Have you ever seen a mild potential-filled movie that doesn’t quite hit the mark, but isn’t exactly bad either? That’s how Dracula Untold unfolds – only is has a leg up the other movies that pull this same result: although it’s nothing special, it will make you look forward to the possible franchise that lies ahead.
If you didn’t already gather from its title, Dracula Untold tells the “untold” (or, never-before-heard) origins story of the iconic vampire. Vlad Tepes (Luke Evans, Fast and Furious 6) is the good prince of Castle Dracula. His people respect him and cherish the safety that he’s brought to their kingdom – but he’s backed into a corner when the villainous Turk king Mehmed (Dominic Cooper, Captain America: The First Avenger) demands 1,000 of Castle Dracula’s young children for future warriors. With his own son being requested, Vlad defies the king, slaughters the king’s men and senses the impending doom. Knowing that drastic times lie ahead, Vlad takes drastic measures.
In the mountains above Castle Dracula there dwells a monstrous man who posses a vampyrical power. With the potential of freeing that monster from the chains of his “condition,” Vlad takes on the curse of a vampire knowing that it’s the only way that he might be able to defeat the Turk army.
The story is pretty standard and there’s not too much suspense to it, but the final act of Dracula Untold gets interesting. It finally does something with the well-known character that we haven’t seen. By the time the closing credits kick in, you just might be ready to start getting excited for the potential franchise. The playful ending teases a vague future, but knowing that Universal is wanting to reboot all of the classic monster legends – including The Wolfman, The Mummy and Frankenstein – who knows, maybe we’ll end up with a monster version of The Avengers. If that’s the case, even with Dracula Untold being so-so, I’m in.
(Photo credit: Universal Pictures)
