Dracula Untold. Rated M (horror themes and violence). 92
minutes. Directed by Gary Shore. Screenplay by Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless.
Verdict: This dark
and brooding drama about how Dracula came into existence falls short of the
mark.
Since Irish author
Bram Stoker created Count Dracula in his 1897 novel Dracula, the character has
inspired the imaginations of film and television makers around the world. He
has been enjoying something of a renaissance, thanks largely to Charlaine
Harris’ The Southern Vampire Mysteries novels (adapted for television as True
Blood) and Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series.
In Dracula Untold,
we have a bold reimagining of how the character came to be, and a confident
debut from fellow Irishman Shore. Sazama and Sharpless’ also debut with their
screenplay, and the film’s grand ambition and its many flaws, in equal measure,
can be attributed to this fact.
Basing their
screenplay on the legendary Vlad the Impaler, the writers have created an
interesting story about how Vlad (Luke Evans) encounters Master Vampire (Charles
Dance) in a cave, high up in the mountains. Vlad, who is desperate to save his
people from the marauding Turkish army, makes a deal with the Master that if he
can have the powers of a vampire for three days, he will be able to
single-handedly defeat his enemies, and ensure that his young son, his wife and
his loyal followers are safe from harm. What Vlad must not do during his time
as a vampire is consume human blood. If he does, he will remain one forever.
Cinematographer John
Schwartzman (Saving Mr. Banks, The Amazing Spider-Man, Pearl Harbor,
Armageddon), ensures that the film looks great, while the visual effects
department over-use the ‘Vlad turning into bats’ sequence to the point of
tedium. While it falls well short of being the unforgettable entry into the
cinematic world of Dracula it might have been, there is certainly much to
admire about its gothic horror pretensions.
This review was
commissioned by the West Australian Newspaper Group.
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