Beauty of the ‘Queen’ can’t redeem the ‘Damned’

I’m confused. That’s the first thing that popped into my head after seeing “Queen of the Damned.”

Maybe it was supposed to be a love story. Maybe it was supposed to be a horror flick. Maybe it should’ve never made it to theatres.

Damned is the only word I can use to describe the movie itself. An adaptation of Anne Rice’s best-selling novel “The Vampire Chronicles,” it should have been kept in its original form.

It’s obviously better on paper than on the big screen.

The vampire Lestat (Stuart Townsend) – you might remember his character from “Interview with the Vampire” – rises after a century’s rest to live in the spotlight.

So, naturally he becomes a rock star.

Although Townsend could never compare to Tom Cruise’s role in “Interview,” his sex appeal oozes from the screen. But sex appeal couldn’t even save this horror of a flick salvageable.

After the first 15 minutes, the movie immediately goes down hill. Lestat tells the world that he is a 200-year-old vampire. He immediately becomes a star as well as the most sought after man in the world. The acclaim his announcement receives is amusing because of its ridiculousness.

The loneliness he suffers would have been more interesting had it not been just a passing thought the audience glimpsed periodically throughout the film.

Because of Lestat’s need to share eternity with someone, his interest in Queen Akasha (Aaliyah) is born.

With her failed attempt at an ancient accent, the queen has too few scenes for the movie to carry her name.

The only highlight is Aaliyah’s mesmerizing beauty and straight evil nature. If nothing else, that’ll be the only thing to keep the audience from getting up and walking out of the theatre to ask for a refund (the thought did cross my mind).

Then there’s Claudia Black (Jesse), the mysterious and forgettable character the audience sees constantly but never really knows.

She ends up falling for Lestat – didn’t see that coming at all – and, out of nowhere, asks him to make her immortal.

As Jesse and Lestat breeze off into the sunset, you’ll be wondering if you blinked and missed some pertinent info that would’ve made you better understand what Aaliyah’s role in the film actually was.

Suggestion: For all you die-hard Aaliyah fans hoping to see her shine in the last role of her short career and life, you’ll be sorely disappointed. Go rent “Romeo Must Die” instead, you’ll be much more pleased.