Dracula Untold

Released:  October 10^th, 2014

Rated:  PG-13

Studio:  Universal Pictures

Starring:  Luke Evans, Sarah Gadon, Dominic Cooper, Samantha Barks

Directed by:  Gary Shore

Written by:  Matt Sazama, Burk Sharpless

Personal Bias Alert:  likes vampire movies, familiar with almost no one involved

4.5 of 10

            The title is the first clue that something’s wrong with this film.  I mean, really, is there any aspect of Dracula’s origin that hasn’t been told?  I’m no expert, but a childhood spent watching The History Channel taught me about Vlad the Impaler, Elizabeth Bathory, and few other historical blood users that may have influenced Bram Stoker’s vision.  Dracula Untold uses Vlad, the most commonly sited of these influences, as a jumping off point, and even though it’s not particularly original, it does manage to cobble together enough decent elements to almost make it enjoyable.

            This movie’s Vlad (Luke Evans) starts off as the established ruler of Transylvania, a man who’s content to quietly raise his son and his people under the thumb of the Turks.  When the Turks show up demanding 1,000 boys for their army, Vlad decides it’s time to cut ties and is forced to draw from his dark past and from an even darker power in the mountains to save his people.

            Dracula is in the title, so I don’t think it’s any secret that Vlad seeks out a vampire in those mountains.  Played with gusto by Charles Dance (you know, Tywin Lannister), the scene between the ancient vampire and Vlad is everything you want in a vampire film:  darkness, blood, some body horror, and a good-looking guy to stare at.  The scene gets a lot done, too, and its success reminds you why execs at Universal look at the Dracula property and see a hit film.

             The good-looking guy in the aforementioned scene is Evans (trust me, you don’t want Dance), and his performance singlehandedly makes this film better than it should be.  He manages to root the underdrawn, overstretched Vlad in some sort of reality, and I found myself really caring for the poor guy.  He’s equally good in the action scenes, drawing out a menacing side that effectively portrays the monster he’s trying to be.

            Helping out Evans is an excellent effort by the costume, makeup, set design, and special effects crews.  The film looks great, and that’s directly due to the efforts of everyone involved in these and other departments.  The world they’ve created is ornately detailed, and the big and small set pieces feel appropriately scaled.  What’s most impressive, though, is the special effects, particularly the bat transformations that are featured in the trailer and the poster.  It’s a seamless stream of motion, with Evans slowly disintegrating and bats forming from the void.  I have no clue how much money was spent on this effect, but it was worth every penny.

            The problems come anytime this film tries to tell an actual story.  It seems the filmmakers didn’t think we’d be interested in a simple vampire story, so they jazzed it up with as many subplots as possible.  There’s not enough time to explore each one, so instead they skim the surface of each, leaving me wondering which I should be most concerned about and not particularly caring about any of them.  The biggest failure is the subplot involving Vlad’s family, which falters under the lack of relationship development and the poor performances by Sarah Gadon and Art Parkinson (more Game of Thrones people).

            Otherwise, some overly flashy cinematography and generally wooden performances keeps the whole thing a bit off-putting.  I can’t say I was ever bored, the film does keep things moving, but outside of a mild interest in Vlad himself, I didn’t care much about what was happening.  Reminiscent of my feelings towards 2012’s Snow White and the Huntsman, Dracula Untold is an empty, frustrating waste of some excellent elements.

            Other Notes:

Ø  The lack of blood allowed in a PG-13 movie and a vampire story doesn’t mix well.

Ø  Samantha Barks is listed as a star, but her role was cut in editing.  I guess she can still pretend that he’s beside her.

Ø  That guy’s money was literally protecting him.

Ø  You know you’re having issues when the blood starts whispering to you.