Buffy the Vampire Slayer (PG-13, 1992)

common sense media says

Flippant horror comedy that birthed the TV show.


parents & educators say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this forerunner of the classic Buffy the Vampire Slayer TV series has a much different, less serious flavor (and a different cast) than the program. There is mild swearing and verbal sexual innuendo. Though violence is frequent, it's also cartoon-like and almost entirely bloodless, even when people are killed and vampires are being speared or, in one case, deprived of an arm. Except for supernatural mentors (master vampires and vampire-hunters) adults appear either idiotic or inconsequential, and a man in his 50s is considered disgustingly old.

Positive messages: The title character has become something of an icon of teenage female empowerment, even though she's kind of an airhead here (though she matures over the story). Except for supernatural mentor-figures, parents, elders, and teachers are barely visible buffoons.
Violence: Many, many vampires get skewered on stakes, but blood (ironically) is rare, even when one of the undead has his arm torn off. Martial arts-style kicking and punching, reckless motorcycling and driving stunts. One vampire singed with a flame-thrower-like burst of ignited hairspray.
Sex: Push-up bras and corsets, some skimpy clothing. Male students say they would enjoy sex with the heroine, without going into much detail (except for praising Buffy's "yobbles," apparently a euphemism for breasts).
Language: Prominent use of "bitch," "ass," and the s-word uttered once.
Consumerism: Buffy's superior "fashion sense" is a strong component of the plot, and there's a natural tie-in to the TV series and comics spin-offs.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: Mainly one gag monologue in which a pompous school administrator, suspecting Buffy of abusing drugs, speaks fondly of his 1960s narcotics experimentation and LSD trips.

More on Buffy the Vampire Slayer

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
Families can talk about the different ways that popular-culture storytellers have handled vampires, from Dracula to Twilight. They have symbolized pure evil but also romance and sexuality. Here vampires -- who look kind of like a marauding gang from a rival high school -- serve as a sort of catalyst for Buffy to grow up and realize there is more to life than classroom popularity. What do you think of this Buffy compared to the revamped TV version?

What's the story?

What's the story?
Buffy (Kristy Swanson), a pretty and popular blonde of the "Valley Girl" variety at a Pasadena-area high school, suffers strange dreams at the same time her peers start falling victim to a vampire invasion led by master vampire Lothos (Rutger Hauer). A roving vampire hunter named Merrick (Donald Sutherland) tells Buffy she's destined to be a "slayer," a born hunter-killer of vampires, and he trains her in how to fight the fiends. Buffy has to make some serious choices, however, when responsibility of exterminating vampires hurts her standing with her boyfriend and cheerleader squad-mates.

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 
Buffy's millions of TV fans may be surprised at the tomfoolery tone. Here the premise of a bloodsucker-battling cheerleader is milked at least half the time for gonzo humor, send-ups of Southern California stereotypes (fashion-conscious girls, New-Agey teachers) and some feminism lite, as Buffy evolves into being less like the characters in Clueless and more of a self-reliant warrior princess (though along the way she picks up a new, equally non-conformist boyfriend).

This is a lot fluffier than the good-vs.-evil gravitas from the prime-time saga. The vampires, though dangerous, are also rather goofy, more akin to bad boyfriends or rival-school punk nuisances. For example, one infiltrates the varsity basketball team and intimidates opponents with his fangs and hoops skills.

Movie themes & details

Movie Details
Studio: Twentieth Century Fox
Director: Fran Rubel Kuzui
Cast: Donald Sutherland, Kristy Swanson, Paul Reubens
Genre: Horror
Run time: 86 minutes
Theatrical release: July 31, 1992
DVD release: September 4, 2001
MPAA Rating: PG-13

This review was written by Charles Cassady Jr.
 
 

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Most useful reviews by all members

MyBukkake
parent of 4 year old
 
Trash I tell you.
No one of an age should view this piece of garbage.

jenniferlovesbuffy
kid, 13 years old
 
Its a great movie and you should watch the tv show
this film is a great family movie for 12 and teens as it only has one rude scene with a sausauge

lilmissfrankie
kid, 12 years old
 
for tweens and up
ha this was so funny

taco22
kid, 12 years old
 
Show Is Better
OK, but the show is better.

HI67
kid, 11 years old
 
good for teens
Funny, but violent. It was good.

shopping ...
teen, 14 years old
 
BAD
BAD

Windigo
teen, 14 years old
 
It practically makes fun of itself
Nothing like the TV series, but if you are into movies that are so bad there good then this is the movie for you.

gir8
kid, 12 years old
 
Great show, but not a great movie
I think that Buffy the Vampire slayer is a great show, but not a great movie.

 
crappy + buffy is if possible even more rude than on the show. not witty.
Watch the show instead. It may seem boring the first episode, but it gets better. The movie is impossible to watch. + buffy is stupid and her rude remarks aren't even funny in this "version", the way they are on the show. I can't say that the tv show is better than the movie, because they are not comparable. Script is different, not the same sense of humor, not the same actors (which makes sense apart from the role of Buffy). I'm a huge fan of the show but I couldn't even get through this. It was so boring and slow I had to stop watching. But don't worry, you don't have to see this film to fully understand and enjoy the tv show.

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