Powerful

Rating: 9/10 (4 May 1999)

This film is a good example that some stories can be re-vamped without loosing their touch.
In the case of Dracula, a myth I never really cared much for, an old story has been taken and been transformed into a brilliant adventure which does, unlike most other vampire flicks, not only rely on horror effects, but does rather focus on the characters and their relationships. The mild erotic touch of this Dracula version adds to the new flavour of this film, and I have to confess that I was really stunned by the visual power Coppola was able to create. Finally, the actors played great, especially Hopkins as Abraham van Helsing, always on the brink of madness. Excellent!
Though die-hard vampire fans probably cried out loud about this one, I think the average audience gets a total package here. The main message ("love never dies") may sound a little bit too "Hollywood", but the movie has so many strong moments which are both moving and exciting that I always enjoy watching it again.