Picking up right where Locusts left off, Lucy Lawless returns as Maddy Rierdon to combat another menace, Vampire Bats. This made for TV quickie is mild fun without an original idea to carry it. If you've ever seen a killer bat movie, than you've seen this, too.

It's the usual "man-release-chemical" catalyst, setting off a mutation of the otherwise unfairly portrayed bat species. These little suckers (literally) have grown a second set of fangs, and for no apparent reason, also drink more blood than usual. They're created with nicely detailed puppets and spotty CG. Whatever happened to the days when you could put one on a string and flop it up and down? This would have been more effective than some of the CG here.

Even with all the officials on the case, slowly unraveling the clues that are the norm for creature flicks, it ends up being the tossed-together group of college kids who come up with the solution. Obviously none of the characters is smart enough to check the spooky abandoned church that sits right next to the graveyard for the infestation. Everyone should know it's always the graveyard.

Adding to the pile of used up plot devices, the local authorities take action into their own hands, praise themselves, and then fail miserably to detect the rest of the presence. Ties to Locusts are brief outside out of the characters and a single spoken line mentioning the attacks. One would think after solving that disaster these small town folk would put a little more faith in Maddy's work in dealing with this new threat.

As this all winds down, it's only natural to forget what you just watched. Even when the two lead characters and writer return from goofy fun that was Locusts, it doesn't save this clichéd mess. If you want killer bats, multiple choices will serve you better than this.
CORRECTIONS:LM