The Breed 2001 Film Starring Adrian Paul
Vampires and Humans Co-Exist and There is a Murderer on the Loose
Sep 22, 2009 Christopher Sharman
Police officer Steve Grant and his partner are investigating a series of murders when they are attacked by a man with far superior strength and is able to take shots to the chest like the bullets are nothing. Grant discovers that there is a world of vampires living in society and one of them is responsible for the murders.
The Breed's Plot and Characters
Steve Grant (Bokeem Woodbine) and his partner are attacked by a creature of the night that rips his partner’s throat out before climbing a wall like Spider-Man and escaping across the rooftops. Grant’s superiors introduce him to Aaron Grey (Adrian Paul), and tell him that the person responsible for the killings and his partner’s murder was not unique. Vampires exist and have admitted their existence to humanity. However, they do not feed on human blood and have developed a synthetic substance that sustains them just as well as real blood.
Grant is shocked to learn the truth and also that Grey is a vampire. The unlikely pair work together to find the vampire responsible for the murders. Along the way they are aided by the beautiful and seductive vampire Lucy Westenra (Bai Ling). Together they start to uncover a conspiracy running through both the human and vampire worlds.
A Different Take on the Vampire Genre
Very few films in which vampires feature seem to be any good and recently they don’t seem to be able to do anything without fighting werewolves. The Breed is a vampire film from before the two species were linked together, and whilst it is not the greatest film ever made it is still a cut above the majority of the vampire films out.
Essentially the film is a who-dun-it, Grant initially seems to be convinced that all vampires are evil, and cannot be trusted. However, his opinions of them change after Lucy saves his life and the pair begin an intimate relationship. Grant also learns that his fellow humans have developed a virus that will kill every vampire, and they intend to unleash it, if the vampires ever become too dangerous.
The Breed easily outshines so many abysmal vampire films; it seems that anyone with a camera and wanting to create a horror film has a hash at doing a vampire flick. There are so many examples of poor films, that it makes a refreshing change to see something that is a little different. The Breed is set in a futuristic world in which vampires have admitted their own existence and are interested in peaceful cooperation with humanity.
The cast are made up of familiar faces that tend to be more famous for being on the small screen or have had minor parts in Hollywood films. Bai Ling is probably the most recognisable face, having achieved a level of stardom for being in The Crow. Adrian Paul has featured in many small screen shows (including Highlander: The Series and Charmed). Here the more experienced members of the cast work hard to give their characters some depth and make them more real. However, some of the acting is very wooden, especially a moment when Grant grabs another man by the throat and his apparent anger is only evident in his voice and not his body language or facial expression.
There is also some very unconvincing CGI on display; a lot of films make use of poor computer effects that make it very difficult for the audience suspend their disbelief and believe that what they are seeing is real.
3/5
An entertaining vampire film that is far better than a lot of other low budget films out there.
The Breed
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