Drawing in equal measure from both Batman Begins and Game of Thrones, Dracula Untold functions as a 15th-century superhero origin story for the iconic title vampire. This may not be a variation on the Dracula brand many people desired, but the film plays well as a piece of Gothic action/adventure escapism. The story begins with Vlad III (the Impaler) retired from combat, quietly raising his family and reigning over a peaceful kingdom. After a rival despot demands a thousand child soldiers, Vlad turns in desperation to a vampire known to hide on a nearby mountain, hoping to use the substantial power of the undead to defend his people. A new vampire-mythology twist (or contrivance) is introduced to augment and simplify the drama: if Vlad does not dine on human blood for three days, his transformation will not be permanent, but he will be forever damned if he sips from a vein. So he fights to resist temptation and maintain his tenuous grip on humanity when he is not decimating invading armies in either human or bat form.

In general, Dracula Untold strongly emphasizes atmosphere and bluster (and a fair share of absurdity) over character development and thematic depth, but this is not a major problem when it comes to a cut-to-the-bone hour-and-a-half popcorn jaunt, particularly one with a well-timed October release. It is rather a feast for the eyes, from the sweeping, overcast wide shots of the picturesque Northern Ireland landscape (standing in for period Transylvania) to the Hammer-horror art-direction flourishes, from crushed skulls to a tarantula to a host of ornate pieces of armor. Though modestly neutered for a more accessible PG-13 rating, the action sequences are exciting and possess a scope indicative of a healthy budget, and the performances are more than fine for the genre, with the chiseled Luke Evans confidently glowering in the lead role and the gorgeous Sarah Gadon exuding wistful old-world elegance as his princess.

B

DRACULA UNTOLD

I hear this is supposed to be the start of Universal's monster cinematic universe but if this is the lead off I'm not super excited about it anymore. The film though did keep my attention throughout and I actually did enjoy the story and plot. The family element was necessary but got to be a bit much toward the end. I liked the initial back story with the vampire in the cave though the actor who played him felt to british or english. I would have preferred a more ethnic european version. Luke Evans was good in this role and I wouldn't mind seeing more of him in the role. I enjoyed the visuals and the production design elements. One thing I wasn't to keen on was the jump to the present day. I don't think that was necessary and that only reminded me of Interview with a Vampire.

Grade - B

I actually really enjoyed this. The acting was fine, and I loved that Tywin Lannister was the vampire that Vlad went to to get his abilities. A pleasant surprise for me because I'm rewatching Game of Thrones right now. I'm pretty much in agreement with David on this one, though my enjoyment of the movie was maybe a bit higher.

B+

Not too bad, actually. Luke Evans was very enjoyable.

B/B-

I enjoyed Dracula Untold's shamelessly b-movie style and it's relentlessly tragic story that starts out bleak and ends up horrific. It could have done with a good edit, but Luke Evans made the whole thing work. Unlikely as it it may be, if there's ever a sequel, count me in! *B+*

(Who rated this *F*?)

Its definitely not as bad as reviews suggest it to be. Its also the same this weekend with The Mummy, its not great but it definitely deserves more than the paltry 21% score it is receiving.

Dracula Untold was rated 23% by RT, which demonstrates the current antipathy towards new movies featuring the classic monsters.

Dracula Untold is a good movie, but it is simply not fashionable at the moment.

This is a fun movie with gorgeous visuals. It is superior to the 2017 Mummy, Universal's second attempt at Marvel-izing its movie-monster iconography (a gambit they grafted on to Dracula Untold in the form of a re-shot present-day epilogue, though they now claim they are going to ignore it entirely).

Dracula Untold is WAY better than the new Mummy movie.

Dracula Untold

Fun film. I'd love to see a sequel. It ties up really neatly. Really solid story, one that I'd like to see continue. Evans is a decent Dracula for what he is here. Charles Dance was good though I believe he should not have spoken like Charles Dance. Dominic Cooper was awful. Ending is good. But I didn't appreciate the fighting and fast-editing to conceal throughout. Films always slip up on that aspect, and I cannot give this a pass just because it excelled in other areas.

B-

I might not like it as much as everyone else on here, but I do think this is a pretty decent film. It definitely doesn't deserve the hate it gets, but it also could have been better IMO. Luke Evans was a solid Dracula and I wish we got to see more of him in the Dark Universe, but the superhero element didn't really work for me, and I would have greatly appreciated more focus on the horror aspects. For what it was though I think future movies had a lot more potential.

It is an origin story, so I couldn't judge Evans so much on "being Dracula", but I would welcome him to try it in more movies.