Dylan Dog: Dead Of Night

Kevin Munroe

The story: When her father is killed by a mysterious creature, Elizabeth (Anita Briem) seeks down-and-out paranormal investigator Dylan Dog (Brandon Routh) to look into the case. He does so with the help of his undead assistant Marcus (Sam Huntington). Based on the Italian comic book Dylan Dog by Tiziano Sclavi.

When American actor Brandon Routh was announced as the new Superman in October 2004, he flew from obscurity to celebrity overnight.

But Superman Returns (2006) failed to take off and his career was stuck in Clark Kent-like mundanity.

With a recurring role as a secret agent in season three of the TV series Chuck and now a lead film role, it seems that Routh might be making a return of his own.

Unfortunately, he is miscast as Dylan Dog. The strapping frame that made him the natural choice for donning a superhero cape feels somewhat out of place in this noirish crime thriller.

He is not quite persuasive as the wary investigator who has paid a price for dealing with werewolves and vampires. For one thing, his deadpan delivery could have been drier.

Still, his performance is not so bad that it sinks the film, which is buoyed by wry dialogue and a quirky sense of humour.

Providing some laughs is the newly undead Marcus (Huntington, incidentally, was also Routh’s sidekick in Superman Returns as photographer Jimmy Olsen) who reluctantly comes to terms with his unusual status and his now less-than-savoury dietary requirements.

The film also has fun melding the paranormal aspect of the story with more familiar concepts. There is a zombie support group and a shop supplying unusual spare parts.

Satisfyingly, good and evil are presented in shades of grey rather than a simple dichotomy of good humans versus evil monsters.

Despite its Italian inspiration, Dylan Dog actually calls to mind the American TV series Buffy The Vampire Slayer (1997-2003), with its mix of supernatural elements, action and comedy.

Even without new tricks, this Dog still entertains.

(ST)