I know An original vampire series? After all these years of vampire fever? How can this be?!
Well, slow your roll. I'll get to that. Bear with me.
I first picked up the series around a year ago when it was announced that they were adapting the first book into a film. I had heard things about it - mostly positive - and thought it would provide a good distraction from my looming schoolwork. I had no idea that the series was six books. So after I finished the first one (well, more like devoured), I went onto the next one. And the next one. And the next.
I finished the series in about two months. While at college. Which, for those of you who don't know, is not an easy feat. Leisure reading is near impossible when you're a full-time college student. Now, I'm not tooting my own horn or anything. No, the real credit goes to Richelle Mead, the author of the books. She created one hell of an addictive series. If you like supernatural romance, adventure, have even a slight indifference to vampires, or young adult anything, I would recommend giving this series a whirl. It may not be for everyone, but it's worth a try. And it's definitely not just another vampire series. Not by a long shot. There are actually politics and these things called interpersonal relationships involved. I know. Weird, right?
So, with that in mind, it's easy to say that I was pretty excited to see the first book come to life on the big screen. The trailers looked great, the casting looked great, and it even had the Waters brothers - a team that would really make the dark humor seen in the books pop. I waited a week before seeing the film, mostly because I didn't have a way to get to the theatre and had to wait until I could coerce someone to go with me, and in that time I did flip through a few reviews. They were predictable, really. Old, "experienced," critics hated it. Younger audiences liked it. So is the way with a lot of the young adult genre. Well aware of the controversy, I went in with a high(ish) expectation. The reviews I read from fellow readers of the series loved it, so I figure I would, too.
Unfortunately, that wasn't the case.
I mean, I didn't hate the film. Not by a long shot. I just didn't like it as much as I thought I would. I've thought long and hard how to articulate my true feelings for it and here's what I came up with:
The film is a good summary of the book.
It kept many of the main elements of the book pretty solid. The set was gorgeous - it was St. Vladimir's. The actors were perfect for their roles. The history of the moroi, strigoi, and dhampirs was explained and emphasized. Rose and Lissa's shadow-kissed bond was portrayed perfectly.
The timeline and pacing of the movie, on the other hand, was less than perfect.
I understand well that adapting a book onto the silver screen is no easy feat. Growing up with the Harry Potter films, Percy Jackson, Twilight, and more recently The Mortal Instruments (which I reviewed here and you should totally, like, check it out or something), I have seen many times what works and what doesn't. Books are long. Many young adult books are around 300-500 pages. That's a lot to squeeze into roughly two hours. Things have to be cut. Scenes need to be added. It's a different process. Look up any interview with an author whose book was made into a film. They'll say the exact same things.
I believe Vampire Academy fell into the dreaded "not enough time" category, but honestly, it could have easily been avoided. Emphasis was put on the action scenes (with one or two added in for extra ass-kicking fun) and that was all fine and dandy but it took away some of the more tender moments of the book. It is my opinion that the relationships were not done justice, save for the friendship between Lissa and Rose. Which is, arguably, the most important one in the series. So bravo to them on that front. But as for the romances, it fell very short in the "OMG ALL THE FEELS" category that one expects when they see their OTP come to life on the screen.
Rose and Dimitri, the most angsty and dynamic couple of the series, did not get the screen time or the build-up they deserved. The actors had the chemistry. The scenes were there. The timing was not in their favor. Their training sessions alone were awkwardly placed and, while they were great, they lacked the meaning that they were supposed to have. Dimitri's famous line (I'll censor most of it just in case people don't want to be spoiled) "...I would jump in front of you" virtually had no meaning. It was never touched upon in the movie that Dimitri was set to be Lissa's guardian upon graduation. There wasn't enough time allotted to the two of them for the audience to feel that hate-crush-lust-love relationship that developed between them, which is a crying shame because it's one of the angstiest romances I've ever read. That's why I love it so much.
The same goes for Lissa and Christian. Their friendship never fully developed. It was always an attraction, a crush, and ultimately, a predictable relationship. Which, again, is a shame, because, as readers of the books will know, it's so much more than that. (There was even some weird sexual tension between Christian and Rose but I won't get too much into that because I'm not altogether comfortable talking about it.)
All in all, it was a good summary of the book. It held all of the elements of the original story. It was just not given the justice it deserved. But there is a way that it can be.
Sequels are made possible firstly from the revenue that the first movie gets from the box office. If the studio doesn't think the first movie made enough money, chances are that they aren't going to fund a second one. The world of Vampire Academy is so diverse and complex that these divergences I've pointed out can be fixed. There is time for that, and much more, if there are more films. One way we can make that happen is by supporting the first movie, not matter how much we did or didn't like it.
Generating a decent box office is the first step in securing a bright future for a potentially great series. So, I'm asking you: If you've read the books, see the movie. Bring friends with you. Your mom. Your cat. There's really no better feeling than seeing your favorite characters come to life. Each actor does a great job at channeling their part, so you won't be disappointed in that aspect. There is time to save Vampire Academy. It's a six-part series, for crying out loud! There's plenty of material to draw upon and give it the sequel it needs and deserves. It's not just another vampire story. It's a multi-faceted story that spans six books, each of them equally important to portraying the world it's based in. It has the potential to be a great film series and do justice to the books that inspired it. All it needs is a little push.
But seriously guys, think of it this way: No sequel, no Adrien.
