'Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant' (PG-13)(out of four)

Audiences for the latest entry in the increasingly crowded field of vampire movies and television shows get a clear sign early on that "The Vampire's Assistant" is going to have some laughs: The movie begins with one of the bystanders at a funeral munching away on popcorn. That, and a cutaway shot of the teenage hero lying in a coffin while playing a video game, is a good indicator this film will feature a lot of light-hearted moments.

"Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant" is based on a trilogy of books from the multivolume series "Cirque Du Freak," written by British author Darren Shan (the book series overseas is known as "The Saga of Darren Shan"). The story revolves around 16-year-old high school student Darren, played by Chris Massoglia (from the cable television series "Wanted"). Darren hangs out with best friend Steve (Josh Hutcherson of "Journey to the Center of the Earth"), a kid obsessed with vampires who is constantly getting both of them in trouble.

The two get a mysterious invitation to attend a kind of circus show that features a variety of freaky-looking performers. They eagerly go, and encounter master showman Larten Crepsley (wonderfully played by John C. Reilly, wearing a hairstyle that would make Phil Spector proud). The performer's act includes a magical spider that amazes the audience. As it turns out, Larten is also a vampire, although he shatters all the "children-of-the-night" stereotypes. He's a nice guy who wouldn't dream of killing anyone. He just puts them temporarily to sleep and then sucks a little blood from their shoulders before healing the wound.

Darren signs on to become the vampire's assistant but this mentoring arrangement makes his best friend very jealous. They wind up on opposite sides of a long-playing struggle -- vampires who are more socially conscious and don't kill, versus those who are violently old school in their methods.

"The Vampire's Assistant" is filled with great characters: Willem Dafoe wonderfully channels the legendary Vincent Price for a couple of scenes as the vampire's longtime friend. Michael Cerveris (television's "Fringe") is incredibly creepy as the main villain, but the pure-evil factor is amped up even more by one of his henchmen, played by Ray Stevenson from the HBO series "Rome."

Other notable cast members include Salma Hayek as, yes, the Bearded Lady, and Ken Watanabe as the leader of the circus. Surprisingly, some other talented performers like Orlando Jones and Jane Krakowski appear in the film, but have very little to do.

A big highlight of the film is the script, which was co-written by director Paul Weitz ("American Pie," "About a Boy") and Brian Helgeland, one of the busiest screenwriters in Hollywood ("Mystic River" and "L.A. Confidential").

The pair manage to poke fun at a lot of vampire movie clichés (when Crepsley climbs the outside wall of a hospital to get into a room, his assistant asks, "Why don't we just use an elevator?" and Crepsley responds, "I get claustrophobic"). But if you're a fan of big action, have no fear. The movie features a number of intense fight scenes with vampires flying through the air trying to do major damage to one another.

As for the acting, Reilly steals the show, and gets a lot of laughs just by giving a certain look or raising an eyebrow. His deadpan style is a perfect fit for the character.

The film ends with a clear indicator that there are more stories to be told. Hopefully "The Vampire's Assistant" won't fade into the twilight, for the lack of a better word, and there'll be a sequel in the future.