Once in a lifetime party turns out to be just that
Three friends get invites to a wild party where they end up on the menu 
This is one of those movies where you know exactly what you’re getting: Three friends, one exclusive party in the middle of nowhere, and you know the hosts are vampires ready to feed. Even so, the audience expects some great scares along with great laughs, and a decent story to pull us along. However, the four screenwriters – which is far too many – leave us feeling cheated as if we didn’t get a party favor for showing.
VP starts off strong and funny as it focuses on our lead, Sam Polisatokoniminsky (Patrick Mille), the guy who wants to get paid for partying every night if possible. Then we meet his two friends, as well as the bad guys, and we’re off. The problem is that the filmmakers focused on laughs instead of character development. Most characters are stock and lack a ton of depth – and shallowness leads to an audience not giving much of a damn. And when I say filmmakers, this means the directing duo of Stephen Cafiero and Vincent Lobelle.
Four writers and two directors do not make for a vibrant film. In fact, the movie sort of dies, for lack of better terms, and for the first time in a long while, this was a movie without a climax. Sam did not take on Le Duc de Journiac (Tchéky Karyo), the vampire king and the party host who gained his power from the Medici’s centuries before. Instead, Sam escapes and Journiac and company are confounded by the sun to survive for another sequel. In the end – nothing happens.
Though some of the laughs are decent, Zucker and Zucker type humor served as the foundation for the laughs, and stereotypes as well as culture were exploited. Sam Karmann as orthodontist extraordinaire, Serge Krinine stood out – then again, he seemed to have one of the only clearly defined roles.
I wanted to love this vampire/comedy, but it was more of a love bite than anything else. Therefore, as far as this subgenre goes, Canada’s SUCK (2009) still reigns. However, there are many other vamp-comedies to indulge, including ONCE BITTEN (1985), VAMP (1986), VAMPIRE’S KISS (1988), and DRACULA: DEAD AND LOVING IT (France/USA, 1995).
2.5 out of 5 stars