THE TWINS EFFECT

CONTAINS SPOILERS AND W.T.F.

Much as I enjoy horror movies, there are times when I have to try something else and, after a run of (to put it mildly) unspectacular shockers I've put them on hold for a little while and switched to martial arts and Hong Kong action films instead. Happily this particular example manages to straddle both genres so I got my money's worth both ways. Because in addition to it being a martial arts movie with several niftily choreographed fight sequences, it's also a vampire piece.

And The Twins Effect is also one of the silliest, dumbest, maddest movies I've caught in a while. A vampire hunter and his new assistant track down a lonely, reluctant European vampire prince who, unbeknownst to them, is forming a relationship with the vampire hunter's sister. Also on the trail is an uber-vampire who needs his blood to unlock some kind of magic book that will grant him unlimited power or immortality or something. Somehow woven into it is no less a figure than Jackie Chan, executive producing and taking a supporting role as an ambulance driver (with a typically elaborate fight sequence). It all climaxes with the inevitable big fight scene as the heroes and the reluctant vampire take on The Evil One.

Most of the comedy stuff is absolutely terrible and none of it's funny. But with all these things it's how the action scenes are staged and performed that's the key and as far as I'm concerned they deliver. Maybe there's a bit too much wirework for my taste (then again, they ARE vampires) and swarms of CGI bats in the opening sequence. It's not great. But it's generally good-natured and entertaining and I enjoyed it a lot. Apparently there's a sequel but it doesn't appear to have surfaced on British DVD yet.

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