Review of Dracula Untold (2014) by Leigh H — 26 Dec 2014

I've always found the tale of Dracula and who he was an interesting tale, unlike most people though I am well aware that Vlad the Impale was a real man who lived and died in the 1400's and Dracula was a monster created by Bram Stoker in the late 1800's. Most of us most likely had that vision of who Dracula is or was, the pale, thin, strong as 100 men, who can turn into a bat and sleeps in a coffin guy who sucks the blood from virgins and commands the dead army. Dracula untold mixes both the real life of Vlad the Impaler and Bram Stokers Dracula into one.

The film starts off with a voice over of a young boy who we soon learn is Prince Vlad's son. Prince Vlad Teres III a Transylvanian ruler learns that the Sultan of the Turks demands he give him 1000 boys to train as warriors for his takeover of Europe, add to the 1000 boys Vlad's own son Ingeras. Vlad as it turns out was given up by his own father years earlier and trained to be a killer where he earned the name Vlad the Impaler due to his act of Impaling his victims giving Prince Vlad the name and face of a monster that most men feared. Not wanting his son to go through the same torture he faced when it comes time for Vlad to hand over his son to the Sultans men he attack and kills them instead and in doing so knows he has dammed his family and his people. He turns to the demon hiding in the caves who he learnt has a power to give in exchange for certain things. The demon will give Vlad superhuman powers that will last 3 days to defeat the Sultans army and save his people, his only downfall though is the insatiable need for human blood, if he can abstain from drinking he will return to his old self if not he is doomed to forever hunt for the blood of others in darkness of the night while the original Vampire can finally escape his prison where he has been condemned to live and feed for 100's of years.

The CGI was very impressive in parts, the film was dark for obvious reasons but not horror, not scary, not blood filled as I wanted anyway. It was actually quite tame compared to what I wanted. The camera work was so annoying you hardly got to see any of the actual action apart from a blur and dismembered body part or flung victim. I hate how directors continue to use that kind of action scene, I find it cheap and very un-entertaining. Prince Vlad I thought was played quite well by Luke Evans (Clash of the Titans, The Hobbit) and I look forward to his reinvention of Eric Draven once it's released. Sarah Gadon (Spiderman II) plays Mirena his wife and Art Parkinson (Game of Thrones) plays Ingeras his son. Charles Dance (Game of Thrones) is the Master Vampire and Dominic Cooper (Captain America, Need for Speed) as Sultan Mehmed.

Dracula untold works for what it is, there is a lot I would like to see changed but even so I don't believe it ever takes itself too seriously. Apparently they are working on a sequel as part of the Universal monster release (their answer to Marvel and the DC franchise of films being released). Perhaps that's why it seemed like a lost superhero film in parts. Universal is bringing back all the true Monsters in film so watch this space for the next instalment of Monster buzz.

Dracula Untold ends just when it gathers steam it's quite a short film and not one for the kids.

3 out of 5 BanShee Screams.

X.

#draculauntold.