David Tennant and 'Fright Night:' the early reviews are bloody good

David Tennant plays a self-declared vampire expert in "Fright Night."

The doctor is back. Except this time he's battling vampires instead of Daleks.

The horror-comedy "Fright Night," a remake of the 1985 cult favorite, is about to hit the big screen with former Dr. Who David Tennant in the role of vampire "expert" Peter Vincent, originally played by Roddy McDowall. The film stars Anton Yelchin (Chekhov in the latest "Star Trek" movie series) as Charley Brewster and Colin Farrell as the vampire, Jerry Dandrige.



Here's what some of the early reviews are saying:

Robert Koehler of Variety: "A cleverly balanced mix of scares and laughs that is funnier and more terrifying than the 1985 original on which it's based."

Lisa Giles-Keddie of Real.com: "retains the cool but spooky factor of the first film, with a couple of 3D effects thrown in ... provides a fang full of fun."

Some reviews are less kind, of course:

Katey Rich of CinemaBlend.com: "Farrell and Tennant are the best reason to see a movie that's sometimes more trying than fun."

And some are downright mean:

"Aside from some cosmetic changes, little of what this Fright Night offers elevates it above the classification of 'unnecessary.'"

Overall, though, Rotten Tomatoes is giving "Fright Night" a 75 percent approval rating. By comparison, "Conan" is rated at 38 percent. The choice for the weekend seems clear.