Sunday evening….I have been very busy, all great stuff of course, and most certainly with film viewing, managing a grand total of FIVE in 3 days, 4 of which were new releases from this soon to be gone weekend. As the reviews for the first 3 are here, here, and here…..time to get on with the last two. First up is yet another telling of an age-old tale based on a character originated by Bram Stoker. Having been seen in countless films and just as many incarnations, the newest one hit theaters this past Friday and this afternoon I had a chance to catch it in full IMAX screen glory. I give you….”Dracula Untold”.
SEE THE TRAILER HERE
Brought to life by first time director Gary Shore, the story begins with a recap of the rise and brutal history of the Transylvanian prince, Vlad Tepes (Luke Evans), initially given away as a child into service to the Turks. He grows to be a warrior, and the fight against them he ultimately leads establishes the brutal and VERY well-founded reputation for him, earning the moniker that would strike fear into ALL adversaries, Vlad The Impaler. However, overwhelmed by his deeds, Vlad chooses to repent of his actions and return to Transylvania to rule his kingdom in peace. Jump to the present past (if you catch my meaning) where we see Vlad and his top warriors finding indication that the Turks are starting to encroach on his territory again. Initially attempting to seek out the scouts they suspect are lurking in the area, a trip to the ominous mountain located near his castle has disastrous and equally disturbing results, leaving Vlad to question even more what forces are at work. Returning home to his wife Mirena (Sarah Gadon) and son Ingeras (Art Parkinson), Vlad continues to maintain a sense of peace, until an unexpected visit by the right hand emissary of the Turks, Hamza Bey (Ferdinand Kingsley) advising his master, the Turkish warlord Mehmed (Dominic Cooper), desires not just his normal tribute, but also 1000 of the kingdom’s boys for his army. With a hard decision to make, Vlad resists, meets with Medmed to attempt to work out a better bargain, but failing to do so, ends up making another choice that alters the course of events dramatically. Knowing his kingdom, and his family, are now at greater risk, Vlad makes the NEXT choice to seek out a power that will allow him to save his people. Returning to the mountain, he seeks out its supernatural inhabitant….a Master Vampire (Charles Dance), who offers a deal to the desperate prince. Accepting the offer, events unfold quickly as Vlad utilizes his newly gained power to severely damage Medmed’s attempts to take his homeland. But…as with any deal involving evil, there is a price to be paid, as Vlad, despite his victories, has now begun to isolate himself from his own family and his own people, who fear what he has become. All the while, Vlad ALSO has to battle his OWN nature and endeavor not to succumb completely to the darkness inside him, as the price is high. Soon, when another painful blow is dealt to him, the final choice is made that will FOREVER affect Vlad’s existence and the primary people he had surrounded himself with. And we eventually see that the tie between Vlad and the original source of his power is far from over…as a new chapter is about to unfold for Vlad Dracula. Spoilers would be had with any further detail, and so I end this section of the review here.
Let’s face it….the story of Dracula and/or vampires has been told via film in SO MANY WAYS, especially over the last 16 years, with offerings such as “Bram Stoker’s Dracula“, “Interview With The Vampire“, “Blade“, “Underworld“, “Twilight“, and “Vampire Academy” just to name a few. And being that this is the case, it IS hard to believe that anything original is possible with the concept. However, for me, this particular take on the origin of Dracula was at least a LITTLE more unique. Seeing Vlad as a man who actually REGRETTED his initial actions and subsequently making the attempts to live and rule in peace, but then forced to make a desperate decision that seals his fate in HOW he becomes Dracula, I guess added something different to the whole legend. And even in his being depicted as truly trying to FIGHT the evil inside him, also made it a tad different than most tales I’ve seen via film. It is obviously still a dark story, after all, Dracula IS a monster. But, this film was more in the fantasy action genre than horror. The visuals were quite excellent on the IMAX screen, especially the moments involving Vlad fully using his abilities to fight the Turks. I felt Luke Evans did a decent job playing Vlad as the conflicted man turned monster, at least effectively enough for the material given to him. At certain moments he exuded the bravado similar to his role in “The Hobbit“, Bard the Bowman. The supporting cast around him did their jobs well, as again, we’re not expecting Oscar winning acting. This is one of those “take the film for what it is” kind of efforts….a visual-based fantasy action film that is truly meant for pure entertainment and not for Awards consideration. For me, the film delivered on the entertainment….it was just a movie to take in as escapist fun. And granted, this won’t be for everyone, as it still is thematically dark, but what do we expect there when you know who the story is about! There are a few “graphic” scenes, but the PG-13 rating is more than adequate to cover the content in it, as this was by no means like watching “Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters” either (THANK goodness!!)!
As always, this is all for YOUR consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
So, in your opinion, which won out in the end, evil or good? Did Vlad choosing to remain the “Son of Satan” mean that evil won or did the fact that the son was saved to become the next ruler mean that good won?