Lost Boys: The Tribe (2008)


REVIEWER RATING: 
5/10


Twenty years after the first film's release the WB decide to bring us a highly unnecessary sequel. The previous movie is a classic and will forever remain a fav. amongst many genre fans such as myself. When news of a sequel broke last year a lot of us were appalled by the idea and one word can pretty much sum up all our thoughts -- why?

Well, simply put, studios are greedy and now-a-days if it's not a remake, it's an unnecessary sequel. Even movies no one cared about before are getting a "re-imagining" or continuation. This is part of the WB's new straight-to-DVD line and to keep the budget to a minimum, they got P.J. Pesce (From Dusk Till Dawn 3: The Hangman's Daughter, Sniper 3) to direct.

This sequel seemed hopeless, but there was light at the end of the tunnel, and that light was the return of the Frog brothers! Yes! To top things off, Corey Haim was going to return as "Sam." Ah yes, maybe this sequel wouldn't be that bad? Well, it turns out that Corey Feldman as "Edgar Frog" would only play a supporting role and have maybe less than 10-15 minutes on screen.

He shows up to aid our new leads, while his film-brother "Alan" (Jamison Newlander) would only make an appearance in the DVD's extra features. WTF? and Haim was nowhere in sight. He didn't show his face until a short scene during the credits that hint at a potential third film. To be honest, this whole movie seemed like one big set up for the next addition to the series -- the film that us fans really wanted to see, if we were going to see a sequel.

Although the lack of screen time from these guys was very disappointing, the movie itself actually wasn't entirely bad. Yes, it's pretty much a rehash of its predecessor with some minor changes here and there, but the gore was decent and I was fairly entertained for the most part. The story in this flick follows siblings "Chris" and "Nicole" who are forced to move in with their Aunt after their parents die in a car accident. The little shack they end up moving into is located at the notorious Luna Bay, which as we all know is a haven for weirdos and, of course, vampires.

It doesn't take long for the duo to get invited to a party hosted by a rich boy named "Shane" (Angus Sutherland), who just so happens to be the lead vamp for a small group of bloodsuckin' surfers. Naturally Nicole gets mixed up with Shane and is turned into a vamp, leading Chris to seek the aid of Edgar Frog, who aids Chris in discovering their lair and putting them all to rest.

The movie plays homage’s and references to various other features, including the first when Chris disposes of a female vamp by pushing her on a set of antlers. We've even got a Warriors and Goonies reference thrown in there for good measure. The vampires in this film are pretty boring to be honest. If you've ever watched the Buffy or Angel series then you've seen these guys before, and they don't offer their own characteristics aside from the leader and a "Caribbean" member of the group.

There's also zero atmosphere, which is one of the strongest qualities the previous film offered. The irony and comedic aspects are also pretty much kept to a minimum here. The movie does make up for some of its faults in the form of gore, which we get a lot more of compared to the first movie, but a pretty standard amount in today's cinema. As a standalone film, it's decent; as a sequel, it's a pretty big disappointment, but at least they bothered to include some of the original cast in one form or another.

The film is a somewhat decent vampire flick, but a very disappointing sequel. The story is basically just a rehash of the first and the film doesn't offer anything we haven't seen before. However, it kept my interest and some of what it lacks is made up for with gore. In the end, the movie seemed nothing more than a big set up for a potential third movie. Fans of the first may want to give this a look just to see the return of a couple familiar faces, but don't expect much of a reunion. Rent at your own risk.
OVERALL: 
The film is a somewhat decent vampire flick, but a very disappointing sequel. The story is basically just a rehash of the first and the film doesn't offer anything we haven't seen before. However, it kept my interest and some of what it lacks is made up for with gore. In the end, the movie seemed nothing more than a big set up for a potential third movie. Fans of the first may want to give this a look just to see the return of a couple familiar faces, but don't expect much of a reunion. Rent at your own risk.


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