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(More customer reviews)Wanting something new in the vampire genre, I went on a search for films and came across Kindred: The Embraced. It seemed vaguely familiar. After viewing it, I realized that I had seen the initial episode when it originally aired, but when I purchased it I did so thinking I was doing it sight unseen.
I've since watched all eight episodes and can say that I am not disappointed. The fact that this series was based on sets of role playing novels is a mark in its favor. I say this because the series is not about the blood aspect of vampires or, as they are here, the Kindred. There is indeed action, tame violence, but if you're looking for gore and aggression, if that's what you want out of your vampire film experience, Kindred: The Embraced is not the place you`ll find it.
What this series focuses on is the community that the clans of the Kindred have made for themselves, the peace they have forged to live without fear amongst humans. They have a set of laws designed to guard the Masquerade, a grand scheme to hide their identity from the world, and they have a prince to enforce those laws. That prince is Julian Luna, played by Mark Frankel, and he is the ultimate strength of the series.
The character of Julian Luna is a complex one. His sense of humanity has the potential to clash dangerously with his responsibility towards the clans. He is aware of what he must do, but knows that it comes with a price, whether it be for his people or for himself specifically. And his struggle to tread that line is where the emotion lies for the viewer. Frankel was a wonderful choice for the role of Julian Luna. He is, in many respects, the quintessential vampire--beautiful, charismatic, elegant and lethal.
My favorite episode is the last, "Cabin in the Woods." Therein lies the potential of the show. Julian's character has started to peak, we begin to see what he is capable of, and it is bittersweet to know that nothing will follow. It would have been remarkable to see what direction this show would have taken.
Certain aspects are not entirely realistic, such as the premise behind C. Thomas Howell's character, but it is easy to take that as a first season fault. And, really, it may also be because of the depth they were aiming for, which, if that is the case, is most forgivable.
The only thing that I did not appreciate was how the DVDs were put together. Credits run before and after every episode. Within each you get long pauses where commercials no doubt were and they are preceded with the name of the show against a black backdrop. I don't see the necessity of keeping the shows in the original format, but since I own no other TV series to DVD set perhaps this is not so specific to Kindred.
If you are thinking about buying Kindred: The Embraced without having seen it, with little knowledge of the background or the series in general, there is, in my opinion, scarce need for debating the matter. I bought it on impulse (a rarity, actually, for me) and it paid off. It's not all I've ever looked for in the vampire genre, but it fulfills some of my requirements and I not only enjoy it, but am most glad I now own it.
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