Queen of the Damned

Name: Queen of the Damned
Genre: Fantasy, Horror, Music
Released: February 22, 2002
Duration: 101 min
Rating: 30
Cast: Aaliyah, Stuart Townsend

2002

METASCORE

Generally unfavorable reviews based on 31 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 143 Ratings

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7.5

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7.5	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 143 Ratings

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The Queen Of The Damned

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Movie Details & Credits

Warner Bros. Pictures | Release Date: February 22, 2002 | R

Starring: Aaliyah, Stuart Townsend

Summary: Based on the third installment of Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles, the film follows the supernatural adventures of the legendary vampire Lestat, who has reinvented himself as an international rock star. His music awakes Akasha, the queen of all vampires, who is determined to make Lestat her king.

Director: Michael Rymer

Genre(s): Fantasy, Horror, Music

Rating: R

Runtime: 101 min

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

Kim Morgan

Nothing near a modern vampire classic. Still, "Queen" is a great dose of vamp camp Read full review

Roger Ebert

It is happy to be goofy. Read full review

Robert K. Elder

Leaves us puzzled as to why the term "damned" applies at all, when vampirism is depicted as so cool, fashion-savvy and glamorous. Read full review

Marc Savlov

The whole film suffers from a serious case of overplotting, perhaps inevitable when trying to cram two largish novels into one smallish film. Read full review

James Berardinelli

Like many genuinely awful movies, Queen of the Damned has the ingredients of a cult film. Read full review

Damien Cave

Just as the author's characters suffer through their immortality, as they crave closure and a death to their blood-sucking madness, so Queen of the Damned demands an end to its own misery. Read full review

Kenneth Turan

Turns out to be a muddled limp biscuit of a movie, a vampire soap opera that doesn't make much sense even on its own terms. Read full review

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User Reviews

varisixx

Nov 1, 2011

good movie....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

4 of 6 users found this helpful42

nancyF

Dec 3, 2005

The movie was great, i really loved it.

0 of 0 users found this helpful

LyanH.

Jun 30, 2006

The movie is okay but the only reason it rake in money is due to Aaliyah's loyal fans.

0 of 0 users found this helpful

ChrisD.

Aug 26, 2005

The beginning of the movie was a mess. The effects were a little dated, but not terrible. The second half of the movie was almost the only part worth watching, too bad you need to see the beginning to understand most of it. Assuming of course, it still even makes sense.

0 of 0 users found this helpful

BerC

Jun 10, 2016

The artistic medium of film is very subjective. Every audience member has a different set of criteria they use to measure their viewing experience. Not everyone shares the same set of criteria. If we did, what a bland and uninspired world this would be.

What I Personally Liked AboutThe artistic medium of film is very subjective. Every audience member has a different set of criteria they use to measure their viewing experience. Not everyone shares the same set of criteria. If we did, what a bland and uninspired world this would be.

What I Personally Liked About "Queen of the Damned":
The very beginning of the opening credits over the stone statues set an incredible tone which, sadly, cannot be maintained through the rest of the film. It's such a shame that all hope is smashed so shortly thereafter once the narration of Lestat commences. Really, the only strong recommendation I can give that lifts this film up is the presence of the late musician Aaliyah embodying the titular role. The slinkiness she brings ensures that her character will be remembered long after the movie is over. Indeed, she carries with her an almost supernatural sensuality that few actresses possess. It is too bad there was not a better film to surround her torrid role.

What I Personally Disliked About "Queen of the Damned":
Stuart Townsend is supposed to be the centerpiece of this production. However, he is a pale imitation next to the maniacal impression left by his predecessor Tom Cruise. He is too dry and uninvolving. He simply exists as a typical vampire with none of the traits that made Lestat who he was in the first film. Almost every other major player in this movie (Marguerite Moreau, Vincent Perez, Paul McGann, etc.) is equally as terrible which is surprising consider how wonderful some of their acting has been in other features. This brings me to Lena Olin portraying Aunt Maharet. Lena, why were you involved in this motion picture? Seriously, you're better than this! (Think: "Romeo is Bleeding" and "The Unbearable Lightness of Being") What happened? Did you need the money? Were you locked in an ironclad contract? Let's move beyond the quote/unquote talent for a moment and take a look at some of the other elements of the film. "Queen" doesn't have half of the wit or the willingness to shock its audience with its warped perversity and unbridled carnage as "Interview With the Vampire." It feels like it's holding back; like it's a watered down rendition playing exclusively for the Hollywood executives and not for the same crowd that adored "Interview." They also combined elements from two Anne Rice novels instead of letting each one stand on its own merit in the cinematic world. By cherry-picking certain elements from the pair of books, the filmmakers proved they had absolutely no understanding of the source material. The lack of any real cohesion between "Queen" and "Interview" is more fuel on that fire. Why piggyback on the shoulders of greatness if you are going to be so disrespectful to both the previous film and the novels on which this entry was based? Some of the special effects are simply atrocious as well. It's hard to believe this film was released eight years after "Interview" when its effects look like they were created eight years before its predecessor. A lot of the visual tricks used are amateurish at best (the "fast motion" of the vampires) or outright headache-inducing at worst (the "vampire mind flashes" Lestat has when he connects with Akasha and the slow motion walk between Lestat and Jesse). Finally, the generic hard rock music sprinkled throughout the picture. It's faceless. It's toneless. It's soulless. I didn't realize "plastic metal" actually existed until I saw this film. And I thought Guns N' Roses's version of "Sympathy for the Devil" was horrible from "Interview." Ha! That was not even close to the rubbish this film presents to us.

My Overall Impression of "Queen of the Damned":
Between the glossed over combination of two novels serving as one film, special effects that look like they were crafted from eighties' nerds using a Commodore 64, and a cast list that plays like the rejects from a bad romance novel, this less than thrilling follow-up to "Interview With the Vampire" should have been shelved in developmental hell where it belonged. It's hard to believe there are worse films in existence than this one...but there are.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

TinaRB

Jan 5, 2009

I'm trying to think about anyhing good about this movie. But I can't come up with anything. maybe the violin scene. The film is quite pathetic, far far aways from the book. Like a You tube spoof version of the book.

0 of 0 users found this helpful

diankathrina

Jul 12, 2013

well.. just re-read the novel again after a long time after my first book of it got caught in the house fire.. and.. still.. I am extremely upset on how the movie went.. How I wish there was a remake of this with the characters "SOMEHOW" even matching of those in the Book.. seems like thewell.. just re-read the novel again after a long time after my first book of it got caught in the house fire.. and.. still.. I am extremely upset on how the movie went.. How I wish there was a remake of this with the characters "SOMEHOW" even matching of those in the Book.. seems like the only things they got right here are the names of the characters.. But not their soul or their characteristic at all.. **sigh** so sad.. If I were Anne Rice, I'd send the makers of the movie in jail for ruining 1 of the best masterpiece ever..… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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50	#50 Most Discussed Movie of 2002
68	#68 Most Shared Movie of 2002