Captain Kronos Vampire Hunter

'Captain Kronos Vampire Hunter' is an enjoyable movie from Hammer, featuring the eponymous swashbuckling vampire hunter and his hunchbacked sidekick Grost arriving at a village in which young women are having their youth drained from them by a shadowy, cloaked figure.

The film takes itself less seriously than most Hammer movies, and though not a comedy as such, their is an air of irreverence throughout and some scenes are played for laughs (the most effective being the one in which the duo unsuccessfully try out various vampire-destroying methods on a captive vampire).

Comparisons with Roman Polanski's 'The Fearless Vampire Killers' are inevitable, and such comparisons don't do 'Captain Kronos Vampire Hunter' any favours, simply because it isn't in the same league. But it would certainly not be true to say that Hammer's film plagarised Polanski's, as it has more than its fair share of original ideas.

If there is a problem with the film it is that the male lead, Horst Janson, doesn't quite have the charisma or energy to make the character of Captain Kronos as engaging as he should be. His efforts aren't helped by the presence of love interest Carla (Caroline Munro), a character who serves no purpose to the plot, and whose relationship with Kronos detracts from the far more entertaining one he has with his sidekick Grost (and Munro's embarrassingly wooden performance makes matters worse).

But despite these flaws 'Captain Kronos Vampire Hunter' has plenty going for it, and as an overall film it works. It is well paced, nicely shot, and original enough to keep the viewer on their toes. The vampire is also well used, its sinister, faceless presence a refreshing change from the usual portrayal.

Sealing the deal is the climax, which is particularly good, featuring a well-placed twist, a thrilling swordfight and possibly the creepiest ancestral portrait in the history of horror cinema!