Review of Dracula Untold (2014) by Austin G — 31 Oct 2016

I would have to disagree with the Critics Consensus. That is not to say that this film is flawless, just that this film tells the story of Vlad Dracule from a rather new angle. I've have seen most of the films (great, good, bad and atrocious) that deal with Vampires and this one had me sympathizing with Vlad. Not a usual occurrence. We get to know how this man became a monster, repented, lead a redeemed life, until his past came knocking at the door forcing him to become a real monster to save his family. He even tried to die for them, which was all well and good, if not for a sycophant with dreams of glory.

Now for the negatives, and there are some biggies. The script ignores the part of the myth about how Vlad did not leave the impaling back in Turkey (otherwise known as the Ottoman Empire), he filled the ramparts of his castle with the heads of his enemies. A few other strange script choices: why stop to make an elaborate camp during the desperate flight to safety; why take a route to safety that leads them to a HUGE cliff instead of to the monastery; why leave any entrance to the monastery unguarded; why waste his last night of power instead of zooming out and eliminating the rest of the army???

Even with those bloops, this was an enjoyable film.