The Twins Effect

Like a very expensive Buffy episode peppered with plenty of humor. Lots of wire and stunt kung fu. The Twins Effect goes on the list of classic must see HK films. The vampires have a cool blend of hopping ghost type and the pretty boy European style. If you get the opportunity to see this one in the theatre it is worth a 30 minute drive, otherwise buy the import DVD before someone screws it up by giving it a bad dub.

A vampire prince falls for a human girl, unaware that her brother is a famous vampire hunter. That's the underlying theme of this martial arts romp which borrows ideas from "Underworld" and "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" but manages to maintain a style of its own. I was bemused by the UK and Hong Kong title "The Twins Effect" as there are no twins involved in the story. It turns out that the two main female characters are played by Hong Kong pop stars who perform as "The Twins". Don't let this put you off. These girls can act (at least well enough for this type of film) and add a lot of charm to the proceedings. Jackie Chan turns up for a couple of cameo appearances adding a dash of his own brand of slapstick mayhem to the proceedings. All in all this is great fun for those who like their vampires served up with a helping of tongue-in-cheek humour.

Lotsa action, cheesy love story, unexpected actors and overall great fun. The special effect are acceptable/decent, some of the fighting is kinda neat with some interesting acrobatic moves. The overall story moves along, and is cheesy enough to keep you wondering when the inevitable is going to happen, although there is a bit of a twist (just a small one). The overall naivety of the movie make it quite whimsical at times. Cute enough chicks too what more could you want. PS. if you're gonna review a movie like this, try to review it in terms of the category the movie would fall (not necessarily where it was intended to fall). ie don't bomb out good cheesy movies!

One comment I have to post for this movie: Make sure you buy the Asian (not US) version of this film! Like many big name HK films (eg Iron Monkey, Drunken Master etc) the version sold by the big retailers (WalMart, Amazon etc) is cut to ribbons! About 20 minutes have been removed from the film! (Some of which are major plot points for later)

This film is pretty much a HK version of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Take some very popular HK idols & throw them into a vampire story. Jackie Chan even has a cameo (& his son ends up getting a role in Part 2... hmm...) Its a quite good film & is recommended. 4 out of 5 stars. Oh & the teddy bear fight scene is a classic :)

The first time I saw Twins Effect, I was stunned. I bought it because the case (lovingly Pirated in China) was a picture of Jackie Chan and one of my favorite pop duos Twins. I thought I had to see it. I didn't know whether to love it or hate it. The character development is slow, but quite interesting. You really have to love the personality that each of the girls brings in.

Gypsy (Ah-Jiao) Really makes her mark as a possible action or drama hero. Her acting is very skillful, and thankfully not over-done. Helen (Ah-Sa) also brings charm to the screen but more in a quite concious over-acting (Which though sometimes annoying, is also quite endearing).

The Vampires are scary, funny and different at the same time. The film pulls elements from Buffy the Vampire slayer, as well as kind of a euro-coolness for the Vamps. It is a crazy mix and doesn't exactly pull me into the film, but it pushes the plot through and, though not convincing, they are fun.

Obviously some of the draw to the movie is the great ensemble cast which includes several Hong Kong stars and starlets. Jackie Chan and Karen Mok bring some of the funniest and most endearing scenes in the movie. Karen, as a booze-loving bride steals the scene in her short cameo.

Action, Romance, Vampires, and cool stunts really make this a good all around movie. It can be a date movie, or an action flick, or just a fun mindless movie. In the beginning I said that when I saw it I didn't know whether to love it or hate it. Well, now I've seen it about 12 times and I love it more with each viewing. My recommendation is give it a chance, you may like it.

BY the way the opening song done by Jackie and Twins is really cool, if you want to hear it with the vocals look it up: The song's name is "Bian Bian Bian" It really is a good piece of HK Pop.

I give this movie an 8 out of 10