I don't quite know what to say about "The Breed". It has a serviceable plot compromised by an alternate reality setting. The plot is straightforward enough - vampires and humans attempting to peacefully coexist and a series of murders which may be either a rogue vampire or a more sinister political plot to derail the process. The players are all decent (OK, perhaps Adrian Paul lays it on a little thick), and there are sufficient twists and turns to provide some sense of mystery and/or suspense. To its credit, the characters are well developed and you actually come to care about some of them. It even features a surprisingly engaging romance subplot. How much you can enjoy it, though, depends on how you react to the setting.
The setting appears to be an alternate reality version of current-day America. Some scenes confuse the issue by suggesting a European setting, but that doesn't explain the presence of an obviously American black detective. The vibe is strongly influenced by Orwell's "1984". Although references are made to historical events such as race relations in the 60's, WWII, Nazis and the Holocaust, the sense of reality is severely compromised by the setting. TVs all appear to be B&W sets from the 50's and automotive design seems to have stopped evolving in the 40's. Stylistically, it's quite similar to "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow" - and that's not a compliment in this case since it's obviously not supposed to be a period piece as "Sky Captain" was. The scenes inside NSA headquarters especially were highly reminiscent of both the 1984 film adaptation of "1984" as well as several "Twilight Zone" episodes.
I should also add that I have only seen an edited for TV version broadcast on the SciFi channel. Some other reviews here suggest that the unedited version has some plot problems unrelated to the editing process.
Did I enjoy it? Not tremendously, although I did have a grudging appreciation for the audacity of how it was handled. Notably, it presents an interesting and unique version of the entire vampire mythos. Would I recommend it? Not necessarily. As I said, I feel somewhat conflicted about it. I rated it 6 out of 10 and have tried to explain that vote as much as possible. If what I've said hasn't put you off, then give it a try...
The setting appears to be an alternate reality version of current-day America. Some scenes confuse the issue by suggesting a European setting, but that doesn't explain the presence of an obviously American black detective. The vibe is strongly influenced by Orwell's "1984". Although references are made to historical events such as race relations in the 60's, WWII, Nazis and the Holocaust, the sense of reality is severely compromised by the setting. TVs all appear to be B&W sets from the 50's and automotive design seems to have stopped evolving in the 40's. Stylistically, it's quite similar to "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow" - and that's not a compliment in this case since it's obviously not supposed to be a period piece as "Sky Captain" was. The scenes inside NSA headquarters especially were highly reminiscent of both the 1984 film adaptation of "1984" as well as several "Twilight Zone" episodes.
I should also add that I have only seen an edited for TV version broadcast on the SciFi channel. Some other reviews here suggest that the unedited version has some plot problems unrelated to the editing process.
Did I enjoy it? Not tremendously, although I did have a grudging appreciation for the audacity of how it was handled. Notably, it presents an interesting and unique version of the entire vampire mythos. Would I recommend it? Not necessarily. As I said, I feel somewhat conflicted about it. I rated it 6 out of 10 and have tried to explain that vote as much as possible. If what I've said hasn't put you off, then give it a try...