Review of Queen of the Damned (2002) by Berc — 09 Jun 2016

The artistic medium of film is very subjective. Every audience member has a different set of criteria they use to measure their viewing experience. Not everyone shares the same set of criteria. If we did, what a bland and uninspired world this would be.

What I Personally Liked About "Queen of the Damned":

The very beginning of the opening credits over the stone statues set an incredible tone which, sadly, cannot be maintained through the rest of the film. It's such a shame that all hope is smashed so shortly thereafter once the narration of Lestat commences. Really, the only strong recommendation I can give that lifts this film up is the presence of the late musician Aaliyah embodying the titular role. The slinkiness she brings ensures that her character will be remembered long after the movie is over. Indeed, she carries with her an almost supernatural sensuality that few actresses possess. It is too bad there was not a better film to surround her torrid role.

What I Personally Disliked About "Queen of the Damned":

Stuart Townsend is supposed to be the centerpiece of this production. However, he is a pale imitation next to the maniacal impression left by his predecessor Tom Cruise. He is too dry and uninvolving. He simply exists as a typical vampire with none of the traits that made Lestat who he was in the first film. Almost every other major player in this movie (Marguerite Moreau, Vincent Perez, Paul McGann, etc.) is equally as terrible which is surprising consider how wonderful some of their acting has been in other features. This brings me to Lena Olin portraying Aunt Maharet. Lena, why were you involved in this motion picture? Seriously, you're better than this! (Think: "Romeo is Bleeding" and "The Unbearable Lightness of Being") What happened? Did you need the money? Were you locked in an ironclad contract? Let's move beyond the quote/unquote talent for a moment and take a look at some of the other elements of the film. "Queen" doesn't have half of the wit or the willingness to shock its audience with its warped perversity and unbridled carnage as "Interview With the Vampire." It feels like it's holding back; like it's a watered down rendition playing exclusively for the Hollywood executives and not for the same crowd that adored "Interview." They also combined elements from two Anne Rice novels instead of letting each one stand on its own merit in the cinematic world. By cherry-picking certain elements from the pair of books, the filmmakers proved they had absolutely no understanding of the source material. The lack of any real cohesion between "Queen" and "Interview" is more fuel on that fire. Why piggyback on the shoulders of greatness if you are going to be so disrespectful to both the previous film and the novels on which this entry was based? Some of the special effects are simply atrocious as well. It's hard to believe this film was released eight years after "Interview" when its effects look like they were created eight years before its predecessor. A lot of the visual tricks used are amateurish at best (the "fast motion" of the vampires) or outright headache-inducing at worst (the "vampire mind flashes" Lestat has when he connects with Akasha and the slow motion walk between Lestat and Jesse). Finally, the generic hard rock music sprinkled throughout the picture. It's faceless. It's toneless. It's soulless. I didn't realize "plastic metal" actually existed until I saw this film. And I thought Guns N' Roses's version of "Sympathy for the Devil" was horrible from "Interview." Ha! That was not even close to the rubbish this film presents to us.

My Overall Impression of "Queen of the Damned":

Between the glossed over combination of two novels serving as one film, special effects that look like they were crafted from eighties' nerds using a Commodore 64, and a cast list that plays like the rejects from a bad romance novel, this less than thrilling follow-up to "Interview With the Vampire" should have been shelved in developmental hell where it belonged. It's hard to believe there are worse films in existence than this one...but there are.