[dropcap]A[/dropcap]t no point in time is there any pretense that “Dracula Untold” is set to resemble Francis Ford Coppola’s 1992 “Bram Stoker’s Dracula.” That’s certainly an acceptable premise; back-stories have been re-imagined with renewed gusto previously. And while Gary Shore’s feature debut isn’t a barren casket, it will leave most with a lusting for something more mystical and terrifying.
The origin tale zeroes on Vlad the Impaler, a prince who was bargained as tribute by his father, Vlad Dracula, and trained to be a stoic mercenary for the Ottoman Empire. As he succeeds, the tributes continue, with the demands reaching a boiling point as the story unfolds. Mehmed II (Dominic Cooper) insists on 1,000 of Transylvania’s youth to fight his empire’s conquests — including Vlad’s son Ingeras (Art Parkinson).
Shore gets the casting right, and pulls the strings properly even if the destination is disguised transparently. Luke Evans is satisfying in the leading role, capable as a family man, believable as the man-turned-eventual monster. Sarah Godon does her part as the beautiful wife Mirena, and when it looks like Ingeras may suffer a similar childhood fate as his father, the investment emotionally in their fates is present.
Untold has its share of CGI thrills. When Vlad exhibits his powers, you know something bigger is coming than the tiresome, blurring bat-assisted whisk from harmless baddie to baddie. The scale of forces that threaten to shatter his family and kingdom are properly illustrated. When the time comes to take on the massive forces, there’s some visually-stimulating CGI scenes to soak in.
The intended effort is drama, not horror, to be certain. Really, all the best of it — horror, drama, intrigue — comes near the film’s beginning when Vlad and his companions visit the mountain cave of the Master Vampire, played by Charles Dance, known by most for his role as Tywin Lannister in “Game of Thrones.” Dance, like any vampire, must elude the light, but the brightest scenes in Untold shine during those ominous ones in the cave. It’s been confirmed that this movie will be the first to tie into a collective reboot of the “Universal Monsters” films, and if Dance’s character takes on a Nick Fury-esque importance, it appears to be well-suited.
That vision is clear by the ending, but otherwise, the horror — this is Dracula, reinvisioned or not — is fairly absent. At anything longer than its 92 minutes, it would certainly drag terribly, if it doesn’t sparingly in its middle portion already thanks to so-so dialogue. But the real problem isn’t the action, or the acting, it’s the premise.
That’s a problem on its own, but magnified with Untold serving as the first helping of something that’s planned to be strung together and unfold like Marvel’s blockbusters and “The Avengers.” Thankfully, Vlad/Dracula and Dance’s character, the Emperor to his Vader, have value, so maybe there’s hope that something better for fans to sink their teeth into is on the horizon.
RATING: 3 of 5 Stars
