With Halloween on the way, the pull to see a good thriller is stronger than ever. The recently released “Dracula Untold” promised a new twist on the classic horror tale, but delivers a mixed bag.
Some elements of the film were original and quite enjoyable. Set in the 15th century, the film stars Dracula, with a wife (Sarah Gadon) and son (Art Parkinson, also Rickon in “Game of Thrones”) alongside main character Vlad the Impaler (Luke Evans, also Bard in “The Hobbit”). Evans manages to reconcile the sympathetic retelling the movie aims to achieve with the terrifying legacy Bram Stoker’s novel imparted.
The movie jumps right into the action — perhaps a little too hastily. In the first scene, Dracula comes face to face with an old vampire (Charles Dance, also Tywin Lannister in “Game of Thrones”) and the Turkish threat. This opening encounter provides one of the movie’s few truly scary scenes as Vlad makes a deal with the vampire in a desperate attempt to save his kingdom from invading Turks.
The historical narrative was definitely one of the movie’s strengths, playing with the tensions of the Ottoman Empire and its holdings. A lot of attention was paid to the costumes and weaponry, on both the Turkish and Transylvanian sides assisting in the believability of the newly-spun tale.
Unfortunately, “Dracula Untold” has little to offer in scare-factor. The trailer promised a thriller, but only managed a few moments of surprise, from swarms of bats or the occasional elderly vampire popping out of the shadows. Most of the movie’s potentially scary scenes are glazed over or rushed, giving the movie an almost “Disney-fied” air.
Besides the main characters, the acting is not very convincing, and in some cases comes off as cartoonish. Many of the minor characters in scenes with Vlad appear unintentionally comical, particularly a gypsy who must have cast his character from the Igor mold, slinking around and muttering “yes Master” in what the audience is forced to assume is a Transylvanian accent. During particularly tense moments, such as a confrontation scene in a monastery between Vlad and some of his subjects, the extras often made awkward, exaggerated reactions.
Charles Dance’s elderly “Master Vampire” is perfectly sinister, but plays only a minor role. The film’s other villain, Mehmet (Dominic Cooper), is more annoying than frightening. This is largely due to the obviously fake Turkish accent Cooper adopts, and his overall impression is that of a dandy rather than a tyrant.
Evans deserves all the credit for rendering the Turkish threat believable, implying the young Dracula came to know a real cause for fear while a child hostage under Mehmet’s father. Together with Gadon and Parkinson, Evans pulls the film together with a compelling, if at times slightly cheesy, portrayal of a family under fire, fighting to remain together despite the forces, both human and monstrous, pulling them apart.
The special effects are a mixture of successes and failures. Vampires in this retelling have super-sight which, when used, turns their eyes a red color. Much like the red-eye effect in photos, it begs to be edited. On the other hand, the movie’s interpretation of bats, which Dracula can not only control but transform into, is genuinely well done. Such strengths may keep the film from an entirely negative review, but they do not earn the film any wholehearted recommendations.
Jumping from forest to mountain top, castle to monastery, the film is at least very visually enjoyable, which makes up slightly for some of the clichés and predictable plot development. Despite some definite shortcomings, “Dracula Untold” is fast-paced and fun, proving satisfying entertainment for those who are too old to trick-or-treat this Halloween.
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