beavercartoon ~Contains Spoilers~This is a slow-paced vampire movie with little gore and relatively few scares, intended to appeal to a pre-teen audience (as it was adapted from a YA novel.) However some viewers are missing the point. Valentine, the lead vampire, did NOT have complete control of his humanity at the beginning. That was part of a gambit to gain Zach's trust. He claimed to only drink rat blood, yet admitted that he turned all the vamps on the subway car. They would never have obeyed him if he hadn't bitten them in the first place. But by biting so many people, his hold on the group starts to weaken as they all resist Valentine's influence. Valentine's back story was important as he mentions building part of the subway (explains his knowledge of the rails) and having a young son (explains his attachment to Zach.) Valentine was still going to use Zach but then the chase scene happened. They track Sims, the rebellious stockbroker vampire to a graveyard. Sims suggests hiding in the crypts and waiting for the next night to attack New York, but Valentine notices the grave belonged to his son (the headstone implies that the boy grew up to fight and die in a world war) and decides to return to the underground. He forces Sims to return as well. Thus, the "bloodless scene" was important because it changed the vampire's motivation. He still plays as if he wanted to invade NYC with his group, even using one of Zach's friends as a hostage. Yet his final speech to Zach is a "thank you" for killing off ALL the vampires as Valentine no longer wanted immortality, because he realized his son had died long protecting the city and country he loved. The vampire Valentine is obviously the strong point of the movie. Zach unfortunately is far less interesting and likable. He comes across as an ingrate, not appreciating his family or friends. His mother might work long hours but she does apologize and cook him breakfast, and the father may be gruff but was genuinely concerned when his son talked about meeting a strange man on the subway. Zach's friends are much more endearing. Gabe (the girl) is an excellent photographer who worries about their grade on a school project. She is also dyslexic and deeply hurt when Zach accuses her of using him to write the report because she "can't read". JT (the black boy) is shown to be a bit nervous in the subway, but very loyal. While he doubts Zach's honesty (since Zach has a habit of lying) he does go online to check rumors about vampires on the off chance Zach might be telling the truth. JT also displays the most concern when Gabe is kidnapped. The movie is decent overall with a great deal of attention paid to the NYC scenery and backdrops but is dragged down by slow pacing and a bratty, predictable male lead. I was also disappointed that Zach's love of horror movies did not help him save the day. He survived due to a combination of luck, Valentine's protection, and the sun weakening then killing the vampires.

Claudio Carvalho In New York, the teenager Zach (Chauncey Leopardi) is a compulsive liar since his parents divorced, and he has sessions with a psychologist. His best friends are the teenagers Gabe (Natanya Ross) and J.T. (Tony T. Johnson), and he is a fan of horror movies. When Zach gets lost in an old access to the subway, he meets the vampire Valentine (Ron Silver), who protects him against other vampires in a train, and they become friends. Gabe and J.T. do not believe on Zach, and he returns to the abandonment station to prove that the undead do exist."Shadow Zone: The Undead Express" is a low-paced good vampire story. The screenplay and characters are well developed. With more action and humor, this movie could be excellent, but anyway it does not disappoint. My vote is five.Title (Brazil): "Zona das Sombras: O Expresso dos Mortos-Vivos" ("Shadow Zone: The Undead Express")

lotsafun The other reviewers have done an excellent job of summing this TV movie up. This is an okay TV movie aimed at kids who like scary stories. Those who say it seems like and After School Special are correct. It's fair for the most part but what really makes this something unique is Ron Silver's performance. Silver is fantastic! He brings real pathos and darkness to his role as the vampire Valentine. I rented this thinking it was a more adult oriented horror film. I was a bit taken back when it turned out to be a children's movie. I continued to watch it and Silver as Valentine was such a compelling character that I couldn't wait to see what would happen next. Silver really brings things to life each time he's on the screen and he has become one of this horror fans favorite cinematic vampires.

angelynx Glacially paced TVM in which kid discovers the existence of a vampire colony living in the New York subway. So much accompanying plot business that it begins to feel like an "After-School Special" - kid hero Zach comes from broken home, is neglected by workaholic mom, habitually tells lies about his great adventures (so, of course, no one believes him when he's finally telling the truth). Happy ending not only reunites Zach's separated parents but causes him to swear off lying for good *yawn*. Only thing that saves it from being formula teen adventure is the sympathetic and dignified performance of Ron Silver as master vampire Valentine Cutter, who has never lost his humanity. The only moments in which the film lurches up from its rut and achieves real beauty are those in which Valentine shows Zach the treasures of his subterranean world. For these scenes (which even coax some acting ability and charm out of the irritating Leopardi as Zach) - and for the terrific twist ending, which should give any viewer real respect for Valentine's nobility - I'm willing to cut it a little slack. But only a little...