Italian director/screenwriter Dario Argento made his name with such horror classics as The Bird with the Crystal Plumage, Deep Red, and Suspiria. While the master is still at it, it’s been well over twenty years since Argento made a truly good film. Fans will always welcome a new Argento work, in the hopes that he’s discovered a new spark. His latest effort, Dracula 3D—a retelling of the Bram Stoker classic—is a tiring, gimmicky retread.

As the story begins, Jonathan Harker (Unax Ugalde) travels deep into Transylvania to assist Count Dracula (Thomas Kretschmann) with cataloging his extensive library.  The count has tricked Jonathan into coming; he wants to take his wife Mina (Marta Gastini) for himself. Along the way, we meet the jealous and mostly naked vampire Tanja (Miriam Giovanelli), Dracula servant Renfield (Giovanni Franzoni) and various victims and other servants of the dark lord. We follow this path as well as the eventual arrival of the vampire-hunting Abraham Van Helsing (Rutger Hauer), perhaps the only source of redemption for all involved.

Argento and three others wrote the script, and the result is surprisingly bad. Dialogue is downright awful at times and there are major holes in the plot that are never addressed, and the silly way everything unravels in the final thirty minutes, with several gruesome deaths and utter silliness that obliterates any credibility the script may have had.

Most of the film is rather boring, adding nothing new to the Dracula legend. To make matters worse, the CG effects are poorly implemented, including a laughable wolf-to-human transformation. It’s likely due to budgetary constraints, but fans certainly expect and hope for more from Dario Argento. The overall look of this movie is one of a filmmaker just starting out, not that of a legend.

Not to pile on, but the acting is universally bad. I never thought I’d write this, but Rutger Hauer is the best thing Dracula 3-D has going for it. Everyone else is stiff, apparently sleepwalking through the entire production. Dracula 3-D is only for the most dedicated of Argento fans.

The 1080p transfer is quite solid. Given the low budget production values, the level of detail is not superb, but color is impressive.  In terms of the 3-D version, things look quite good. However, the 3-D really isn’t utilized to its full potential. There are a few depth effects, and pop-outs, but nothing particularly stunning.

The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track does its job. Dialogue is clean and clear, and music is reproduced well. Sound effects are surprisingly dynamic, creating an enveloping soundfield. The sound is probably the highlight of the film.

English SDH subtitles are included.

  • Behind the Scenes (HD, 1:03:53) An extensive making-of-documentary. Features interviews with screenwriter Antonio Tentori, along with special effects artists, and more.
  • Kiss Me Dracula Music Video (HD, 3D/2D, 5:10) A bad song. Just bad.
  • Trailer (HD, 1:28)
  • Red Band Trailer (HD, 1:47)