The film which is also known as Dracula 2000 builds upon the events established in Bram Stoker’s novel, and sees Count Dracula released into a modern day world. Whilst the film was a critical and commercial disappointment it has since developed a cult following, and led to two straight-to-DVD sequels.
Dracula in 2000
Matthew Van Helsing (Christopher Plummer), an alleged descendant from Abraham Van Helsing runs an antique shop in 21st century London. One evening Helsing’s secretary Solina (Jennifer Esposito) leads a group of crooks into the vault of the shop, under the assumption that anything that needs to be kept in a vault must be worth stealing. What they find is a silver coffin, and believing that it must contain something valuable they steal it and hightail it out of the country.
Matthew sets off in pursuit telling his assistant, and apprentice Simon Sheppard (Miller) to remain behind. Simon ignores him and unbeknown to Matthew follows him to the United States where the plane containing the criminals and the coffin has crashed after one of the thieves opened the coffin and released the creature within.
Count Dracula (Butler), reborn into the 21st century, stalks the streets of New Orleans searching for Matthew’s daughter who it turns out is the real Abraham Van Helsing who has been using Dracula’s blood to keep himself alive until he can find a way to destroy the Count.
As Dracula begins to turn more people into vampires Simon and Matthew’s daughter Mary (Justine Waddell) are forced to team up to face the unkillable and immortal Count Dracula before Mary succumbs to his will.
Modern Take on Classic Story
Regardless of whether people have read the novel or not, most will be at least familiar with the story of Dracula. The basic gist of the novel was that it was told from the points of view of several people and tracked Dracula’s journey to London, and his subsequent return to his native land. Still, prior knowledge of the novel is not required in order to follow what is happening here.
Most vampire films and series (with the exception of Twilight) will have at least something new and original to add to the vampire genre or vampire lore and Dracula 2001 is no exception. What works very well is the moment when the identity of Dracula is revealed, because it fits in beautifully with the weaknesses vampires have, and why in particular Dracula is unable to die.
Gerard Butler makes a good count Dracula, the problem is that the audience will most likely find themselves wanting him to win. The trouble with charismatic villains is that the audience will always know that regardless of how powerful they are they are ultimately going to be defeated by the hero who should have been killed near the beginning of the film.
Whilst the film was not a great success it is not a bad vampire film (especially when compared to some of the woeful stuff out there at the moment), however, the two sequels that followed are truly awful. Dracula 2001 is a good horror film that builds upon the events established in the novel, but it does not matter if the audience is familiar with the novel or not.
4/5
All in all, the film is a good horror and well worth a watch.
Christopher Sharman - In 2009 I self-published my first novel entitled The Darkness Saga: The Light (currently available at amazon.co.uk) which has been ...
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