Big budget production has a lot going for it.

Rating: 8/10 (13 May 2012)

This incredibly lavish film, courtesy of screenwriter James V. Hart and director Francis Ford Coppola, is a very respectful adaptation of the classic Bram Stoker novel, so much so that Coppola gave ownership of the story to the author in the film's official title. It's got all of the wonderful sets, costumes, and special effects that money can buy, and has plenty of dark and stormy atmosphere. The set pieces are memorable, as are the various guises for the immortal blood sucker, who in this instance is connected to the real life historical figure of Vlad the Impaler, who loses his beloved wife Elisabeta upon her receipt of (false) news of his death, and furiously renounces God, living on through the centuries as an undead fiend who decides to put down roots in late 19th century London. He fixates upon the lovely Mina (Winona Ryder), the spitting image of his long lost love, but an intrepid team of vampire hunters are determined to prevent his reign of terror from enduring. Right from the start, it's amazing just how much pizazz Coppola and company put into this thing, and he and his cast & crew deliver entertainment on a grand scale; the ambiance is just overwhelming, and the film not only succeeds on a visceral level (with generous doses of the red stuff) but an emotional level as well. It's important to note that Dracula is not an entirely unsympathetic figure, and his scenes with both Mina and Lucy (Sadie Frost) have the appropriately sensual, seductive quality. The most potent ingredient in the mix is the phenomenal performance of Gary Oldman, one of the great actors of his generation who is never less than completely convincing, whether he's being forlorn or just plain creepy. Anthony Hopkins (as Van Helsing), who actually generates most of the laughs, Richard E. Grant (as Dr. Seward), Cary Elwes (as Arthur Holmwood), and Bill Campbell (as Quincey Morris, the Texan) comprise a wonderful supporting cast, and singer Tom Waits is most amusingly cast as the inimitable Renfield; Keanu Reeves gives the role of Jonathan Harker an honest effort, but he's simply miscast and tends to stick out too much. Be sure to look out for the likes of Monica Bellucci and Jay Robinson in small parts. A first rate technical crew includes cinematographer Michael Ballhaus, production designer Thomas Sanders, costume designer Eiko Ishioka, and composer Wojciech Kilar, who immerse us in this vivid environment totally and completely; the period recreation is as good as one could want it. The film gets particularly rousing towards the end with the journey to Dracula's castle through snowy weather, although the final battle is over rather quickly. Nevertheless, this is great fun, and can rightfully take its place among other cinematic interpretations of the Dracula tale. Eight out of 10.