The use of three dimensional effects have not been a part of cinema for over twenty years, with IMAX the exception, but now it is back and better than ever in 2009. During "My Bloody Valentine 3-D," the audience will experience large pickaxes, flying bullets and tree limbs coming out of the screen and into your lap. At times the effect seems gimmicky as the story forces the occurrence of projectiles moving through the air and other times the three dimensional effects hit it just right. When you see the film you will know when the effect works; the mesmerizing visuals are sometimes jaw-dropping, literally.
Writers Tom Farver and Zane Smith keep the pace up throughout "My Bloody Valentine 3-D," right until the end when it appears that a miner, with grievances will take on a whole town. Right from the beginning the story starts off with a woman on the run from a mysterious figure, behind a breathing mask who seems to delight in wrecking other people's good time. The start to the movie is explosive and the film does not back down from creating a suspenseful horror flick that is simply out to horrify and be fun. At times the dialogue or introduction of characters into scenes comes off as slightly campy, but the delivery of lines in each scene is generating intensity for the final climactic act.
The plot of this horror film is somewhat conventional with Tom Hanniger returning to his hometown in order to heal some past misgivings at the hands of a bloody serial killer. "My Bloody Valentine 3-D," mostly centres on the character of Tom Hanniger, with Sarah and Axel Palmer supporting. Adding enough smaller characters to keep the story complex and creating enough diverging plot lines to keep things tight "My Bloody Valentine 3-D," does a good job of keeping the killer's identity mysterious while piquing viewer's curiosity. Instead of going for a closed box Hollywood ending the film slightly steps it up by leaving the ending open for a sequel. Some of the most successful film franchises come from the horror genre and "My Bloody Valentine 3-D," might be trying to capitalize on future returns by delivering a plot twist that slightly disappoints.
Lighting, environments, and music are all spot on, only the overacting of certain characters distracts from an otherwise excellent horror film. Many of the scenes within "My Bloody Valentine 3-D," take place in darkly lit mine shafts or the interiors of houses, at night and the overall tone feels like a thriller while showing enough gore to entertain horror fans. The music in the film is subtle enough while picking up the pace slightly during action sequences. On the other hand, the musical score of "My Bloody Valentine 3-D," could have been much more eerie in order to build up further tension. The acting of Jaimie King comes off as pretentious and somewhat naive while Kerr Smith, appearing to take his role of a small time sheriff a little too seriously displays some awkwardness. The rest of the actors including veterans; Tom Atkins and Kevin Tighe play their smaller parts well; Jensen Ackles, could have taken a darker approach to his character, in order to truly deliver a role of someone who is struggling with the trauma of past brutal events but the portrayal is still good.
Overall "My Bloody Valentine 3-D," delivers an entertaining ride through dark alleys, mine shafts and the evil minds of writers Todd Farmer and Zane Smith. Slightly on the lighter side of the horror genre this film develops enough jump scares, with the help of three dimensional effects to deliver a fun and fast 101 minutes. See this one with a friend and laugh out loud when a 20' branch comes screaming at your head (and try not to duck)! 6 Mesmerizing Skulls out of 10.
