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Bram Stoker's Dracula (Superbit Collection) Customer Reviews (28 - 30 of 82 Reviews)

Great Film
I really enjoy this movie, it's one of my all-time favorite vamp films, and also one of my favorite films adapted from a book. The cinemetography and location in this film is astounding, its very rich, very alive. I love it. However, I personally feel that Reeves's performance considerably detracted from the beauty of the film. I simply could not believe that he was Johnathan Harker. However, Gary Oldman and Sir Anthony Hopkins are both wonderful and brilliant. I believe that the film has done justice to Stoker's compelling novel where many films have aimed for a Hollywood/blockbuster texture. If you enjoy vampire films, or are looking for a twist on the cliche bloodsucking genre, check this film out. And if you haven't, definately read the book. Thank you.

Who is the real bad guy of the story?
"THE GREEN FAIRY WANTS YOUR SOUL"... I guess that sums it up. This movie is visually stunning. The special effects are simple and yet they look great.
Yes Dracula kills little babies for blood, he killed that annoying english lucy girl, he turns into strange night creatures...But who is the real bad guy of the story? Anthony Hopkins! why? if you notice he plays the orthodox priest in the beginning of the film who tells dracula Elizabetha is going to hell because she committed suicide, mortal sin. That triggers Dracula's wrath, but hey who can blame him? Then the priest seems to be reincarnated as vampire hunter Van Helsing who goes out of his way to stop Mina from reuniting with Dracula...He is the "evil witch" of a true love story.
Keanu Reeves's acting is the comic relief of this dark film.

Hasn't Lost Anything
I first saw this upon its theatrical release. I was a freshman in college, down in the hills of southeast Ohio. I lived on gyros, late nights, second hand smoke, and had become almost entirely removed from popular culture and world happenings. I didn't even watch the news. I remember that Friday night when my friends and I made our way to the local cinema downtown (a two screen, dinosaur of a place). There was a massive line outside, as apparently everyone else was starved for a piece of pop culture on that night as well. I don't remember waiting in line for very long, as a matter of fact, I think the line disintegrated into a bit of chaos, and most of us ended up just walking in without tickets (maybe it's just my imagination creating skewed memories, but I'm getting this mental image of a mob descending on the theater that night). Anyway, we ended up in this overcrowded, chaotic screening room. Again, I don't know if its just fictional memories, but I could swear there were kids standing on the sidelines who hadn't gotten a seat, and it felt like something out of The War in the Pacific, with a bunch of homesick marines jammed into a tent, ravenous in anticipation of the coming USO show.

I knew we were seeing a Dracula movie, but I had no idea what was its slant. I had seen none of the commercials, read none of the entertainment magazines, and for all I knew, this could of been a musical about the famous vampire. I was just desperate to see something recent, and something on the big screen (watching VHS tapes of "A Clockwork Orange", "Ren and Stimpy", and taped 120 Minutes episodes on my 10 inch screen TV\VCR combo had gotten quite old). The film started and the opening sequences of a 15th century Dracula fighting for the cross blew me away. It set the stage for a night of delights, as I witnessed Tom Waits' Renfield, Gary Oldman as the title character, and numerous beautiful moments and effects- from the depiction of Dracula's wives to the creepiness of his Transylvanian castle, I was blown away, and none of this without any primer.

In years to come I was to rewatch the film several times, always loving it anew, but never making the purchase until recently. I will never again be without this gorgeous work. It has lost nothing over the years and stands as a modern classic.

I give the film only four stars and not five simply due to the casting of Keanu Reeves and Winona Ryder. Their performances are wooden and without soul. Thankfully, the characters they play actually really don't require much sentiment from us, and are very undynamic roles. The true brunt of acting ability in this must be born by Gary Oldman, and he shines at his task. Another magnificient role is that of Mina's (Rider) friend, Lucy, whose transformation into vampire is stunning. Reeves and Ryder generally stand on the sidelines throughout the movie, and ultimately serve their purpose adequately enough, but their serviceable performances, are just that- serviceable and adequate, but stiff and without heart, keeping a five star film from achieving such status.

Also, the DVD has no extra features. It even comes with a generic menu. Very dissapointing. There are enough of us out there that adore this film, and it required much better.

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