Oct 092005
 
two reels

Uffizi (Jason Scott Lee), a half vampire and newly ex-priest, and Luke (Jason London) travel to Romania to hunt down Dracula and find Luke’s girlfriend (Diane Neal). They meet Julia Hughes (Alexandra Westcourt), a television reporter, and the three of them battle past hordes of vampires and sidestep rebel forces to reach the count.

Dracula 2000 was a self-contained film that didn’t need a sequel, particularly a direct-to-video sequel (does any film need a direct to video sequel?). If financial matters necessitated a follow-up, then it should have chronicled the adventures of Mary Heller, but Mary Heller: That Girl from the Dracula 2000 Movie isn’t a title that puts butts in seats, so Dracula returned in two films shot back-to-back. Except for the low budget, the two films are oddly dissimilar. Dracula II: Ascension was a lab-bound, watch-the-college-students-die, horror pic. Dracula III: Legacy is a buddy cop film, shot mainly outside, on location in Romania. It has the typical buddy chatter, a lot of action, and exterior shots of beautiful ancient castles. It can’t match the more professional production of Dracula 2000, but it is a significant improvement over its predecessor.

The intended audience, fans of low budget horror films, will find the story old hat. There are no great mysteries or plot twists. It’s just standard travel, fight, travel. The characters are nothing new as well. Luke almost has a personality and is occasionally funny. He’s also stuck repeatedly doing the opposite of what he’s told for no reason than to force the plot along. Julia Hughes is there as a romantic interest. She has no other purpose nor identifiable motivation. The romance doesn’t come naturally from the characters, but exists only because the words “Julia likes Uffizi” could be written in the margins of the script. Uffizi is a generic badass. Jason Scott Lee gives no indication that the ex-priest has any traits outside of his role as vampire killer. But he fights well, and Lee can flex his pecks with the best of them. The vampire carnage isn’t bad, although we seldom get a clear view of what’s going on. Instead, the camera turns to the wall so that we get shots of splatter. Well, tossing red paint on some bricks is cheap to film.

The scenery is where Dracula III: Legacy is better than the typical numbered sequel.  Romania is the place to film a vampire movie. The forests and mountains have a slightly sinister look, and the ruins aren’t something you’ll find in the new world. Adding a subplot of civil unrest due to vamps controlling the government was a nice bit of background, but went nowhere.

Rutger Hauer (Blade Runner) takes over the role of Dracula for no conceivable reason. So, each movie gets a new king of the vamps. However, Hauer is hardly in the film, popping in only in the last few minutes to ham it up. If his part reqired more than a day of shooting, they weren’t trying. Too many low budget films are using what little money they have to hire name actors whose career is sliding away. I suppose it makes sense for marketing, but it doesn’t make a better picture.  If Hauer’s appearance is brief, Roy Scheider’s, as a blink-and-you’ll-miss-him cardinal is ridiculous. He walks in with Lee early in the picture, recites a few quick lines, and then is off to cash his paycheck.

Dracula III: Legacy is strictly for people with at least twenty vampire movies on their shelves (and ones starring Nicolas Cage don’t count). It’s bloody without a great deal of gore, contains nudity but not enough to excite anyone, and has plenty of combat of the moderately exciting variety. Those with low expectations will be satisfied.

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