“Dracula Untold:” the title of this movie basically covers the plot. The movie includes a historical vein (excuse the pun) to give more history on Vlad the Impaler than any other film I have seen about vampires. Luke Evans, from the last “Hobbit” film, plays the lead role as a Transylvanian prince who loves his wife Mirena and son, Ingeras. He is ready to defend them against a Turkish Sultan and the Sultan’s quest to own a thousand Transylvanian boys, including Ingeras. Evans does a terrific job playing the character as a man who would do anything for his family, but with a brooding undercurrent that would be deadly if unleashed.
The price to pay for his family’s safety is a steep one. An elderly sorcerer named Caligula encourages him into an evil bargain, one that will give Vlad supernatural strength as a vampire against the Sultan’s army, but if he drinks blood within three days he will be bound forever as a vampire. But can Vlad defeat the underhanded Sultan’s army without quenching his insatiable thirst for blood? Interestingly enough, Vlad had to drink Caligula’s blood in order to become a vampire in the first place.
The movie contains a few great themes despite its darkness. It focuses on family loyalty and sacrificing one’s self for others. However, there is a lot of bloodshed and neck biting and sword fights, and, sadly, the blood truly flows in this one. So due to the violence level, we are unable to award “Dracula Untold” our Dove Family-Approved Seal.
