Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Violent but dull Dracula tale should have stayed untold.
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Dracula Untold
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 9 parent reviews
Based on 15 kid reviews
Kids say this movie is an engaging fantasy tale with strong characters and a captivating soundtrack, though it contains violent and scary scenes that make it unsuitable for younger children. Recommended for audiences aged 12 and up, it's not a horror film in the traditional sense but provides a compelling reinterpretation of a classic character's origin story, despite some mixed reviews on its execution.
- fantasy elements
- scary scenes
- age recommendation
- mixed reviews
- engaging soundtrack
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
A child is taken by a sultan to be raised as a soldier; he grows into the fearsome, monstrous Vlad the Impaler. Years later, Vlad (Luke Evans) lives peacefully with his wife (Sarah Gadon) and young son. The current sultan (Dominic Cooper) has kept the peace but suddenly decides to again start collecting boys to train as soldiers. Desperate for power to stop this madness, Vlad makes a deal with a deadly creature in a cave (Charles Dance) for vampiric power; if he doesn't succumb to his thirst for blood for three days, he will revert to human again. If he does, he'll remain a vampire forever -- and also free the trapped creature from its prison. Can Vlad protect his family before his time runs out?
Is It Any Good?
Officially a reboot of the Universal Monster series, this movie is ugly, dreary, and dumb, focusing on stiff dialogue; endless shaky, gray battle scenes; and jumpy vampire attacks. It may be the dullest Dracula movie yet made. Essentially a bad superhero movie, it's more closely inspired by cheap-looking, disposable films like Legion, Priest, and Conan the Barbarian than by any classic monster movies.
Evans (Clash of the Titans, Immortals) is probably the best thing in the movie; he seems at home in this numbingly serious subgenre, but he's still a far cry from great Draculas like Bela Lugosi or Christopher Lee. Forgoing atmosphere, chills, and the iconic character's hypnotic, sensual allure, the filmmakers don't even seem to be aware of who Dracula was or what he was all about. And if this origin story was intended to shed more light on his legend, it was an effort best left untold.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Dracula Untold's violence. How much blood is shown? Does a lack of blood make a movie seem more or less violent? Why do you think filmmakers might include violent scenes but omit gore?
Is the movie scary? How are vampires used in the story? Does it seem like a horror movie, or is it closer to other genres?
What's the appeal of Dracula? How does he differ in this movie than in other movies or stories?
Movie Details
- In theaters : October 10, 2014
- On DVD or streaming : February 3, 2015
- Cast : Luke Evans , Dominic Cooper , Sarah Gadon
- Director : Gary Shore
- Inclusion Information : Gay Movie Actor(s) , Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Universal Pictures
- Genre : Action/Adventure
- Topics : Fantasy
- Run time : 92 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : intense sequences of warfare, vampire attacks, disturbing images, and some sensuality
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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