A deliciously campy combination of the wild Japanese action film "Versus", the comedic gore of the "Evil Dead" series, and the supernatural girl power of "Buffy The Vampire Slayer", "Bloody Mallory" is a stylish, self-aware, deliriously entertaining action/horror/comedy hybrid from France.
Mallory (Olivia Bonamy) is a highly-trained government agent specializing in combating the supernatural. Her back-up team consists of Talking Tina (Thylda Bares), a mute girl with telepathic abilities, and Vena Cava (Jeffrey Ribier), a drag queen with an affinity for guns and explosives. When Pope Heironymus I (Laurent Spielvogel) is kidnapped by demonic operatives, it's up to Mallory and her team to recover him and stop a nefarious plot for world domination. Joined by the kickboxing priest Father Carras (Adria Collado), the team faces off against vampires, succubi, ghouls, fallen angels, and other assorted nasties in their madcap mission.
Director and co-writer Julien Magnat has created a unique film that borrows liberally from established action and horror franchises without resorting to cheap imitation or sycophantic flattery. Mixing established folklore with his own, Magnat has managed to created a realistic yet perfectly ridiculous universe in the absolute best sense of the word. Everything is over-the-top, yet nothing is so absurd as to be boring or trite. What helps matters is the fact that Magnat is consciously aiming for a feverishly campy aesthetic and realizes just how bizarre his creation may appear.
The performances are all quite good, especially given the potential for the hammy, half-hearted B-movie acting that this film could be associated with. Bonamy is perfectly believable as Mallory, a good balance of world-weary warrior and vulnerable heroine. Valentina Vargas, appearing as Lady Valentine, is delightfully seductive and icy in equal measures. The most enjoyable performance, however, comes from Ribier as the scene-stealing Vena Cava, delivering the most amusing lines and memorable moments, all in huge platform boots and an electric blue wig.
The only downfalls in the film are fairly major, but they do not impact the enjoyment of the film as much as would be expected. Magant had an admittedly low budget, and some of the special effects (including one monster effect) are very low-tech bordering on cheesy. The fight sequences, while exciting, lack the flash and panache of similar films such as "Blade", although they usually avoid the hyper-cutting edits typical of many modern action films. Finally, many of the scenes in the first part of the film are filmed very darkly, but this is more of an objection to what is perhaps a stylistic choice and not necessarily a reflection of the overall film.
For a film with such a small pedigree, it's amazing how enjoyable it is. A B-movie with aspirations to greatness, "Bloody Mallory" doesn't fail to amuse. Highly recommended for fans of humorous, absurdist action films. 8 out of 10.
Mallory (Olivia Bonamy) is a highly-trained government agent specializing in combating the supernatural. Her back-up team consists of Talking Tina (Thylda Bares), a mute girl with telepathic abilities, and Vena Cava (Jeffrey Ribier), a drag queen with an affinity for guns and explosives. When Pope Heironymus I (Laurent Spielvogel) is kidnapped by demonic operatives, it's up to Mallory and her team to recover him and stop a nefarious plot for world domination. Joined by the kickboxing priest Father Carras (Adria Collado), the team faces off against vampires, succubi, ghouls, fallen angels, and other assorted nasties in their madcap mission.
Director and co-writer Julien Magnat has created a unique film that borrows liberally from established action and horror franchises without resorting to cheap imitation or sycophantic flattery. Mixing established folklore with his own, Magnat has managed to created a realistic yet perfectly ridiculous universe in the absolute best sense of the word. Everything is over-the-top, yet nothing is so absurd as to be boring or trite. What helps matters is the fact that Magnat is consciously aiming for a feverishly campy aesthetic and realizes just how bizarre his creation may appear.
The performances are all quite good, especially given the potential for the hammy, half-hearted B-movie acting that this film could be associated with. Bonamy is perfectly believable as Mallory, a good balance of world-weary warrior and vulnerable heroine. Valentina Vargas, appearing as Lady Valentine, is delightfully seductive and icy in equal measures. The most enjoyable performance, however, comes from Ribier as the scene-stealing Vena Cava, delivering the most amusing lines and memorable moments, all in huge platform boots and an electric blue wig.
The only downfalls in the film are fairly major, but they do not impact the enjoyment of the film as much as would be expected. Magant had an admittedly low budget, and some of the special effects (including one monster effect) are very low-tech bordering on cheesy. The fight sequences, while exciting, lack the flash and panache of similar films such as "Blade", although they usually avoid the hyper-cutting edits typical of many modern action films. Finally, many of the scenes in the first part of the film are filmed very darkly, but this is more of an objection to what is perhaps a stylistic choice and not necessarily a reflection of the overall film.
For a film with such a small pedigree, it's amazing how enjoyable it is. A B-movie with aspirations to greatness, "Bloody Mallory" doesn't fail to amuse. Highly recommended for fans of humorous, absurdist action films. 8 out of 10.