Overrated and overhyped

Don't listen to the negative reviews

Blistering performances.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

Ah, 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' – the seminal TV show of the nineties which launched Kirsty Swanson as a household name. Well, maybe in a parallel universe. Before Sarah Michelle Gellar started saving the world (a lot) and falling in love with almost every good-looking undead stud in Sunnydale, they actually tried the format on the big screen. This version never really took off and has kind of been lost among the annals of cinematic history, only being revived as a strange beast of interest that (TV) Buffy fans like to watch, simply in order to compare this weird 'alternate take' on their icons to what the 'real' thing turned out like. And I have to confess that that's why I watched it. I was never a mega-fan of the nineties TV series, but I've grown to watch it through my daughter and was kind of curious what the filmic incarnation of Buffy was like. If it was up to my daughter she'd probably end the review here as she could barely sit through the whole film! However, I thought it was an interesting little 'compendium piece' if nothing else.Yes, it doesn't have quite such a memorable cast list as the TV show and the dialogue isn't half as snappy (and the vamps don't 'dust' when killed, probably due to budget reasons!), yet it still maintains a strange sort of charm. Whereas in the TV show it is definitely Sarah Michelle Geller's show, here it's the older, more established actors who are a more memorable, for our non-Geller Buffy mast face off against B-movie veteran of the eighties Rutger Hauer, while being taught her slaying skills by 'watcher' Donald Sutherland.I guess the filmic incarnation of Buffy is even harder to 'sell' now in retrospect than it was at the time. When it first came out it didn't have huge names, big effects or anyone that would draw in the masses. And, let's face it… the title of 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' does sound a little cheesy. I know the film (and TV show) doesn't always take itself too seriously and a healthy dose of cheese is required during watching at all times. I just could imagine the audience's reaction to seeing a film entitled this. It seems to be too old for youngsters and yet to 'teen-ish' for adults, therefore didn't really draw in a wide and varied audience.As with the TV show, we meet our titular 'slayer' Buffy, who's a teenager who just so happens to be this generation's 'chosen one,' tasked with wiping vampires out from the face of the Earth (or rather just her hometown to start with!). Once you've invested your time in the TV show, it's hard to watch the film without trying to relate it back to the ongoing series. I see this as a kind of 'prequel' as it deals with Buffy learning of her heritage and being taught the ways of the Force (or slaying vamps – whatever). And, for that, it does almost work when looked at in conjunction with the TV show. Yes, there are always going to be some continuity errors that don't really match up, but, seeing as the two mediums don't occupy the same 'shared universe,' this can only be expected.It's hard to recommend the film really, as fans of the genre will undoubtedly be so into the TV show that they refuse to except this as part of the lore. However, if you're someone who can appreciate the 'evolution' of the character and wants to take a sneak peek into an alternate universe where Sarah Michelle Gellar doesn't reign supreme, give this one a go. Yes, it's daft and yes, it's cheesy, but wasn't the TV show all that, too? This isn't a film for everyone, but it is one that does still have an audience out there, even if it's getting smaller by the day as more and more people only ever remember the TV show as the 'real' Buffy. But this one could be a lot worse (especially seeing as we've never got a new series from Joss Whedon!).

This is an unpretentious and funny high school action movie with vampires. Very beautiful young Kristy Swanson does a good job playing charismatic and initially futile Buffy. Even the most obvious clichés are nice to be seen performed by her: Silverstone-Clueless-style emptiness, martial arts and vampire-slaying practice, cheer-leading for the basketball school team. Both arrogance and tenderness are convincingly portrayed at her pretty face. Quite remarkable was also Donald Sutherland in the role of Buffy's tutor, Merrick. The film gets campy sometimes, but it is not a flaw. It is quite good in what it intends to do (and that is not to frighten or to be serious). Indeed, I laughed a lot! Seeing Hillary Swank in her very first movie playing one of Buffy's best airhead friends is something to be highlighted. The same can be said about having Rutger Hauer as the comic master vampire. My positive review has nothing to do with being a fan of the TV show, as I have never watched it.

"Buffy the Vampire Slayer" is a movie that was made for the teen mallrat crowd. It's light, fluffy and makes very little demands of its audience. But it works for me, and mostly because of the cast. Rutger Hauer, Paul Reubens (who has one of my favorite movie death scenes), Donald Sutherland and even Luke Perry seem to fit like just-right puzzle pieces, while Stephen Root easily steals all of his scenes. Much of this movie's charm lies in its lead. Kristy Swanson has the valley girl teen down to a T. She's game for the role's physicality and brings a likability to her vapid one-liners. Smoking hot, too, let's not forget that.I didn't expect much going into this; it's a very '90s movie (not my thing) right down to its soundtrack. But I did like the vapidity of its sense of humor, very much dig the star, and it made for a good time. Certainly laughed more than I'd expected to, and it never took itself too seriously. It also helps that it's more accessible to me than the TV series. 7/10

Kristy Swanson, Donald Sutherland, Paul Reubens, Rutger Hauer and Luke Perry star in this 1992 horror comedy. A high school cheerleader is chosen to slay the undead. Buffy (Swanson) is a high school cheerleader who lives in California. She's been having dreams of being someone else in another life and facing vampires led by Lothos (Hauer). Soon, she meets Merrick (Sutherland), an old vampire hunter who reveals her birthright and helps her fight against the undead. Reubens (Pee-Wee Herman) plays Amilyn, the right hand man of Lothos and Perry plays Pike, a mechanic who gets close with Buffy. David Arquette (Scream) is also featured as Pike's buddy, Benny who becomes a vampire. I've always enjoyed this film and Kristy is so cute. I recommend this good horror comedy.