Film Review: Dracula Untold

Dracula's story has been told and re-told so many times in so many different ways that the mere thought of having a "untold" Dracula tale comes off as ironic. But there is potential, especially in the historic roots of the character (as inspired by Vlad III "The Impaler," or "The Son of the Dragon," considered a hero of Wallachia, but also an infamous butcher everywhere else). Regardless, very few films have explored exactly how Dracula became such a cruel bloodsucking vampire.

The film kicks off with a prologue sequence that spells out who Vlad is and what the Turks are doing to his kingdom, in a style that feels like a moving graphic novel. From then on, the film wastes little time in pitting the titular prince against the Turkish army. Naturally, the prince resorts to fighting evil with evil, consorting with a vampire to gain supernatural powers. From then on, Vlad goes on to crush waves of Turks almost single-handedly. Most of the time, he's either transforming into a swarm of bats that rushes through his enemies, or he's slicing necks with expert swordplay. Scenes in between the action rarely drag; there is a fair amount of drama involved between the prince, his wife, his son, his followers - adding vampirism to these relationships offers a few intriguing twists and implications worth exploring.

However, the story is pretty standard fare; it's as if they took 300, took out the Spartans, replaced Leonidas with Dracula, and used Castlevania as a backdrop. As cool as it is to see a medieval Transylvania in action, the story is very simple and straightforward, and can be quite predictable. Most of it feels like it could have used more refinement; plot holes can undoubtedly be found, and more character development would be quite welcome. The whole film breezes by in a formulaic fashion, entwining bits of history with bits of vampire legend, but it amounts to very little that feels fresh, new, or invoking.

The film generally looks okay, with mostly-good photography and editing. Some of the action scenes have horrid camera work. Acting is okay: I enjoyed watching Luke Evans as the main character, and other actors can be a hit or a miss. Writing is quite simple and unrefined. This production uses pretty fine-looking sets, props, and costumes. Special effects offer some good-looking views of fantastic places, and are good with some of the creature effects, but are rougher in the action scenes. Music sounds like more of the same.

Dracula Untold is certainly action-packed and takes advantage of some of the original lore of the character, but it also feels like just another typical swords and sorcery flick. Fans of the character or genre may find it worth renting.

3.5/5 (Entertainment: Good | Story: Average | Film: Average)