Bring on the bloodsuckers

Vampires—the movies are crawling with them these days. Especially teenage vampires. Sort of like werewolves in the 1980s. But less kitschy.

The distinguishing factor of Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant is that this is not your typical story of a teenager who becomes a vampire and tries to act normal or falls in love with a human or what-have-you. Instead, this film revolves around a freak show, complete with bearded lady (Salma Hayek), snake boy (Patrick Fugit) and monkey girl (Jessica Carlson). And, of course, vampires.

The story is centered on two best friends—Steve (Josh Hutcherson), a problem child, and Darren (Chris Massoglia), a golden boy. One day walking to school they spy a flier for a freak show coming to town and decide to go. Everything heads for the dark side from there when a spider bite sends Steve to the hospital and Darren running to the spider’s owner, Crepsley (John C. Reilly), a centuries-old vampire. A pact is made and, voila! Darren becomes Crepsley’s assistant and is forced to leave his family behind and join in the freak show.

The premise—based on a series of teen novels that will undoubtedly produce a trilogy (at least) of films—is a bit silly, but once the film gets moving, the story and its characters truly come to life. The freak camp becomes a living museum reminiscent of old-time circus shows. And then an enemy, in the form of “Mr. Tiny” (Michael Cervaris), threatens to crash the party and break a century-old truce between two factions of vampires. Cliché, but fun nonetheless.

As far as the characters are concerned, Darren isn’t particularly charismatic, but all those around him, especially Crepsley and the bearded woman, are full of flair. By the time the teenager’s spent a week at the freak camp, he starts to morph into something a bit more exciting than his golden-boy persona. He no longer answers to his bullish parents or boring teachers. He starts to understand his powers. He falls for not a human, but a monkey girl.

The Vampire’s Assistant is very much a teen vampire flick, but with the sophistication of Reilly and others, it’s fun for the older generation as well. Director Paul Weitz’s film manages to be dark without being bloody, to pit friends against each other without getting too ugly. In other words, it’s not the sexified Jennifer’s Body or the dramatic, romantically twisting Twilight.