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Rating: 3.5 out of 5
During October a few years back, I decided to read Bram Stoker’s Dracula. I would say that the book was pretty boring because of all the diary/journal entries. It was something I wasn’t used to, but hey, it was something new. Now I am not really a fan of vampires. I actually really hate vampires. I think they are stuck up, and they have the idea of being so great because they can live forever. I’m more of a werewolf person, but that is for another day. Francis Ford Coppola decides to make a Dracula movie after its source material. Coppola doesn’t hold back and shows what Vlad the Impaler is known to the world.
This version of Dracula is larger than life and follows closely to Bram Stoker’s classic novel. The film starts off with an explanation of how Dracula (Oldman) became to be. After losing his beloved by a miss understanding, Dracula pretty much gives the middle finger to God. He declares that he will rise from the grave to avenge his beloved with the mighty powers of darkness. The dude then stabs a stone cross with a sword, which starts spewing out blood. Dracula drinks the blood and becomes the prince of darkness.
The film skips a couple of centuries forward to a young solicitor Jonathan Harker (Reeves). Harker is assigned to close the deal with Count Dracula at his castle in Transylvania. During the conversation, Dracula sees a picture of Mina Murray (Ryder), his beloved reincarnated again, and Harker’s fiancé. Dracula leaves Harker to be attacked and fed upon by his oh so beautiful brides. Dracula sets sail to England with boxes of his native Transylvanian soil, taking up residence at Carfax Abbey. Along the way, he kills everyone on the ship called the Demeter.
Now in Britain, Dracula begins his new reign of terror and fear. As he sets his eyes on Mina, he begins his quest by draining the precious life from Mina’s closest friend, Lucy Westenra (Frost). As Lucy grows weaker, her friends and loved ones call upon Professor Abraham Van Helsing (Hopkins) to once and for all drive away and kill the immortal vampire.
You want to see a vampire movie that is over the top in almost every way possible, then this is the film. This is probably one of the most gothic vampire films of all time, and it’s beyond outrageous. It is outrageous in a good and entertaining way. You want to see overacting? This film got it. You want to see some excellent but crazy special effects? This is your film. If you want to see more blood in a movie, then this film has it.
One might think this is a horror movie because it deals with vampires, but this film is far beyond a horror movie. There are really no jump scares. I can’t think of one time that I was actually scared from watching this film. I think I was more intrigued and laughable. For example, Dracula walking on the wall like a crazy insect would’ve been scary, but it is actually weird to watch. The whole sucking Lucy’s blood when he was some type of wolf, man bear demon animal. Even when Dracula became this bat demon, he wasn’t scary nor the scene scary.
Now with all the things that weren’t scary about this film, it is still a very entertaining film. Rather than the old school Dracula film that is a classic, this one holds its own and brings a new fresh feel to the vampire. It was nice to see how Dracula came to be, and dude had a major grudge. That is some real love right there.
The special effects are the biggest highlight of this film. They make everything more noticeable but also gives the film that very creepy and dark tone. There are so many examples that it is hard to put them all. An example is Dracula’s shadow. Dracula’s shadow is a beast among itself. The way it is shown by the shadow’s fingers extending further than expected and knocking stuff over or chocking Harker showing the emotions of Dracula. Another example of the special effects is when Mina and Lucy are sitting and talking. All of a sudden, they can feel Dracula’s presence and see something in the sky. How about the green mist or all the blood that somewhat explodes everywhere? The special effects are the best in this film.
The make-up and costumes are also a highlight of this film. The make-up is beyond amazing and something to be talked about. The various make-up techniques that are shown with the age of Dracula and how he transforms from an old man to a young man. One prime example is when he cries over Mina, and it seems like his make up is running. Then the costumes are pretty great. Well, actually, only one suit is excellent. It’s that red demon-like costume that Dracula wears in the beginning.
Let’s talk about the “amazing” acting in this film. Holy s**t was it so over the top. I don’t know where to begin with some people. First, let’s talk about Gary Oldman as Dracula. Oldman was really good as the title role and showed some acting range. He made Dracula and showed some crazy quirks of the evil lord of darkness. I mean, the licking of the razor blade was crazy and strange. Yet, Oldman seemed to change his delivery and became more charming and formal when Dracula was in Britain.
Hopkins, as Abraham Van Helsing, was another person that deserved some praise. Playing that wise old man who had been hunting Dracula. Now Hopkins has his moments by going way over the top (i.e., when he was yelling at the brides), but overall, he kept it under control. Actually, he was pretty straight forward and didn’t hold anything back. A prime example of this is when he was having dinner with Harker and Mina. Mina asked how Lucy died, and Van Helsing straight up said, “We drove a stake through her heart and cut off her head.” Pretty brutal right there.
Other characters like Winona Ryder as Mina Harker was cute and decent. She was nothing too special and played Mina well. I wasn’t too impressed. Now for Keanu Reeves. This was WAY before his John Wick days. If you want to see some try really, really hard, and just fail, then this is the role. I’m sorry, Keanu, but you were so bad in this film. At least you tried.
Oh! Before I forget! The freakin music is awesome also. That ending credits theme is pure perfection. It is the song that really makes the movie and almost embodies the whole film. That very dark tone with some epic bass.
Dracula is that film that is good to watch during Halloween, but nothing that is too scary. It is a nice film that definitely goes off the book. Oldman is the star of this film and does a great job of carrying it. The rest of the cast does a nice job. Overall, this film is way over the top, but hell, it’s a vampire movie. Nothing wrong with being over the top.
