Rating of
1.5/4
This sequel runs a quart low
kcvidkid - wrote on 11/04/08
I loathed this movie. In the eight years since Christopher Lee starred in the near-perfect "Horror of Dracula", Hammer Films evidently experienced a shift in the way they made their movies. Instead of lush sets and crisp cinematography, "Dracula, Prince of Darkness" has murky exteriors and muddy photography. (Not to mention a tedious story with no characterization.)
Perhaps the worst element is Dracula himself. Lee speaks no words and, with melodramatic music playing throughout, the "action" scenes look like something out of vaudeville! Reactions to Lee are also forced and unrealistic. It's hard to believe the same man (Terence Fisher) directed this one. He obviously had more consistent success with the Frankenstein series.
This was only the first in a long line of sequels, but let's hope some fresh blood (pun intended) injects some life into the next one.
