James Berardinelli review - ** out of ****

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A few films from the 1980s have aged like fine wine. More, however, have turned to vinegar. The Lost Boys, despite its nostalgia-soaked reputation, falls into the latter category. A horror comedy that is neither as scary as it should be nor as funny as it thinks it is, the film plays better in our memories than it does when re-watched on a screen some 35 years later. Oh, there are some nice elements to be sure, and the occasional scene retains a creepy sort of power, but the movie as a whole feels dated and anticlimactic.

When one thinks about ‘80s vampire movies with teen protagonists, two titles come to mind: 1985’s Fright Night and 1987’s The Lost Boys. Both had modest success during their initial theatrical runs and both have developed large followings in the years that followed. Fright Night is by far the better film but The Lost Boys had greater notoriety, due in large part to its casting of “The Two Coreys (Corey Haim and Corey Feldman),” thereby cementing its role as a foundational block in a larger pop culture phenomenon.

Originally developed by Richard Donner as a quasi-followup to Goonies, the story underwent changes when Donner dropped out (he retained an Executive Producer credit) to pursue making Lethal Weapon. His replacement, Joel Schumacher (fresh from St. Elmo’s Fire), wanting a more adult tone, added a few years to most of the characters’ ages and emphasized the horror elements, which resulted in a rating change from the teen-friendly PG-13 to an R. Schumacher’s brand of horror, however, was more campy than frightening and the conventional ending feels like a betrayal of some of the film’s more interesting elements.

The Lost Boys opens with the arrival of Sam Emerson (Corey Haim), his older brother, Michael (Jason Patric), and their divorced mother, Lucy (Dianne Weist) in Santa Carla, California, the vampire-infested “Mass Murder Capital of the World,” where Lucy’s father (Barnard Hughes) lives. The family quickly integrates into local society. Lucy gets a job working at a video store for Max (Edward Herrmann), who shows interest in being more than her employer. Michael is enamored with the elusive, ethereal Star (Jami Gertz), but she appears to be the girlfriend of bad-boy biker David (Kiefer Sutherland). He’s willing to “share” her with Michael but under his terms. Comic book-lover Sam befriends brothers Edgar and Alan Frog (Corey Feldman and Jamison Newlander), who are convinced that the undead are a real and present danger.

Michael learns firsthand that the Frogs are justified in their suspicions. Before fully understanding what he is accepting, he agrees to join the gang by participating in a ritual that involves drinking David’s blood. Soon, Michael begins the transformation into a vampire but, in order for the transition to be complete, he has to bite his first victim. Sam, aware of what is happening to his brother, attempts to help while at the same time suspecting that his mother’s new boyfriend might be the First Vampire in the town. There’s an amusing scene in which Sam and the Frogs use anti-vampire cliches during a dinner with Max in an attempt to trick him into giving himself away.

The early portions of The Lost Boys work. Schumacher’s approach of exploring the vampire infestation through the eyes of disbelieving newcomers is fresh and engaging. The Frog Brothers provide some comedic relief. But, once Michael is inducted during the train bridge scene, the movie descends into generic absurdity. Nothing about the climax or conclusion is innovate, exciting, or especially interesting. Granted, there are a limited number of directions in which a vampire movie can be taken but The Lost Boys doesn’t even try to explore anything off the beaten path.

Back in the 1980s, The Lost Boys was targeted at older teens and its unsophisticated blend of comedy and horror provided a 90-minute diversion. Nostalgia has ripened the film’s reputation but, when viewed out of its ‘80s context, The Lost Boys feels hoary. A story that starts with promise, is peppered with strong performances (especially from Kiefer Sutherland), and seems to be going somewhere devolves into a formulaic disappointment. Anyone finding The Lost Boys in the 21st century can be forgiven wondering why it is remembered so fondly by those who first saw it nearly 40 years ago.