The Most Famous Vampire Of All

Rating: 7/10 (23 November 2010)

Although it is not possible to ever replace Bela Lugosi as Count Dracula, Gary Oldman offers us an interesting interpretation of the most famous of vampires in Francis Ford Coppola's version of Dracula. This film is probably closest to the novel that Bram Stoker wrote which in fact is a series of recollections of the events of the story by its various characters.
Added to it is a prequel where we see that the Count back in the 17th century was a warrior repelling the Ottoman Turk invasion. But on arriving home from the wars, Oldman discovers that his beloved has died. Cursing the Deity, the Deity gets back at him by leaving him undead with a thirst for human blood. His beloved is played by Winona Ryder.
Flash forward to the end of the 19th century and the story picks up in many ways from the classic film with Bela Lugosi. Dracula has moved his base of operations to London to be near the reincarnated version of his true love, also played by Winona Ryder. She's slightly engaged to Keanu Reeves who is held as a prisoner by Dracula's demon wives after closing the deal on Carfax Abbey in London.
Dr. Van Helsing is played by Anthony Hopkins who dusts off the accent that Laurence Olivier perfected back in the day. Hopkins does overact a bit here, but the part is a showy one, almost as much as the title role.
I did see a college production of the play made from Stoker's novel and this one was closer than any other Dracula I've seen.
But with all due respect to the fine cast involved, there will never be another Bela.