Jared Leto stars as one of Marvel’s most conflicted characters. Dr. Michael Moribus has suffered from a rare blood disorder since childhood and has spent his career trying to find a cure. When he merges bat blood with human genes, it cures him, but also turns him into a vampire-like creature with superhuman powers. Things get worse when his best friend (Matt Smith) discovers the secret and uses it for his own purposes. Thus, the dilemma: Should the doctor give into his power or strive to stifle its strength? Leto is compelling in the lead and the quick-flash makeup effects add to the effect. However, the actual violent encounters are shot in a blur with chaos-cutting to give them energy, but no clear sense of what’s really happening. On the plus side, the 1:44 running time keeps things moving. The effects work and the drama is sufficiently absorbing. Of course, this is really a setup for future appearances of the character, as is obvious by the two somewhat confusing closing credit scenes, so don’t leave early. (Cute reference: The boat where he runs his experiment is the USS Murnau, named for the German director of Nosferatu, considered the first vampire film.) 
(3 / 5)
