REVIEW: Zoey Deutch Brings the Laughs in VAMPIRE ACADEMY

new-trailer-for-vampire-academy

Last night, I attended the Los Angeles premiere of Vampire Academy. Ashley Charles, Cameron Monaghan, Dominic Sherwood, Sarah Hyland, Danila Kozlovsky, Daniel Waters, Dominique Tipper, Lucy Fry, Mark Waters, Olga Kurylenko, and Zoey Deutch were in attendance at the Regal L.A. Live Cinema. Noticeably absent was the author/creator of Vampire Academy, Richelle Mead.

I’m not going to lie, I had major doubts about this film because every time I saw a trailer, poster or clip from this film, I was left frowning my eyebrows and asking the person next to me if they understood anything from what we just watched. The first teaser trailer, released in time with the debut of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, is what did me in, made me a cynic. Well, I can go on the record now for saying that I was completely wrong about my assumptions before. Vampire Academy was worth it! Most notably, Zoey Deutch’s performance, hitting all the comedic notes and kicking ass better than the males (besides Danila Kozlovsky, of course), was spot on! Perhaps now I should also admit that I haven’t read the books … which could be the main source to my confusion with the story. Throughout the film, I kept making comments to myself about how great the literature must’ve been, so if you have an opportunity to read the first book, at least, then I’d highly recommend it; you won’t need as much clarification after the film (like me) from your VA expert friends.

Anyways, with that being said, I think I will help those of you that were like me out by giving a brief overview of Vampire Academy, so you can be more prepared than I was in seeing the film (if you are already familiar with the books, skip down to the next paragraph). The introduction to the VA world is fast-paced. If you look down for a second to grab a handful of popcorn, you’ll have missed a ton of vital information in regards to this world. OK, moving on … There are three (well, technically four) types of characters: Dhampirs, Moroi, Strigoi and, well, Humans. Dhampirs are guardians of the Moroi. Moroi are living vampires; they are mortal and born. Moroi only feed on humans; they never kill them. Dhampirs must protect the Moroi from Strigoi. Strigoi are Moroi that have killed a human or Moroi; they are undead, immortal, and are made as opposed to born. It only takes killing a human once for Moroi to become a Strigoi. Humans and Dhampirs can become a Strigoi from being bitten by a Strigoi and fed blood from a human, Moroi, or Dhampir. Rose Hathaway (Zoey Deutch) is a Dhampir; Lissa Dragomir (Lucy Fry) is the Moroi that Rose protects. Now that you can distinguish between the groups, I think it’ll be easier to understand what’s going on.

In terms of the filmmaking, Vampire Academy opens with a sense of urgency. Unfortunately for those members in the audience (like me) who have absolutely no idea as to what this world is about, we must suffer with confusion. The pacing is too fast initially for the audience to establish who’s who, what’s what, and why are they doing that. After 20 minutes or so, you start to understand the gist of Vampire Academy. Flavored with bursts of comedic bliss, the writing is fresh and smart. This isn’t your typical vampire story … maybe a mixture of Harry Potter meets Vampire Diaries? Zoey Deutch kills it (well, not literally, but figuratively) with her quick wit and badass martial arts skills. She plays a strong female character that flirts with danger and isn’t afraid of a challenge. I must also mention her love interest, Dimitri Belikov (played by Danila Kozlovsky). He is one hottie with big muscles and long, silky brown hair, and he can fight a Strigoi like a boss. Is this the new version of Fabio .. but way better and hotter? The sexual tension between him and Zoey is intense. There’s actually a scene, no joke, where he burns the dress right off of her! So sexy!

The acting, besides the two I mentioned above, is so-so. Don’t expect to be captivated by anyone’s performances. It’s a young adult film, so keep that in mind. The music selection played throughout the film was hip and modern. Other than a couple of songs, the music complemented what was happening on screen and didn’t distract. In fact, I think I might purchase a copy of the soundtrack. It’s good! I’m not sure if I’m going to see Vampire Academy again, but I’d definitely say it’s worth seeing in the theaters this weekend. It’s funny, self-referential, and above all, entertaining.

VAMPIRE ACADEMY opens in theaters nationwide Feb 7th!

Author: Melissa Frost

A recent college graduate from The University of Texas at Austin. Interests include but are not limited to ... film, fashion, and music. Currently working as a social media coordinator at a digital entertainment industry agency. On the weekends, works as a PA for some high-profile productions. You can follow me on Twitter and Instagram!

5 thoughts on “REVIEW: Zoey Deutch Brings the Laughs in VAMPIRE ACADEMY”

  1. The author of the books didn’t attend the premiere because she just had a baby.
    Thanks for the review. As a fan of the books I’m really looking forward to seeing the movie!

  2. A few errors in the overview: Not all Moroi are royal, Moroi are just the living vampires. Strigoi are made when a Moroi kills ANYONE (human or Moroi) when feeding OR if a Strigoi bites and feeds blood back to a human, Moroi, or Dhampir. Thanks for the review though, as a fan of the books I was a bit worried but it sounds like it’s good! 🙂

  3. Hmmm interesting … definitely wasn’t articulated like this in the film, but thank you for the clarification! Will edit that paragraph! 🙂

  4. Not a problem. I’d been re-reading the book prior to seeing the movie so the details were still fresh. They might not have stated it in the movie (since I haven’t seen it yet) but those are the rules as established in the books. You’re very welcome!

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