Grade: B-
Synopsis: A young man returns to his hometown ten years after nearly falling victim to a miner’s Valentine’s night rampage, only to find himself at the center of a rash of new killings.
My Bloody Valentine, when viewed in 3-D, is great, over-the-top fun. Sure, it’s okay in 2-D, but honestly, nothing says “cartoon horror” quite like the sight of a giant, dismembered eyeball flying right at you. Well, that and the midget, but we’ll get to that.
Storywise, the film borrows heavily from the giallo subgenre, playing out as a gory whodunit, but director Patrick Lussier keeps his tongue planted firmly in his cheek, never taking things too seriously, and gets reasonably creative with his death scenes, one of which involves a midget being pinned to the ceiling via an uppercut with an oversized pickaxe. Yeah, it’s that kind of movie.
The performers are all solid enough, and, in a refreshing change of pace, the script doesn’t force any of them to act like idiots. Granted, this is still a formula picture, but at least it’s not insulting to the audience.
That said, if you’re not a fan of cheesy horror films, or the slasher genre, My Bloody Valentine isn’t going to make a convert out of you, but if you like a good thrill ride, and grew up cringing at the likes of Freddy and Jason, the 3-D version of this film will be right up your alley.
