Film Reviews

Dracula 2001

• Rating:
• Director: Patrick Lussier
• Starring: Christopher Plummer
• Details: US / 99 mins / 15PG

This visually slick but soulless modernisation of the Bram Stoker legend sees Dracula liberated from his London prison by a group of unwitting thieves, who believe that his coffin contains untold riches. Hence, it's left to the fanged one's elderly gatekeeper Abraham Van Helsing (Plummer) to grab the stake and crucifix and set off in hot pursuit of the Count before he can exact revenge on his captor. Adding little to the legions of superior vampire films that have preceded it (Francis Ford Coppola's atrocious 1993 version honourably excepted, natch), director Patrick Lussier's efforts with Dracula 2001 can only be described as lightweight at best. His decision to utilise a cast of general unknowns may have seemed like a good idea at the time, but nobody - even the usually reliable Plummer and Lee Miller - takes a firm enough grip on their characters to make this anything more than a blandly formulaic diversion.

Review by Garreth Murphy