Dracula Untold

2014, regia di Gary Shore

Scheda: Nazione: USA - Produzione: Michael De Luca Productions, Legendary Pictures - Distribuzione: Universal Pictures, United International Pictures - Soggetto: dal romanzo di Bram Stoker - Sceneggiatura: Matt Sazama, Burk Sharpless - Fotografia: John Schwartzman - Montaggio: Richard Pearson - Art Director: David Doran, Heather Greenlees, Paul Inglis, Elaine Kusmishko, Michael Turner - Scenografia: François Audouy - Set Decoration: Paki Smith - Costumi: Ngila Dickson - Musiche: Ramin Djawadi - Effetti speciali: Framestore, Peanut FX, ReelEye Company - Formato: Color - Durata: 100'.

Cast: Luke Evans, Sarah Gadon, William Houston, Dominic Cooper, Samantha Barks, Ferdinand Kingsley, Charlie Cox, Thor Kristjansson, Zach McGowan, Paul Kaye, Art Parkinson, Diarmaid Murtagh, Dilan Gwyn, Joana Metrass, Ronan Vibert, Noah Huntley, Lasco Atkins, Tom Benedict Knight, Charlene Gleeson, Arkie Reece, Joseph Long, Dominic Borrelli.

Trama e commenti: mymovies.it - it.wikipedia.org - comingsoon.it - cinemadelsilenzio.it - movietele.it - cinefilos.it - filmtv.it: «Il giovane principe Vlad guida la carica per respingere i tentativi dell'impero Ottomano di utilizzare la Romania come un punto d'appoggio per conquistare il resto d'Europa. In un momento di disperazione, Vlad sale su una montagna dove risiede un oscuro potere magico con la speranza di trovare qualcosa che tenga a bada le orde turche. Quel potere lo aiuta a sconfiggere i turchi, ma questo avviene pagando il prezzo della sua trasformazione in una creatura della notte. Il film esplora le origini del mito di Dracula, intrecciando la mitologia dei vampiri con la vera storia del principe Vlad l'Impalatore. L'obiettivo è quello di rappresentare Dracula come un eroe imperfetto, che finisce coinvolto in una tragica storia d'amore ambientata in un periodo reso buio dalla magia e dalla guerra».

filmsenzalimiti.co: «Bob Bloom – Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN): questo “Dracula” ha bisogno di essere sepolto in una bara cinematografica sovraccarica di aglio e crocifissi. Voto: 1/4.
Ken Hanke – Mountain Xpress (Asheville, Carolina del Nord): Un’orgia di pipistrelli in CGI e roba senza spargimento di sangue per tenere stretto il PG-13 rating. Voto: 2/5.
Aaron Yap – Flicks.co.nz: a Luke Evans manca la presenza carismatica per questo tipo di ruolo: Voto: 1/5.
Frank Swietek – One Guy’s Opinion: Una combinazione sgraziata di una lezione di storia a fumetti con i film horror e le saghe di supereroi. Voto: D.
Scott Tobias – The Dissolve: “Dracula Untold” perde il suo fascino intrinseco (e pruriginoso) senza guadagnare nulla di valore nel processo. Voto: 1.5 / 5.
Steve Newton – Georgia Straight: “Dracula Untold” è così palesemente ridicolo che è difficile da capire perché sia stato realizzato. Voto: 2/5.
James Mottram – Total Film: Sdentato. Voto: 2/5.
Luke Y. Thompson – Topless Robot: Universal, per favore ora basta, smettila. Convertite i vecchi mostri, se è necessario. Ma nessuno vuole la Justice League in CG dei Monsters classici.
Kevin Carr – 7M Pictures: Anche se “Dracula Untold” non è la più grande versione della leggenda di Dracula, lo accolgo come un riavvio del passato. Voto: 3/5.».

Plot Summary, Synopsis, Review: IMDb - allmovie.com - creenrant.com - moviepilot.com - upcominghorrormovies.com - movieweb.com - cinemablend.com - yahoo.com - facebook.com - abandomoviez.net - allocine.fr - joblo.com - en.wikipedia.org: «In the Middle Ages, Vlad the Impaler is the prince of Transylvania. As a child, he was enslaved by the Turkish Empire and trained to be a soldier in the Sultan's elite Janissary corp, where he became their most feared warrior, nicknamed the Impaler, after slaughtering thousands. Eventually sickened by his acts, he put aside his past and returned to rule Transylvania in peace. One day in the forest, Vlad and his soldiers discover a Turkish helmet in a stream, and fear that a Turkish scouting party is preparing the way for invasion. They follow the stream to a high mountain cave. Inside, the ground is carpeted in crushed bone, and they are attacked in the dark by an unknown creature. While his men are killed, Vlad escapes the cave into the sunlight, and the creature does not follow. Returning to his Castle Dracula, Vlad finds out from a local monk that the creature is a vampire, once a man who made a pact with a demon in return for special powers.

The next day, as Vlad celebrates Easter with his wife Mirena, his son Ingeras and his subjects, a Turkish contingent arrives unexpectedly at the castle. Vlad offers them the usual tribute payment of silver coins, but the emissary notes that a battalion of Turkish scouts has gone missing, implying that Vlad has had them killed, and demands an additional tribute of 1,000 boys for the Janissaries. Vlad refuses, but his army is small and no match for the Turks. He approaches the Turkish Sultan, Mehmed the Conqueror, offering himself in place of the boys, but the Sultan refuses, and demands Vlad's son in addition. In desperation, Vlad returns to the vampire's cave to seek help. The vampire offers him some of his blood, which will temporarily give Vlad the powers of a vampire. If he resists the intense urge to drink blood, after three days, he will turn back into a human. Otherwise, he will remain a vampire forever, and will one day be called upon to help his maker. Vlad accepts the offer and drinks the vampire's blood.

Waking up in the forest afterwards, Vlad discovers he has been granted heightened senses, increased strength and the ability to transform into a flock of bats, but his skin slowly burns in direct sunlight. When he returns to Castle Dracula, the Turkish army attack, but Vlad single-handedly kills them all. He then sends most of the castle's subjects to Cozia Monastery, which is situated on the edge of a mountain. During the journey, Mirena learns of Vlad's curse, but accepts that he will regain his mortality once the Turks are defeated. A gypsy named Shkelgim, who knows Vlad is a vampire, proclaims himself as his servant and offers his own blood, but Vlad resists. As they near the monastery, the Transylvanians are ambushed by Turkish soldiers, and while Vlad and his men successfully repel them, Vlad's sudden increased strength arouses suspicion among his subjects. The next day at the monastery, a monk learns of the curse and leads the Transylvanians to turn on Vlad, trapping him in a burning building. Black smoke blocks out the sun, allowing an outraged Vlad to escape the fire, and he angrily reveals that he became a vampire for the sole purpose of protecting his people from the Turks. That night, the Turkish army marches on the monastery. ...».

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Conosciuto anche con il titolo: Dracula: Year Zero.

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