A very different Dracula, and maybe the best

Rating: 8/10 (22 April 2005)

This was a film that I had heard about forever but never gave it a shot. I had heard that Gary Oldman was absolutely terrific in this, and after seeing him in State of Grace I needed a fix. Well, to my surprise, this film worked. It could have been better but it worked well otherwise. My favorite aspect of this film was that it was much more of a love story, and gave you more insight into who Dracula was. This version of the story also made me sympathize with Prince Vlad, and showed me the romance that went along with the story of Dracula, and not so much of all the blood sucking myth.
For those of you that love the blood sucking vampire movies, don't worry, there's still plenty here. I've seen more in other films, but there is a good amount in this film. Anthony Hopkins is fantastic as Van Helsing, although at times he seemed to be playing the insanity card in such a way that it was un-believable. He was still very convincing and a nice casting choice for the movie.
After Bela Lugosi, it's hard to imagine Dracula being anyone, but Gary Oldman made me see Dracula in a way that I never did before, as a human. A human with a past, and feelings, and emotions that most people have but are able to get over. I don't want to ruin anything for people who haven't seen this movie yet but I will say this, after Gary Oldman, there is no other Dracula. The man deserved an Academy for this role, but of course was denied because the Academies suck, but that's another story. Definitely check this one out, if only to see a different Dracula than what you've seen before, just don't take it too seriously.
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