Dracula Untold (2014)

Copyright: Universal Pictures and Legendary Pictures

We're finishing off Dracula Week with one of the most recent Dracula films to be released, Dracula Untold.  It goes back to Vlad's days and gives us an example of where he might have come from, as well as, originally, setting us up for the Universal Monsters Shared Universe.  But we'll get into that in a little bit.  For now, let's take a look at the film!

It starts off telling us about how Vlad was used as a royal hostage as a boy when the Turks had invaded his lands.  It flashes ahead to Vlad's adulthood, after his days as impaler.  He's now ruling Wallachia, at peace with the Turks and with a wife and son.  While he and his men are patrolling the river, they come across a Turkish helmet and fear it may mean a scouting party is preparing to invade.  Following the stream, Vlad and his soldiers come across Broken Tooth Mountain, where they're attacked by a strange creature faster and stronger than any human they'd encountered.  Vlad loses the two men who came with him, and barely escapes the cave with his life.

Later, the Turks arrive during an Easter feast, demanding their usual tribute... and, in addition, 1000 boys for the Sultan's Janissary troop.  When Vlad goes to the Sultan to request that he have mercy over the country, even offering himself instead, knowing that his skills would make him worth more than the 1000 requested, the Sultan turns him down, then asks for Vlad's son, in addition.  When the emissary arrives to take his son, however, Vlad kills him and the rest of the soldiers, then tells his men to hold up and protect the castle and his wife and son.  Vlad turns towards Broken Tooth Mountain with a plan...

The movie was definitely good, with a lot of action to it and amazing special effects.  Vlad transforming into a flock of bats was always fun to see, and how he used it to his advantage against the Turkish forces trying to kill him and his people was really cool.  A later scene where Vlad used a lightning storm as cover was really well-done, also, as was Vlad's vampire-vision, where he could see the flowing vessels under the skin.

Luke Evans plays Vlad, aka Dracula, in this film, and he plays the part well.  You can get the sense of frustration he gets having to hide his powers from his people.   He's also in the Hobbit trilogy, Fast & Furious 6 and 7, Clash of the Titans and in the upcoming live action Beauty and the Beast as Gaston.  Charles Dance plays the Master Vampire who Vlad has to approach to gain the ability to save his people.  He's been in a lot of movies, including Underworld: Awakening (and the upcoming Blood Wars entry into the franchise), Victor Frankenstein, and the much reviled Ghostbusters remake.  Art Parkinson played Ingeras, Vlad's son, and went on to co-star in San Andreas.

I really enjoyed this one, and give it a 5 out of 5.  It was originally intended to be the opening to the Universal Monsters Cinematic Universe, even having a few scenes added in that could have linked in with the upcoming films, but it looks like Universal's changing the start to be a new Mummy film starring Tom Cruise.  Looking forward to that one, but for now, as always, this is Red Hawk signing out!