Rating: Summary: Wes Craven presents Dracula 2000 Review: This modern day Dracula thriller includes a well known cast as far as pop star Vitamin C, Jennifer Esposito, Omar Epps, Sean Patrick Thomas go. But then there is Dracula who is played by a new actor not many people know and I don't think he is getting enough credit for this movie. Gerard Butler plays the blood sucking and enticing vampire in this movie. This Irish actor steams up the screen with his sexiness and sly ways of making women come to him. My opinion is that he makes the movie what it is and what it is, is the greatest Dracula thriller to be made. I highly recommend this movie if you are into the whole vampire thing or even if you just like the sexy men with dark hair and blue eyes.
Rating: Summary: Very possible story line, but a little slow Review: Out of all of the Dracula movies, I think this is the only one that could actually make sense to us skeptics out in the world. The version of Bram Stoker's Dracula is more on a fictional line then we would like to think. We know it is losely based on the life of Prince Vlad of Walachia. Dracula 2000 was more of a believable idea. The acting in this movie isn't the best. Jennifer Esposito, who was on Spin City and also in the movie "Summer of Sam", was very convincing and is an excellent actress. Along with themain characters, she puts on a convincing performance. I must say, I was dissappointed with Jeri Ryan (aka Seven of Nine on Star Trek Voyager) She showed no emotion and played the character in this movie way too much like her character on Voyager. At times, the movie can be a bit sluggish, except at the end where the resolution was way too fast. I did like this movie for the fact that I could believe the story line. It takes the legend of Dracula and makes it into something we can actually believe in.
Rating: Summary: Great revival Review: This is a wonderful retelling of the old tale. The classic Dracula lore modernized with elements of the pop-culture "slayer" phenomena and added historical depth. Great story: Someone has finally explained Dracula's fear of Christian icons. The action sequences and special effects are a thrill to watch! The film starts off in London and moves to New Orleans. The London heist is very exciting. As for New Orleans, does Mardi Gras happen every day there? The characters are all good looking (even the clergy), but they actually have some depth. Unfortunately, their screen time does not allow the audience to really care about most of them before it's too late. Fans of Jonny Lee Miller and Omar Epps will not be disappointed! Jeri Ryan fans will be left wanting more, but will enjoy her none-the-less! Just keep in mind that this is more of an action film than a horror. Some good humour that I won't spoil, but I will say that they make great use of "company sponsorship".
Rating: Summary: Wasted use of great cast and beautiful locations... Review: I've told myself not to have high expectations when walking into a modern horror movie, they almost always disappoint. I heard many things about this movie during it's production, even the rumor that it was so bad, it might go straight to video. The film wasn't great, and because I didn't let myself get psyched about it, the movie wasn't bad either, although the quality was somewhat made for video. The star power was great. I love Jennifer Esposito, especially after seeing her in Summer of Sam, Omar Epps, Vitamin C, and so on. The cast was great and so were the settings of London and New orleans during Mardi Gras. I felt, however, that the beautiful locations weren't used to their full advantage. The beauty and mystery of New Orleans was wasted because the director didn't make good use of the locations. It could very well have been set somewhere else. The plot also wasn't fully developed. There could have been so much more to the story, why end it at a mere 85 mins when there could have been so much character development that was needed to understand the complex plot and characters. The plot is another thing...I, along with the people I went with, were so confused as to what was going on...all of the explanations given were just so confusing, at the end we just gave up and stopped trying to understand. And can we please mention the utter cheese at the end??? Or the fact that it ended way to fast...most of the film was enjoyable, but it could have been so much more and I hate that fact...with a little character development, good use of its locations and a better thought out ending, this could have been as good as any 70's horror film...I would rather watch Halloween for the 20th time, rather than watch this again...but it is good for viewing once, just to form a personal opinion...
Rating: Summary: Good middle-of-the-road vampire flick Review: I was expecting this to be a giant disaster of a film, but was pleasantly surprised by it. This film doesn't have the ambition of, say, "Bram Stoker's Dracula," but it still takes the genre seriously and does right by it. In many ways, the movie is extremely faithful to the original book, just presupposing that Dracula wasn't able to be killed at the end of Stoker's story, and was just sealed away instead, waiting for some idiot to free him from his imprisonment ... I don't want to say more, but vampire fans will find a lot to like in this. There's some nastiness with leeches that is even cooler when explained, nice dream sequences, excellent stuff with Dracula's three new "brides," solid acting by all involved (although no one in the cast is going to be up for an Oscar, they act to the best of their ability, and Vitamin C is surprisingly good -- those interested in seeing the film for her might want to know that she's the star of the film's brief nude scene) and some good stunts and action sequences. There's also a nifty Biblical origin given for vampires that I quite liked. There's one or two goofy bits -- are we expected to believe streets in New Orleans' French Quarter are EVER totally empty during Mardi Gras, any time of the day or night? -- but overall, it was a nice lightweight vampire flick. Nothing brilliant, but not maddening in its stupidity like "John Carpenter's Vampires." I'd rate it better than "John Carpenter's Vampires," but below just below "Fright Night" and a littler further below "Lost Boys" and "From Dusk Til Dawn" in terms of lightweight vampire flicks. A solid rental choice.
Rating: Summary: Best Dracula Ever! Review: This is by far the best Dracula movie ever made. This is the modern retelling of the Dracula story and it is totally different from the rest. In this one, Dracula is in America. After a bunch of theives break in to what they think is a safe filled with valuable jewels but instead they discover a coffin and they think it is filled with jewels. How wrong could they be? I'm not going to give away any more but I must say it is pretty scary. Anyone that likes horror movies should go see it.
Rating: Summary: BEST VERSION SENSE 79. Review: I saw the 3.00pm showing of this movie alone.It is deffently one too catch at night with someone who jumps durning horror movies.This movie deffently has shock value.for the most part Dracula 2000 sticks to your orginal vampire movie laws. He's hypnotic,becomes a wolf,and this time a swarm of bats.Lussier portrail is the best sence the 79 movie with Langella.Add too a Wes Craven Twist. The movie starts like most of the other Dracula movies a wrecked ship &her dead captain sailing into london shores,in 1897.Then it jumps too modern day,where the grandson of Van Helsing runs a museum.With his partner Simon.When another employee (with help)decides too break in at night they get more then they bargin for. Smuggling the coffin onbaord their plane thinking it is Jewels or an artifact.The robbers soon learn it's deadly secret.The plane lands near New Orleans.Van Helsing is quick too follow with Simon not far behind. In N.O-Mary who works at Virgin records becomes part of the chase.AS the movie moves on it turns out that Dracula's Blood is in her vains.So naturaly , He wants her.With the Help of his now transformed victems he tracks her down,with Vanhelsing and Simon on his tail.Unlike the other Dracula movies Vanhelsing is the one too get it.And it falls to Simon to protect Mary.These two are in for a long night. This moviehas good fx, and is loaded with: twist,it adds a new orgin too Dracula as well.If you like Vampire movies then you bloody well ought too check this one out.
Rating: Summary: Don't fall for this movie's trap. Review: I speak of this movie as a fan of the Dracula character and not a fan of Wes Craven. I won't discredit the man because he has done some decent horror films in his career. But I have to wonder what he was thinking when he decided to make a Dracula film. When I first heard of this film, I didn't know much about it; I only knew the title. I initially thought it was going to be Dracula in the 21st century. When I finally saw the film, I was completely disappointed. This film has nothing to do with the Dracula story. It's just another horror/action film with Dracula in the middle of it. What really upset me was the fact that they changed Dracula's origins. He's no longer the tortured romanian prince from Transylvania searching for his lost love. He's now the tortured soul of Judas who betrayed Jesus when he was crucified. As the story's told, Judas hung himself but his soul was damned and he's forced to live his life as a vampire. That's not Dracula. Most of the acting in this film is subpar at best. Whoever told popstar Vitamin C that she could act was greatly mistaken. Saddly, you don't care for any of the characters in this movie. This film includes an all-star cast of actors who made popular teen films around the time of this one. You'll see cameos from Omar Epps (The Best Man), Jeri Ryan (Star Trek Voyager), Sean Patrick Thomas (Save the Last Dance), Lochlyn Munro (Dead Man On Campus), Danny Masterson (That 70s Show), and Christopher Plummer as Van Helsing who uses Dracula's blood to keep himself alive through the centuries to keep a watch over the count in his crypt. Based on the Dracula story I have read countless times before, I had high expectations for this one and was let down on all counts. This was the first Dracula movie since Francis Ford Coppola's masterpiece from 1992. That film is the best Dracula movie ever. But this one doesn't even come close to it. It's like Craven wasn't thinking when he made this one. With no good story, no memorable characters (this includes Dracula himself), and terrible acting, this is one Dracula movie to avoid at all costs. What's really sad is that someone made a sequel to this movie called Dracula 2: Ascension. I don't even want to think about how that one turned out.
Rating: Summary: Not as dumb as I thought it would be. Review: This movie actually wasn't all that bad. I actually enjoyed most of the movie and only at the end did it start seeming a bit ridiculous. Like when Van Helsing's daughter ran into the cemetery to get away from Dracula- hello lady, that's his natural territory for crying out loud! But this movie wasn't just another dumb teen movie. There's actually depth to this movie, and the actors aren't all that bad. I enjoyed the new twist of Van Helsing keeping Dracula down in a vault, and I thought Dracula and Mary were two very believable characters. One thing I loved the most about this movie was the fast one they pulled on us pessimistic movie critics- which was making us assume Van Helsing was going to be with Mary until the end- but then in the middle of the movie he dies- brutally too. I liked that. Bravo Wes Craven. Once more Wes has made a horror movie that I would be happy to watch again soon.
Rating: Summary: Great revival Review: This is a wonderful retelling of the old tale. The classic Dracula lore modernized with elements of the pop-culture "slayer" phenomena and added historical depth. Great story: Someone has finally explained Dracula's fear of Christian icons. The action sequences and special effects are a thrill to watch! The film starts off in London and moves to New Orleans. The London heist is very exciting. As for New Orleans, does Mardi Gras happen every day there? The characters are all good looking (even the clergy), but they actually have some depth. Unfortunately, their screen time does not allow the audience to really care about most of them before it's too late. Fans of Jonny Lee Miller and Omar Epps will not be disappointed! Jeri Ryan fans will be left wanting more, but will enjoy her none-the-less! Just keep in mind that this is more of an action film than a horror. Some good humour that I won't spoil, but I will say that they make great use of "company sponsorship".
|