Not a thing in this movie is subtle, from its cheesy special effects to its by-the-numbers storyline to its cardboard cutout characters.
Comment
11/19/09
Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant (2009)
38
%
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work 
Reviews Counted:122
Fresh:46
Rotten:76
Average Rating:4.9/10
Consensus: This overstuffed, scattershot vampire flick suffers from poor characterization and an unwieldy mix of scares and chuckles.
Genre: Horror/Suspense
US Box Office: $13,838,130
Synopsis: The Vampire's Assistant tells the frightening tale of a boy who unknowingly breaks a 200-year-old truce between two warring factions of vampires. Pulled into a fantastic life of misunderstood... [More]
Starring: Chris Massoglia, John C. Reilly, Ken Watanabe, Salma Hayek
Director: Paul Weitz
Reviews for Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant
The funny bits are amusing, the action entertaining, the themes simple, the promise of future tales tantalizing, and the overall feel of the movie is more charming than epic or scary.
11/19/09
...a watchable (yet undeniably forgettable) endeavor.
11/18/09
...not the pandering exploitation film you might expect. It's not all pentup sexuality, ripened teen flesh and brooding ashen untouchable boys.
11/07/09
A colossal bore of a teen fantasy movie ... crammed with trite, prepackaged lessons.
11/03/09
Cirque spins its wheels in first installment.
11/02/09
Older moviegoers who can recall the spate of like-minded horror flicks from the 1980s will find much to appreciate.
11/02/09
A fun, energetic adventure with plenty of inoffensive ghoulish touches that should please kid and adult horror buffs alike.
10/30/09
Inept to the core, The Vampire's Assistant never rises to the occasion.
10/30/09
To some extent, then, Paul Weitz’s film is parasitically preying on an established trend, but it also has some fresh blood of its own.
10/30/09
Infinitely more inventive than the sweetly romantic Twilight.
10/30/09
Its high production values - not to mention the world's cutest poisonous spider - can't paper over a tepid and drawn-out plot.
10/30/09
More of a curio than a serious contender for the next gothic craze.
10/30/09
A movie about the undead that never really makes it out of the grave.
10/29/09
Harry Potter this ain’t. But it’s fun all the same.
10/29/09
...an entertaining and engaging entry in the vampire sweepstakes. If it's not A positive, it's certainly worth a B.
10/29/09
This light approach keeps it entertaining, but it also prevents it from being a classic.
10/28/09
This is one of the worst films of the year.
10/26/09
Bottom-line: this vampire movie sucks.
10/25/09
There's a lot going on here, but not much of it is very interesting.
10/24/09
Latest News for Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant
October 22, 2009:
Critics Consensus: Astro Boy Doesn't Quite Soar
This week at the movies, we've got an anime hero (Astro Boy, with voice work from Kristen Bell and Nicolas Cage); a vampire war ( Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant,... More...
October 19, 2009:
Weitz Brothers Form a New Kind of Blood Bond 
Not only are Paul and Chris Weitz both directors, but they're both releasing vampire-themed movies within a month of each other this fall. More...
September 27, 2009:
New: View the Brand New Trailer Here.
More...
September 13, 2009:
Trailer & Poster review
More...
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