DYLAN DOG: DEAD OF NIGHT! A nice companion piece to CEMETERY MAN.

DYLAN DOG:  DEAD OF NIGHT is a WAY better movie than what it is given credit for.  I know the movie is PG-13 but thats okay.  It really doesn't need to be R.  In fact I couldn't tell the difference anyway.  There are dead bodies and blood and guts and body parts all over the place in this supernatural mystery movie.  There really isn't much to complain about.   Maybe I am going a little overboard but I would argue that this is a great movie and probably one of the best comic book movies released this year.  Thats right I said it.  Come and get me, NERDOs.

Dylan Dog (played by ME lookalike Brandon Routh) is a retired supernatural detective brought out of retirement by the death of his comedic sidekick while the two were investigating the death of an antique dealer.  Fortunately his sidekick was killed by a zombie so now he is a zombie dealing with the fact the he is now undead.  The story weaves the two in and out between the various monsters and how they live in human society.  Its all rather fascinating to learn of this underworld.  They meet with werewolves, vampires, zombies and worst of all..............MAN! 

You know what the best thing about DYLAN DOG is?  ITS NOT A FREAKIN ORIGIN STORY!  That is why the new Spider-man movie is going to suck.  Its not because the movie is poorly made or anything.  But because its a story we already know.  We have been told it not just with the original Sam Raimi SPIDER-MAN but with almost every single comic book super hero movie that comes out to theaters.  DYLAN DOG is more unpredictable (even though I predicted who the villain would be. You probably did too.)  because it doesn't start at the very beginning of his foray into the supernatural.  His back story is mentioned but is kept a little vague.  What is more important is how the underworld doesn't trust Dylan Dog anymore.  Monsters aren't necessarily bad.  Most are good and Dylan keeps them in check.  He had a relationship with the multiple factions until an event occurred that cost Dylan the woman he loves.  He got his revenge and now the undead have no love for him anymore.  Pretty cool back story, don't ya think?  There isn't any of this "with great power comes great responsibility" bull crap.

The movie as a whole is very creative.  The story is tightly told and is very funny when it wants to be.  Dylan Dog can go from charming and fun to a serious and badass action hero.  The dialogue is sharp and funny.  There are tons of really great moments too.  The scene where Dylan storms a vampire's home killing all the blood suckers and forcing the head vampire to talk by simply standing out the way of sunshine was total badass.  It's a great way of showing that even the powerful are weak.  Why did we not see this in theaters.  And why do some really great movies bomb?  This isn't a watered down PG-13.  It pushes the rating.  This is kind of a CAPTAIN AMERICA PG-13 where there is on screen death and blood but it doesn't go overboard with it.

I am pretty sure DYLAN DOG the movie is a far cry from DYLAN DOG the comic but that doesn't mean the movie itself is bad.  It would have been cool if Francesco Dellamorte would make a cameo in the movie just like he did in the comic but that would make this movie a little too smart.  I guess maybe I will notice more of the flaws the next time I watch DYLAN DOG.  Maybe next time I won't heap so much praise.  But as for now I can't say enough good things about this movie.  I love monster movies and I love it when I have low expectations for a film and the film completely blows them away.  Who knows maybe the same thing will happen when I see TRANSFORMERS part 3...............................Not bloody likely.

Jason