Common Sense Media Review
By Brian Costello
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Violence, nudity, language in disappointing vampire movie.
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Vampires
What's the Story?
In VAMPIRES, Jack Crow (James Woods) is the leader of a ragtag group of vampire hunters currently in New Mexico. After taking out a group of vampires in an abandoned house in the middle of nowhere, they go to the cheap motel where they're staying to celebrate with booze and sex workers, only to find that they did not kill Valek (Thomas Ian Griffith), the leader of the vampires. Valek goes on a rampage, and only Jack and his second-in-command Montoya (Daniel Baldwin) survive, as well as a sex worker named Katrina (Sheryl Lee), but she has been bitten and doesn't have much time until she turns. Jack and Montoya must find a way to stop Valek as they meet with Catholic Church officials who bankroll their vampire hunting to learn Valek's sordid history and what he intends to do. Jack and Montoya must find a way to stop Valek and rescue Katrina.
Is It Any Good?
In the mostly impressive filmography of John Carpenter, this is not among the best. Vampires is as over the top as many of Carpenter's other movies, but it lacks the chemistry, cohesion, and pure entertainment of fun movies like Escape From New York and They Live. The dialogue is hilariously corny, but it also hasn't aged well, as there are moments when James Woods' character, lead vampire hunter Jack Crow, resorts to homophobic slurs and jokes to provoke the lead evil vampire.
It looks, at first glance, like it will be as fun as Carpenter's other movies, but it gets bogged down with the expected secrecy and mystery of the Catholic Church and the officials who bankroll it, and the plot twists in this regard aren't the least bit surprising. There's also a lack of chemistry between Woods, Daniel Baldwin, and Sheryl Lee. As Jack Crow, James Woods isn't as memorable or entertaining as, say, one Snake Plissken. On top of everything else, the music, which is usually such a powerful mainstay in Carpenter's films (in musician circles, he's renowned for his electronic music soundtracks), is bland blues, like what used to provide the soundtracks for commercials for acid-washed jeans or wine coolers. It's disappointing.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about vampire movies like Vampires. How is this similar to and different from other vampire movies you've seen?
This movie is based on a book. What would be the challenges in adapting a book into a movie?
Were the sex and violence necessary for the story, or did it come across as gratuitous? Why?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : October 30, 1998
- Cast : James Woods , Daniel Baldwin , Sheryl Lee
- Director : John Carpenter
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Columbia Pictures
- Genre : Horror
- Topics : Fantasy
- Run time : 107 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : Vampire violence, language and brief sexuality.
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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