Review of Dracula Untold (2014) by Brett B — 04 Sep 2015

DRACULA UNTOLD's reputation preceded it; pretty much universally reviled by critics, it was quite a surprise, then, to find it to be not bad at all. Granted, I'm an easy mark for a movie like this (there's something intangibly appealing about a new Dracula film from Universal, home of the iconic Bela Lugosi classic), but there's a lot to enjoy in here for those with the right mindset.

It's a very handsome production (even flat-out great looking except for the moments that feature perhaps a bit too much garish CGI), it adds some interesting new lore to standard vampire mythology, and it moves forward at a great clip, getting in and getting out without overstaying its welcome.

Luke Evans comes at the lead role with a nice amount of conviction (no sign of winking at the camera or looking down at the role), and Charles Dance pops up in a fun supporting role that he nicely underplays (instead of going over the top with it).

The movie's biggest issue is one fundamental to its conception; the decision to turn Dracula into a heroic figure - while working far less offensively than I imagined it would - essentially white washes the real Vlad the Impaler (the inspiration for Bram Stoker's creation) and his cruel, nefarious activities.

It's a relatively minor point, and we've gotten to a point where any new Dracula film kind of needs to have a unique approach (because he's such an oft-filmed character), but I can't help but think that had this been an original supernatural action/adventure story, it would have been better received.

As it stands, it's not an amazing film, but it is FAR better than its detractors would admit, and its a fun little vampire adventure tale.