Lost Boys: The Tribe (2008) (V) More at IMDb Pro »

Hands up who thought that The Lost Boys: The Tribe was gonna blow big-time.

Yeah, me too.... but the good news is that, although nowhere near on a par with the 80s original, The Tribe is still an enjoyable ride that remains true to the spirit of its predecessor: it's tongue is firmly in cheek, the vampires are cool (and once again make being undead look like a viable option), the characters are likable, and, best of all, Corey Feldman returns as comic-book-loving vampire hunter Edgar Frog.

The film opens with a group of young surfers breaking into the grounds of an exclusive beach-front property for a spot of late night wave action, only to be confronted by the landowner, a rather miffed vampire (played by FX legend Tom Savini). However, rather than ending up as vamp fodder, the surfers reveal that they too are bloodsuckers, and proceed to tear off the rich vamp's head and use it for a spot of football practice. Now I don't know about you, but any film that begins with Tom Savini having his noggin bloodily removed and kicked into his pool gets my full attention (and admiration)!

After this gory introduction, it's into the story proper, which sees a pair of orphaned teenage siblings, ex-surfer Chris (Tad Hilgenbrink) and his hottie sister Nicole (Autumn Reeser), experiencing vampire trouble after going to to stay with their aunt in Santa Carla (which, as we all know, is a haven for the pale of skin and pointy of tooth): Nicole is seduced by head vamp Shane (Angus Sutherland, Kiefer's half-brother) and becomes a half-vampire, and it is up to her older brother to save her from eternal youth and all-night partying (I said this film made vampirism seem appealing, didn't I!).

As you can probably tell, the plot ain't exactly groundbreaking, being not much more than a reworking of the original film, but this matters not: there is still plenty of fun to be had, with some nice in-jokes (the fat shirtless Sax player was priceless!), sexy shenanigans with one hell of a horny undead babe who takes a shine to Chris, and the inevitable showdown at the end, which sees Edgar breaking out his full arsenal of vampire-slaying weapons for the occasion.

It would be easy to dismiss this STV effort as a cheap cash-in on a cult favourite (it is definitely a shame that a sequel to such a great 80s classic didn't get a bigger budget and a major release); however, if you approach The Tribe with an open mind and without prejudice, then there's a good chance you'll find much to like about it. I did, and I look forward to further installments (although I don't want to wait 20 years between films: after all, I'm still mortal!).

6.5 out of 10, rounded up to 7 for IMDb.