"Dracula Untold" Is The Vampire Movie We Deserve...Finally

  Hollywood has this tendency to revamp, reboot, deform, and sometimes mutilate various genres, character lore; sacrificing originality in order to gain the easy buck. This time of year, with Halloween approaching, our minds often turn to horror, monsters and all things that go bump in the night, when it comes to choosing something to watch. Television is populated with classic horror movies and scary shows, playing on our fears for our own entertainment...and we love it. The classic monster stories of old have been told over and over again, through various revisions and changes to their original lore. Some of those work out, some don't. This year's "I, Frankenstein" was a fresh take on a stale story. It was riveting, and the overall vision, however different from the original, was fun and exciting. The "Twilight" Saga however is not a refreshing take, but is a disgrace to the vampire lore in its entirety. Sorry fans, The Optimist draws the line with sparkly, whiny, high school blood-suckers. However, not all is lost. Thank the movie gods above for allowing "Dracula Untold" to come into fruition. Not only is it a fantastic movie, it's one of the best vampire films I've seen since the likes of "Priest" and "Interview With A Vampire".

   In the wake of constant threats to his kingdom and his family, Prince Vlad goes above and beyond the call of duty, making a pact with a dangerous supernatural force in order to bring peace. Once the pact is made, his battle against is enemies falls into comparison to the battle he wages to avoid succumbing to the darkness within. This film is not so much a retelling of the Dracula we all know. It's the "Batman Begins" of the vampire legend. It delves into the man behind the monster. We are introduced to the the flawed, intense, and very much human Prince Vlad. Known throughout history as Vlad the Impaler, we learn through this story why it is he was graced with such a title. His vicious actions of his past help to sculpt the man he ultimately becomes; a common plot device, but effective. Luke Evans dons the armor and fangs in this iteration. Evans brings a believability to the role, allowing the audience to connect to Vlad on an emotional level. Vlad has a harrowing past but is ultimately, at his core, a good man. He loves his family, his people; he is as believable a person as anyone. His loving relationship with his wife Mirena (played by the ever-talented Sarah Gadon) is what truly anchors the story. This human dynamic makes it that much more riveting, and terrifying, when he is faced with the decision to either succumb to his enemies or give in to drastic measures in order to secure the safety of his family and people. 

   This is a monster movie at its best. The reason why we love the old classics is because there's an equal balance between the reality of the characters and conflicts with the supernatural aspect of the story. "Dracula Untold" gives us that balance. The action in this movie is stunning. The CGI compliments the story rather than drives it. It's also pretty darn scary at times. Through Vlad's transformation, we as an audience experience the insane roller coaster of emotion, making this movie one of the funnest this year. It's a refreshing take on the mythos of Dracula that doesn't mutilate its essence, but merely gives us insight into one of our cultures most iconic characters, as well as introducing some originality. This one shouldn't be missed.