#JoelSoisson

[adamwatchesmovies]

Dracula 2000 (2000)

Dracula 2000. The title alone makes you want an aspirin to dull the incoming headache. What a dumb idea this was.

When a group of thieves infiltrates the shop of Matthew Van Helsing (Christopher Plummer), they discover a highly-secured coffin containing none other than Count Dracula (Gerard Butler)! Awakened, the vampire begins a journey towards New Orleans, Louisiana where Van Helsing’s daughter, Mary (Justine Waddell) resides. To stop the monster, Van Helsing - a descendant of the character from the Bram Stoker novel - and his assistant Simon (Jonny Lee Miller) must discover Dracula’s true origins.

If only this film WAS a modern-day adaptation of Stoker’s novel. You could have fun taking a classical character and making them fit in a different setting. Instead, we have a quasi-sequel that tries to have its own spin on things and ends up puking all over the floor.

There’s nothing particularly inventive or noteworthy about this picture. It’s “modern” but not really. It’s not like the picture couldn’t have been set in the late 19th century if they just tweaked the dialogue a bit. There’s one scene where Dracula doesn’t appear on video recording footage and another where he watches music videos. The film attempts to be hip by throwing in a few twists on the vampire mythos… and they don’t work. At one point, a newly transformed vampire is unaffected by a cross because (in his words), he’s an atheist. Wait. What? It’s a tiny moment that in the end means nothing, but I can't let go of it. In certain vampire movies like Daybreakers, they sidestep the issue by explaining the curse via scientific means. In I Am Legend (the book, not the movie), the vampires are repulsed because of psychological reasons. The presence of a real-life Dracula proves that Jesus, the Devil, Heaven, Hell, all that stuff is real. I could buy this development if the person brandishing the cross had little faith and that made the crucifix less effective, but a vampire not being warded off makes no sense whatsoever. What’s next? One of them not believing that getting stabbed in the heart is lethal? Not having to sleep during the day? It makes even LESS sense when you consider the ending.

Aside from some "interesting" missteps, Dracula 2000 is a been there, done that vampire movie. Compare it to 1998's Blade. That early Marvel film had an identity. This one could've too if it really committed to the twist/revelation at the end. It's a stupid ending that doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, at all, and certainly not when you examine the casting of Gerard Butler as Dracula, but at least that would’ve given this routine film some spice.

It’s unclear if this is supposed to be a horror movie or an action film with horror elements. It's about as frightening as a cereal mascot and as action-packed as a Sesame Street episode. That leaves us with the characters, who are, unfortunately, as interesting as the Count's reflection. You don’t even care about Dracula because he has no presence and his quest to get Mary? Who cares?

The picture ends on a note that indicates the story isn’t over but I can’t imagine anyone wanting to see more.

Wait.

They made 2 sequels? What did they call them, “Dracula 2001” and “Dracula 2002”?

You know what? I don’t care. The best thing I can say about Dracula 2000 is that it didn’t actually make me angry; only cold and indifferent. (On DVD, November 28, 2016)

[adafine]

Haven’t seen this in probably (checks watch) 20 years. I wish (basically) all Miramax/Dimension movies would come out with decent releases for their Blu-Rays already. This disc lists the aspect ratio as 1.78 when it’s presented in 2.35, 2.39 or 2.4. Someone get on this. Add all 4 “Scream” movies to this list while you’re at it. #dracula2000 #patricklussier #joelsoisson #johnnyleemiller #gerardbutler #jeriryan #omarepps #jenniferesposito #christopherplummer #marcobeltrami #peterpau (at El Apartamento De Sweeney) https://www.instagram.com/p/B8iM81xA0sN/?igshid=ms4bt1euu226

[scifitalk]

Time Capsule Episode 47