DRACULA UNTOLD – The Blu Review

DRACULA UNTOLD didn’t get much love from critics when it played theatrically this fall (Jim Batts here at WAMG only gave it 1 ½ stars – read his review HERE), but horror fans like myself were more forgiving. DRACULA UNTOLD is not really a horror film. It is a fantasy-action film with historical references to the Turkish or Ottoman Empire as it was known. This film is titled ‘Untold’, so I was glad to find new mythology, things I did not know about Dracula (at least according to these screenwriters,) and about how he became a vampire. It’s also supposedly the start of a new wave of films from Universal utilizing their classic monsters so I wish it had done better at the B.O.

I found DRACULA UNTOLD an enjoyable, well-paced adventure with horror overtones. Even the historical background is handled pretty well, given that it is basically a fantasy superimposed on real historical events. The goal to bring the supernatural myth together with the historical reality may not have been 100% successful, but it’s still a great concept. There were glimmers of a brooding horror epic scattered throughout, particularly in its surprisingly romantic CGI backdrops and impressionistic vampire’s-point-of-view shots. The battle scenes in DRACULA UNTOLD were thrilling. Watching the new Blu-ray release from Universal, I was especially impressed at the monstrous tornado of vampire bats writhing and twisting in sync with Dracula’s (or, I should say, Vlad’s) fist before smashing into the Sultan’s battalions. Dracula’s first battle scene could easily have seemed absurd but actor Luke Evan’s and some clever camera work pull it off. Charles Dance is elegantly reptilian with that magisterial voice of his, but he was underused – in fact, the film should have been more fleshed out as its 92 minutes seem far too brief for such an ambitious tale.

The Blu-ray edition of DRACULA UNTOLD wows, dazzles and thoroughly impresses with a stunning Codec: MPEG-4 AVC 1080p resolution transfer with an aspect ratio of 2.40:1. The image is certainly true to director Gary Shore and cinematographer John Schwartzman’s every intention. Lifelike fleshtones (and graytones for the undead) and cavernous blacks grant the image soul and spirit. The filmmakers’ at-times stylized color choices are presented without flaw, and detail is nothing short of extraordinary. Visually, DRACULA UNTOLD doesn’t disappoint in the least.

Matching DRACULA UNTOLD’s video presentation bite for bite is an outstanding DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track that, you guessed it, doesn’t disappoint in the least. The output is hearty and aggressive, throwing its weight behind every scream, clashing of swords, charging of the castle, and general mayhem committed to the screen.

The DRACULA UNTOLD Blu-ray Combo Pack includes a Blu-ray, DVD and DIGITAL HD with UltraViolet is available February 3rd and is loaded with extras:

Bonus Features Exclusive to Blu-ray^™

• Alternate Opening
• Deleted Scenes
• The Land of Dracula – An exclusive interactive map that takes fans deep into Dracula’s mysterious world, including Castle Dracula, Cozia Monastery, Broken Tooth Mountain and Borga Pass.
• Luke Evens – Creating a Legend

Bonus Features on Blu-ray^™ and DVD

• Day in the Life – Luke Evans – Personal moments with the film’s star provide a glimpse into life on set.
• Dracula Retold – An exploration of the production, including costumes, sets and how the real history of Dracula is woven into the story.
• Slaying 1000 – A behind-the-scenes look at the making of Vlad’s epic battle against an army of thousands, from the script and visual effects.
• Feature commentary with director Gary Shore and production designer François Audouy.