If there’s one thing that you can be certain of, Hollywood loves consistency. Mainly in terms of the projected return on the budget, mainly by sticking doggedly to themes and tropes that have a proven track record. Some may dislike this, clamouring for more ingenuity in such a creative art form, some who were fans of the original concepts may grow tired of seeing the same thing over again. But these ideas seem to neglect the concept that there can be some fresh variation that can be achieved from essentially the same parts, as long as you have a vision and a sense of style, Director Kurt Wimmer did when he presented his ultimate tale of a world gone Vlad in 2006’s Ultraviolet.

In a world ravaged by a vampire plague, an authoritative dictatorship, called The Archministry, has risen promising its citizens the classic deal of protection in exchange for obedience. Anyone suspected of carrying the plague is promptly executed. Enter Violet Song a half-infected vampiric freedom fighter, armed with dazzling and destructive martial arts prowess and snazzy futuristic fashion sense, is seeking to destroy this dictatorship. However, as she finds herself the protective custodian of a young boy, with blood that could cure this plague, she must guard the promised child at all costs.

Ultraviolet is a world where every surface just oozes with style and polish, it portrays the vampire-free utopia as a shimmering Metropolis that wouldn’t look out of place as an early 2000s music video setting. Even the cast have a fang-sharp sense of style, Song has a new hair colour and outfit for every scene cut, let alone every day. This appealing visual display is heightened with terrific effects that give the constant action a kind of lucid quality, with everything flowing seamlessly from choreographed Kung-fu, to stylish gunplay every martial art you’d expect to dispatch an anti-vampire is proudly on display here.

Ultraviolet has its teeth stuck into a pulsing vein of creativity and vision that while it plays out the same as contemporaries (and other films that I’ve covered) still manages to feel fresh. Milla Jovovich still generates enjoyment out of slaying C.G.I. baddies as she is in Resident Evil, Stylish Kung-fu action is still as enjoyable as it was in Ecks vs Sever, Vampires are still intriguing as countless films I’ve covered have suggested. Ultraviolet shows us that adaptive use of classic parts can lead to bold ideas, or in the case of The Archministry, a terrifying vampire plague.

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