Since there are more vampire tales to tell, I have returned. This movie again picks up right where the last one ended. Only, this time, they actually filmed the movies at the same time, so our heroine is not going to become a blond all of a sudden. As the director explains later, they attempted to make this like one long story, as opposed to two films that just come back-to-back. An interesting idea, but how feasible is it? Well, despite being stabbed more times than Sweeney Todd's cutting board, Radu is back in this tale, along with the sister, the police detective (who I just sort of glossed over last time) and the Embassy envoy. This continues to be a story about Michelle, so it's sort of a make or break thing. If you don't care about her at all, you will really have no connection here. We do get some new characters, but more on that later. Let's just pick up where we left off in...
We begin with a fairly-lengthy recap of the last movie (about three minutes) and get into things. First things first, Michelle is taken to the witch's laboratory and is apparently unconscious. Thanks for not showing us how the tiny burn victim overtook the full-grown adult with vampiric strength, movie! We switch perspectives briefly so that the movie can show us the sister's ass in a thong as she changes out of her dress right out in the open. Thanks, but was that necessary at all? She goes to a bar and calls the police, who apparently rush over, despite the movie not showing us her actual call. In the lab, Mummy takes some blood from Michelle and drips it in Radu's big, gaping maw. This, along with some chanting, brings Radu back from the dead. This guy is two for two when it comes to resurrections, so you may be stuck with me as I review Subspecies 53: Blood-drained. The police look around, but find nothing, thanks to the others being in a weird room behind a false wall. Well, they do find the dead professor, but who cares? Using some silly smoke effects and chanting, the trio of Mummy, Radu and Michelle escape to the new crypt.
Michelle's sister refuses to give up, although nobody believes her story. It does not help that the one person who did is an impaled corpse now, does it? This whole portion of the film revolves around two things: Michelle fighting the urge to become a corrupted vampire and her sister trying to find her. The latter starts to get closer to the man, but he gets cock-blocked by a montage of scary moments played in the woman's head. So close! On the other side, Michelle is waning in her resolve. She even gives in for a moment and feeds on a woman that is brought in by Radu. This is, of course, after her top is pulled down for the camera. You do have to prioritize, Mr. Nicolau. At this point, you also see just how thrifty the production is. Not only do they re-use the castle from Part 1, but they even re-use the 'Mouse Trap'-style cage! Radu and company figured that it would be good to hide out in a place that our heroes already know about and can sneak into. After some mysterious killings and a sighting, the sister finally manages to get the cops on her side. That and the fact that Radu stabs the lead detective to death with a dagger.
The sister, the Embassy envoy and some police are preparing to siege the castle. As a bonus, they get a CIA operative with a cocky attitude and no characterization. I smell a 'Red Shirt.' Rather than going in like before, they decide to climb up the face of the castle because...um, why do they do that? The envoy and the new guy go in alone-save for a handgun full of silver bullets,- leaving the sister down below. The CIA guy insults Mummy and fires his machine gun at her, but she counters by launching a knife across the room via improbable science and it goes into her. Holy Kano-move, Batman! She locks our male lead up in the cage with the random woman who was 'on the menu' and wants to make Michelle feast on him. Her sister desperately tries to coerce her through the radio, but that gets smashed. It all turns when Radu rejects his mother's attempt at having him finally kill Michelle and rips her arm off! He kills her, but Michelle turns on him, making his move all the stupider. She shoots with with the silver bullets, but he still follows them! Despite never doing this before, the morning sun sets Radu on fire and he falls off the precipice and gets impaled on a sharp tree. Our heroes wrap up Michelle and leave, but neglect to take the Bloodstone. Dun dun dun!
This movie is a bit juicier than Part II and has a better ending. They definitely amped up the gore here and that is a good thing. Of course, as shown above, it can get a little over-the-top. The plot is good, but definitely feels like the second part of a story, as opposed to a sequel. Why not just call them Subspecies: Part 2 and Subspecies: Part 3? That is the inherent flaw with this movie- if you don't watch the others, you will have no emotional connection to it. The acting is good and *most* of the characters are well fleshed-out. It is at this point that the Radu make-up gets a little too 'messed-up looking' & Mummy is as exaggerated as ever. Given that our only other vampire is Michelle in heavy powder make-up, they just stand as a bit out of place. That said, I would rather have monster vampires than guys that glow in the sunlight. I say 'viva los monstruous!'
Is Radu really dead? Will Mummy return? Will Michelle find an emotion between anger and sadness? Stay tuned...
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