# Dylan Dog: Dead of Night - Blu-Ray Review



## Dale Rasco (Apr 11, 2009)

[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=6966[/img]*Title: Dylan Dog: Dead of Night
Starring: Brandon Routh, Sam Hunnington, Taye Diggs
Directed by: Kevin Munroe 
Written by: Thomas Dean Donnelly, Joshua Oppenheimer
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Rated: PG-13
Runtime: 107 Minutes
Blu-Ray Release Date: * 

*Movie:* :2stars:
*Video:* :4stars:
*Audio:* :4stars: 
*Extras:* :1star: 



*HTS Overall Score:*66 

*Synopsis:* 
Dylan Dog(Routh) was an unconventional private investigator in New Orleans who once policed the undead monster population in the after-hours city of the night. As Dylan narrates the opening sequence we learn that New Orleans has become a safe-haven for all creatures of the night and that Dylan was once the appointed peacekeeper of said monsters until a tragedy hit far too close to home and Dylan quit. These days Dylan is just a simple private investigator taking whatever jobs come his way.

Not long into the movie, Dylan is called to the house of a perspective client whose father was slain by a werewolf, but once Dylan recognizes the signs of a lycanthrope intrusion, he quickly picks up and leaves the house uninterested in pursuing any job that leads him back into the world he once policed. But it won’t be that easy for Dylan to simply walk away as his sidekick Marcus (Hunnington) is soon discovered in Dylan’s office slain by supernatural forces pulling back into the world he has tried hard to leave behind. [img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=6967[/img]

‘Dylan Dog: Dead of Night’ is a horror/comedy directed by Kevin Munroe and is based on an Italian comic series created by writer Ticiano Sclavi. The movie stars Brandon Routh of Superman Returns, Sam Hunnington (Fanboys), Taye Diggs, Kurt Angle (Yes that Kurt Angle) and Peter Stormare. I was actually looking forward to seeing the film when I first started to see previews back in 2010 however; I remember thinking that the short run it had at theaters and the of proper marketing definitely had me questioning the quality of the film. Alas my concerns were realized as I sat through nearly two hours of poorly scripted dialogue and convoluted plot details until the welcoming site of the credits started rolling. 

[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=6968[/img]Many of the issues that I had with the film are things that happen in so many titles these days. First of all, the subject matter has been done to death over the past few years. Between Blade, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and dozens of other vampire, werewolf, zombie and comic book adaptations; Dylan Dog is just another uninspired piece of fodder for the masses. Second, Brandon Routh just does not possess the qualities needed to pull off this type of role. I do admit that I have never read the comic book so I am not sure how Dylan Dog in the comics is portrayed however; the film needed a kick the door down take charge kind of guy as to where Routh’s portrayal seemed more fitting for a romantic comedy. 

Lastly, this movie has no identity at all. The characters are forgettable at best, the story line goes absolutely nowhere and what starts off with an action tone turns into a goofy comedy horror that just doesn’t blend with the rest of the film. It actually feels like they started filming and changed directions in the middle to match a ‘Scott Pilgrim’ type of feel and it felt really odd and unbalanced. 


*Rating:* 
Rated PG-13 for sequences of creature violence and action, language including some sexual references, and some drug material

*Video:* :4stars:
The movie itself is inherently dark. The choice of New Orleans for the setting has to do with the plot point that the creatures of the night could hide in plain site during around the witching hour. With that comes a very dark and shadowy image that is luckily clearly visible, but doesn’t have the best contrast to it. Colors appear fairly well when they are present and at times even pop-out at the viewer. Fleshtones seemed natural for the lighting being provided in each scene; lighter and more pale shades in the fluorescent lighting such as the morgue and warmer shades during naturally lit scenes. Black levels are fine and I couldn’t detect any crushing or other deficiencies to speak of however; they did not possess very much depth to them either. Overall it is a good looking transfer, but not one to write home about either.

























*Audio:* :4stars: 
For the most part, the DTS-HD-Master Audio provided for Dylan Dog was aggressive and had a proportionate amount of low frequency extension. Channel separation was adequately performed and directionally correct as the action flowed around the soundstage. Explosions were impactful and there was a good dose of attention given to the surrounds in general as ambient sound could be heard subtly from time to time. Dialogue was clear and concise even when presented during the action sequences end nuanced sounds came across with the utmost clarity. Voices had great texture and were also directionally correct when actors were off screen. Similarly to the video, the audio for Dylan Dog was a good presentation without any real issues; I’ve just heard a lot better.



*Extras:* :1star:
There were none

*Overall:* :3.5stars:
‘Dylan Dog: Dead of Night’ tries to capitalize on several fronts and that approach unfortunately leads to a hodgepodge of several film genres and ideas but leaves it with no real identity. The characters are very generic and don’t do anything to pull the viewer into the world that the filmmakers are trying to create and the plot itself has too many directions and holes to ever be more than a mediocre story at best. Perhaps instead of trying to create and cash in on another Zombie/Vampire/Werewolf slayer franchise from an unheard of comic book character the filmmakers should have thought about trying to do something original. I know that may sound harsh, but the influx of comic book adaptations as well as supernatural and monster adaptations going on out there has really reached the point that I couldn’t care less if they ever make another. The filmmakers spent $20 million on making Dylan Dog which only recouped a little over $1 million back domestically. Hopefully that will give studios reason to apply a little more caution the next time another pitch for this type of adaptation comes across.


*Recommendation: Skip It!​*



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