"Ze luckiest man in ze world... iz he who findz true luv" ~ Dracula

Rating: Null/10 (15 May 2003)

With more than a nod to 'Carry on Screaming' Francis Ford Coppola's production of the Stoker classic goes for high camp, pressing fangs firmly in cheek as all involved are directed to ham it up something spectacular. Or so it would seem. This film proved to be a surprise success for Coppola -- who during the previous decade had more turkeys than a supermarket at thanksgiving -- which in hindsight isn't surprising at all really, since Coppola has done what many a washed-up filmmaker has done when desperate for a hit... aim for the lowest common denominator.
Here Coppola directs like a man who hasn't been given this much studio leeway for the best part of his career, piling on the gore and visual effects and rushing things along with all the subtlety of a bull in a china shop. An a-list cast of Hollywood young bloods try their hand at a British accent... and fail miserably (note: not everyone in Britain speaks like the Queen), whilst Anthony Hopkins and Gary Oldman's German accents elicit the kind of laughs today's comedians could only dream of. It's all a hideous mess... but an entertaining mess. The quick pace, Coppola's lush visuals and the unintentional comedic elements add up to a fully enjoyable experience. Even if the mid-section seriously lags.
Amongst the standout sequences are Oldman's crotchety old Dracula morphing into a hulking great werewolf creature and raping Sadie Frost. Hopkins methods of decapitation take the actor into realms of overacting that he wouldn't return to until Red Dragon ten years later. Plus, we also have future Matrix reloaded star Monica Bellucci popping up... and popping out, as she reveals her breasts to plays one of three seductive vampire queens. Not exactly high-art then. Despite the film's would be pretension, this is still an enjoyable slice of over the top guff, with blood spitting women, bug eating Tom Waits and a pre-jail Winona Ryder, Dracula stands as the best thing Coppola has directed for over a decade. 3/4