Dracula 2000

“Dracula 2000” is a horror movie and the genre has not for a very long time been the home of movies in which families and discriminating Christians can go to see for entertainment without being bombarded with violence, sexuality, and bad language. Wes Craven is a notorious offender on this account as his “Nightmare on Elm Street” films and “Scream” trilogy helped set the standard for this problem in film making today. “Dracula 2000” is his latest effort to bring further “quality” to the screen and unfortunately the violence, sexuality, and bad language are still all present… and oddly a number of redeeming values.

“Dracula 2000” unlike its title indicates is not a remake of Bram Stroker’s novel in the modern context but a “sequel” of sorts to the immortal tale of supernatural evil opposed by love and faith with Dracula having been imprisoned instead of destroyed according this film. Unfortunately, the greed of several young would-be thieves unleashes the evil entity upon the world again and he immediately heads after a young Catholic girl who has been cursed with nightmares of him her entire life.

Not to spoil but “Wes Craven’s Dracula” is not the secular or simply “bad magical” creature that has been portrayed in cinema for many years but a distinctly Christian foe. While some Biblical purists and Dracula fans will find the “First Vampire” offensive for his history, it is actually done extremely well and tastefully with a strong message about the lures the Devil uses and the power of forgiveness. The “heroes” of the story are also refreshingly chaste, good intentioned, faithful, and lacking in desire to do violence or pollute the air with foul language themselves.

Because of the gore (numerous grizzly murders), frequent use by the villains of unpleasant oaths (the f-word is ever present in horror it seems), strong sexuality and brief nudity among the wicked (including a sex scene with a young woman seduced by Dracula), and deliberate blasphemy by Dracula (destroying symbols of God to mocking him and his word every time he’s mentioned by the heroes) this is definitely not a movie for the faint of heart, easily offended, or younger viewers. However, adults who are fans of horror and can appreciate the fact that evil must be opposed despite how horrid it will act and appear will find it an excellent work of fiction…