Review of Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1966) by Scott S — 24 Dec 2009

Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1966) -- [6.0] -- Christopher Lee dons the fangs again for this first sequel to Hammer's original "Horror of Dracula", but he hated his dialogue so much that he refused to say any lines.

Even though he's mute and his screen time is limited, a little Lee goes a long way. His performance is interesting and unusual, a more feral depiction than any of his other Dracula outings. Unfortunately, everything else about the movie is just mediocre, starting with the script, which is slow to get started and too much like the first film.

But for me, even mediocre Hammer is good Hammer. Highlights include a nice human sacrifice to bring Dracula back from the grave, a climactic struggle on the frozen castle moat, and another fine bit of bombastic scoring by Hammer alum James Bernard.