Summary: In a distant future time the vampires ruled over mortal men. But now their numbers are diminished and their rule is starting to wane. A class of bounty hunters has risen up to exterminate the vampires. A grieving father hires many hunters to reclaim his kidnapped daughter, Charlotte, from the vampire Lord Myre Link. Or to kill her if she is found Changed. Among those he retains into his service is the legendary dunpeal hunter D. The father also hires the mortal team of the Marcus Bros. & Co. as D's competition. Among the band of mortal hunters is Lelia, who forms a hesitant and cautious alliance with D that is almost akin to friendship.

The hunters chase Myre and Charlotte across the land only to find that she will not leave the Vampire Lord's side out of love. Unable to accept this, the chase leads to an imposing and ancient castle where a final showdown with the vampire Queen Carmilla takes place.

Review: Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust is visually stunning and emotionally captivating. The animation is breathtaking, rivalling many live action movies with its sweeping camera angles. The art itself is beautiful and compelling. The addition of computer generated imaging only enhances it. The plot is not exactly original with its "Star-crossed lovers" theme, but it is told well and made interesting nonetheless. It leaves you wondering just who you should be rooting for, the lovers or their pursuers. Character development is minimal-- we learn most of what is to be the characters' personalities shortly after meeting them. And given the high mortality rate of many of the supporting characters, they have little chance to grow. Leila is the only one we get any real background information on, and even then it isn't much. However, the lack of character development isn't really a flaw. We learn as much as we need to know about the people involved and any more information would be a hindrance to the flow of the story.

Rating: Characterization: 4 Plot: 6 Animation: 8

Things to note: Bloodlust is a vampire flick, with all the gore and violence that comes with that. There is no nudity or sex, but again, as with many vampire movies, it has a tangible erotic undertone. I would not recommend that it be viewed by young children, especially without adult supervision. It could easilty cause nightmares in imaginative youth.

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