Fright Night '11

I'll be honest, I watched the original Fright Night (Which came out in 1985) for the first time a few months ago. I was intrigued by the trailer for the new one. I'm the kind of guy that always likes to see the originals or read the books if a movie is based on one. You know, so I can have some basis for comparison. That said, I really liked the original. It's campy, it's silly, it has vampires and 80s stuff. It's everything you'd hope from a movie trying to be a B grade horror flick. Seriously, if you haven't seen it, check it out. So the question is, how does the new one stack up?
Overall, the original is better, but the new one gets a lot of things right. The plot is pretty simple. A normal everyday teen discovers that his neighbor is a vampire once his friends start disappearing . He's drawn into a conflict with said vampire, and quickly realizes he may have bitten off more than he can chew. (Ha! Vampire jokes!) He goes to the only guy he knows who can help, and they try to take down the vamp for good. The 2011 one has a few minor changes to the story, but sticks to the structure of the '85 version.
The main thing the new one gets right is the casting. That's what made it work for me. Collin Ferrell is actually a perfect choice for the role of smarmy/douchey vampire next door. I never thought I'd say Ferrell is perfect choice for anyting, but he really seems to be having fun with the part. David Tennant (of Doctor Who fame) plays Peter Vincent, the magician/is he or is he not a vampire hunter. He is also a great choice, although his take on the character is much different than in the original. In this version, he's actually given more back story than before. This works, because it gives him more of a reason to be there. If you're wondering if he just plays The Doctor here, he doesn't. He is also a lot of fun to watch. The kid roles are fairly bland, and I think that might be the films weakest point. The kids were much more energetic in the original. Here, they seem like your average bland, mopey, teenagers.
Another issue I had with this remake is that it plays it straight. The original was part comedy, and I don't think the new film makers got that. The comedy angle was a big part of it's charm, and that's why it still holds up after 26 years. It's true that times are different now, and movies aren't the same as they were in the 80s. I certainly don't mind a film playing it straight, but it does make me nostalgic. Also, I've heard the 3D print is quite a bit darker than the 2D. I've read that 3D prints are generally darker. If most of the movie takes place at night , it's tough to make things out. I saw the 2D print, so I'd recommend that one.
This movie is by no means perfect, but it is a lot of fun. If vampires are your thing, you could do a lot worse than this.