Queen of the Damned, the latest film to interpret the saga of Anne Rice’s best-selling novels about the legendary vampire Lestat, will definitely not leave most people singing the film’s praises, but it certainly doesn’t suck.

The movie stars Stuart Townsend as Lestat, most recently played by Tom Cruise in Interview with the Vampire. Lestat, who has been in hiding for decades, suddenly reemerges as a modern-day rock star. He is followed by Jesse (Marguerite Moreau), a researcher for a London vampire study institute who seems to have a thing for Lestat and the vampire life. We are also introduced to Marius (Vicent Perez), an older vampire who is responsible for Lestat’s entrance into the vampire world. It also appears that Marius might have a thing for Lestat, but sadly this relationship is never explored in the movie.
However, the main attraction for most people will be Aaliyah (much too friendly-looking for her evil role) who stars in the title role as Akasha, an Egyptian queen who drank the world dry during her day. She is awakened by Lestat, and definitely has a thing for him. She starts making plans to rule the world with him at her side at the expense of everyone else.

Queen of the Damned is a bit slow-paced and the plot is full of holes. No character relationships are deeply explored, so you don’t really feel much passion for what happens. However, there is the requisite amount of suspense to keep some people interested. One of the movie’s strong points is its dark, gothic feel, and the music, if you are into heavy metal. The special effects are disappointingly mediocre, but there are some scenes that should open a few eyes.

All in all, Queen of the Damned is a very average movie. I wouldn’t suggest running to shell out the seven or so dollars at a cinema right now, but I would recommend a viewing at the Apollo or waiting for it to come out on cable.