In this origin story set during the 15th century, Vlad (Luke Evans)—who was brutally conscripted into the Turkish army as a young boy—rules the kingdom of Transylvania. Vlad is determined that his beloved wife (Sarah Gadon) and young son (Art Parkinson) will live in peace. But when the emissary of Sultan Mehmed II (Dominic Cooper) arrives to demand 1,000 Romanian boys (including Vlad's son), as slave-soldiers, Vlad grows desperate. Realizing his vulnerability, Vlad turns to a ghoulish, mountain-dwelling demon (Charles Dance), who in a Faustian deal empowers Vlad with superhuman strength and a vampire's abilities for three days. If Vlad can resist drinking human blood during that time, he will revert to mortal form; if not, he's condemned forever (you already know which way that goes). Director Gary Shore's Dracula Untold serves up a tragic prequel to Bram Stoker's 1897 classic novel, attempting to humanize Vlad—also known as the Impaler, because he skewered his victims. Evans initially effectively reflects Vlad's nobility and willingness to sacrifice himself for his family and people, but once Vlad becomes Count Dracula, all subtlety is lost amidst computer-generated bats and other special effects, along with weird horror, bloodlust, and carnage. Sadly, in this visually murky vampire fantasy, there is no humor to be found, even when several characters incongruously utter the contemporary word, “Okay.” I suppose it's damning with faint praise to say that it doesn't totally suck, but this is optional, at best. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include audio commentary by director Gary Shore and production designer François Audouy, and the behind-the-scenes featurettes “Day in the Life: Luke Evans” with the star (10 min.), “Dracula Retold” (7 min.), and “Slaying 1000” (5 min.). Exclusive to the Blu-ray release are an alternate opening (2 min.), “Luke Evans: Creating a Legend” (20 min.), deleted scenes (13 min.), “The Land of Dracula” interactive map, and bonus DVD, digital, and UltraViolet copies of the film. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a disappointing horror flick.] (S. Granger)
Dracula Untold
Universal, 93 min., PG-13, DVD: $29.98, Blu-ray/DVD Combo: $34.98, Feb. 3 Volume 30, Issue 1
Dracula Untold
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