WES CRAVEN PRESENTS DRACULA III: LEGACY(V)

(director/writer:Patrick Lussier; screenwriter: Joel Soisson; cinematographer: Doug Milsome; editor: Lisa Romaniw; music: Kevin Kliesch/Ceiri Torjussen ; cast: Rutger Hauer (Dracula), Jason London (Luke), Father Ufizzi (Jason Scott Lee), Diane Neal (Elizabeth Blaine), Roy Scheider (Cardinal Siqueros), Alexandra Westcourt (Julia Hughes), Stephen Billington (Dracula flashback); Runtime: 90; MPAA Rating: R; producers: W.K. Border/Joel Soisson; Miramax; 2005)

“ Sucks.”

Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz

This direct-to-video vampire flick sucks. Director-writer Patrick Lussier (“Drive Angry”/”White Noise 2”) and co-writer Joel Soissons keep it goofy, dumb and underwhelming but toothy. Thank goodness it’s the finale to the Dracula story began in DRACULA 2000. The intense traveling vampire slayers, the ex priest, Father Ufizzi (Jason Scott Lee), and his obnoxious young sidekick Luke (Jason London), trek to Romania during a bloody civil war to slay Dracula (Rutger Hauer) in his homeland and also to locate Luke’s missing fiancée Elizabeth (Diane Neal). The dynamic duo meet the British television journalist Julia Hughes (Alexandra Westcourt) who is covering the civil war. The trio partner to face dangerous situations with the rebels and the vampires. The best scenes are of the decadent Dracula having orgies in the castle with his vampire captives and the kidnapped Elizabeth. It’s an incoherent film that’s poorly edited, acted (except for Hauer), and executed. Calling it third-rate would be a compliment for such a lifeless vampire flick.

REVIEWED ON 3/1/2019 GRADE: C-     https://dennisschwartzreviews.com/