is a piece that briefly looks at the allure of Vampirism, hosted by the "Buffy" star and featuring interview clips with the cast and crew. 'The Lost Boys:' Return of the Frog Brothers (1080p, 6:49) is a hilarious piece that features Corey Feldman interviewing Edgar and Alan Frog. Finally, What is the Thirst (1080p, 6:09) contains several brief Vampire-hosted advertisements for "The Thirst," followed by an invitation to the rave and concluding with one person's effort to get the truth out about the drug. Disc two contains both DVD and digital copies of Lost Boys: The Thirst. The latter, sampled on an iPhone 4, features a typical video presentation that's home to some compression-related issues but is otherwise nicely detailed. The sound is spacious and crisp even over a lesser pair of headphones; effects and dialogue are accurate, and several elements manage to pan across the two channels to fine effect.

Lost Boys: The Thirst Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Lost Boys: The Thirst is a full-throttle Action/Comedy that capitalizes on everything that makes its lead character great; fans will love Corey Feldman's performance, and while some of the side characters are infinitely forgettable, the movie certainly isn't. The Thirst is great fun from beginning to end and the proper follow-up to The Lost Boys that fans need to see. Forget the dismal The Tribe; The Thirst is where it's at. Warner Brothers' Blu-ray release of Lost Boys: The Thirst yields an impressive technical presentation and a few extras. Recommended.