Body parts, blood and weapons fly Jumping the gun on February's greeting-card holiday is this re-envisioned slasher film by Patrick Lussier, a director of low-budget horror sequels. Lussier ("Dracula 2000") propels himself into the big leagues with this digital 3D spectacle that goes unabashedly for the gore. Seeing body parts, blood and weapons fly towards the audience is the primary enjoyment of "My Bloody Valentine 3D." A slightly above-average story with mediocre acting and occasional scares becomes a more enjoyable experience through the magic of this new technology.
A mining tragedy in the small town of Harmony was initially thought an accident by the town authorities, at least until a subsequent murder spree, in which the mine owner's son Tom (Jensen Ackles, TV's "Supernatural") was nearly killed. He mysteriously disappears from Harmony until 10 years have passed. Upon his return, Tom finds that his girlfriend Sarah (Jaime King, "The Spirit") married the new town sheriff, Axel Palmer (Kerr Smith, TV's "Dawson's Creek"). While Tom is back in town, the mining-gear-clad psycho resurfaces, beginning his killing anew.
"My Bloody Valentine" doesn't hold back on the grisly ways the murderous miner dispatches his victims. There are an unbelievable number of ways a pick ax can be used to kill a person and this movie seemingly exhausts every one. The movie isn't a parody of horror films but plays to many of the overused conventions, including tripping teenagers and quickly-introduced and dispatched supporting characters. There's almost too much time spent in the mine with the killer. The murderer is best and most startling in the outside world, whether in a supermarket or someone's home.
A soap opera-like intrigue is created between the main characters but fails to result in any particular affection for the leads. While Ackles portrays the traumatized hero fairly well, his natural charisma may have been diluted too much for the audience to care. Sarah is indecisive at best regarding the men in her life and is more an object of affection than a character until the final scene. The idea of a mining town with its own dirty secrets could have been delved into more deeply and effectively. Not knowing the miner's true identity helps create suspense while the story meanders. Despite the film's shortcomings, watching "My Bloody Valentine" on the only digital 3D screen in northeastern Maine – at Spotlight Cinema – is the only way to go with this horror film.
Rated R for graphic brutal horror violence and grisly images throughout, some strong sexuality, graphic nudity and language.
