Believe it or not, I’m finally getting around to doing the review for “Dracula Untold”. I’ve waited this long because I wanted to see the movie 2 times before sitting down to doing this. Ok. I’ve seen it 3 times already. But I’m doing this all for the blog’s and your sake. It’s all for art, I swear!!! Ok… Who am I kidding? I saw it 3 times cuz Luke Evans is a damn hot vampire!!!
If you guys have been following my posts and reviews, you will already know that I’m not so keen on this “origin story” trend. I do like the idea of revisiting old classics and discovering where they came from. But I hate that they always end up turning perfectly evil villains into misunderstood misfits who just want to do good and, as Elphaba very well learns in “Wicked”: no good deed goes unpunished. They just wanted to do the right thing but stuff don’t turn out too good for them. Yikes.
But I was super psyched about “Dracula Untold” because of several reasons. Other than Luke Evans, that is. First, Dracula, of course. He is a character that intrigues me to no end. I’ve read the Bram Stoker novel several times. I’ve read Elizabeth Kostova’s “The Historian” and loved it. I’ve seen a lot of times, and I mean, a lot, the movie by Francis Ford Coppola. Dracula is just the perfect character. I also love the myth of the vampire. Like, seriously love it. And not in the vegetarian, sparkly way. But the true, dark, sexy, violent way. It was also interesting to see how they would do the “untold” story of Dracula, him being a character we all know all about. But it’s true no one had done the story of when he was human, like… the historical part of things.
And, lastly of course, Luke Evans. Cuz, honestly, the idea of him playing the Prince of Darkness did things to me.
But I was also very afraid and sort of apprehensive of the movie. Would they totally screw up the vampire myth? Would they turn Dracula into a goody-two-shoes idiot? The suspense was killing me!
I shouldn’t have worried. The movie is a-freaking-mazing! I loved it! It may not be the greatest movie ever made and it does have some flaws (like the villain). But it delivers what it promises. It is highly entertaining. It has to be. It was a mere hour and a half and it goes at a break-neck pace. 10 minutes into the movie and you already have the conflict set out before you. No need for a lengthy, boring, time-consuming introduction. The movie jumps right into. Or if I wanna reference the film: it sinks it fangs into the plot within the first 5 minutes. And that’s awesome!
Let’s talk about the important thing first: Luke. Holy smokes, he is perfect for Dracula! I know he jokes about in interviews that it was a standing joke among his family that he was destined to play a vampire at some point because of his fangs. But I think it’s his face what turns him into the perfect Dracula. His chiseled features, his frown, his intensity. All his gestures are very dramatic and grave. He brings a whole range of emotions to the character. And yes, he gives Dracula some humanity. And, I swear that for the very first time, that’s not a bad thing.
In this movie Dracula starts off as Vald, a Transylvanian Prince who just wants peace. And he does what he does because he wants to protect his people and his family. But you also see his past. The darkness in it. The things he has done. He is willing to be ruthless in order to achieve what he wants. Even if it means killing a whole village. He is not afraid to use violence. And he says he felt nothing while doing so. I’m so grateful they kept Dracula as a dark and ominous character. Because, yes. His motives might be good (save his son, save his wife, save his people). But the very first thing that pops into his mind is using evil and doing evil things. He chooses this path. To go to the Dark Side, if you will. It’s not that he is tricked, or betrayed, or that this is a by-product of something else. He actively chooses this. And I like that idea.
I also liked how it starts. The whole “300″ feel is amazing. The movie in itself is quite good. As I said, it develops pretty fast. It may not allow for a lot of character development, but you feel for Vlad and you like him. He loves his family and he even has a sense of humor. But you also know there’s something dark and powerful lurking within. The Master Vampire recognizes that.
Two things I didn’t like? Dominic Cooper’s Turkish accent. Was that for real? I mean, actually… all of Dominic Cooper. That was supposed to make us tremble? They could have chosen a better villain. Someone more scary. And, second, the ending. I won’t give anything away in case you haven’t seen it yet. But I wish they would have made that scene in another age, if you know what I mean? He looks gorgeous, though.
So, have you see “Dracula Untold”? Did you like it? Fellow Luketeers, how many times have you watched it? have you managed to count every single freckle on Luke’s back?
