6.5 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
It's the late 19th century, and the mysterious Dracula has arrived in London, posing as an American entrepreneur who wants to bring modern science to Victorian society. He's especially interested in the new technology of electricity, which promises to brighten the night - useful for someone who avoids the sun. But he has another reason for his travels: he hopes to take revenge on those who cursed him with immortality centuries earlier. Everything seems to be going according to plan... until he becomes infatuated with a woman who appears to be a reincarnation of his dead wife.
Starring: Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Katie McGrath, Nonso Anozie, Thomas KretschmannHorror | 100% |
Supernatural | 66% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.78:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
French: DTS-HD HR 5.1
Spanish: DTS 5.1
Portuguese: DTS 5.1
English SDH, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
UV digital copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 1.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Whew. Dodged a bullet there. With just three million viewers per episode (often less), Daniel Knauf's Dracula wasn't cut down in its prime, didn't leave behind a legion of distraught fans, and certainly didn't send any ripples through NBC's broadcast schedule. For once, the network and audiences were right: Dracula didn't deserve to fill a timeslot, much less live to see the light of a second season. And there was never a saving grace to point to. The season doesn't get better as it goes along. Jonathan Rhys Meyers doesn't suddenly prove himself. The characters don't become more interesting, the dialogue any more bearable, or the performances any less flat or wooden. In fact, the pilot is the best thing the series has going for it, and that isn't saying much. Cancellation? No. A merciful execution, and one that should have come sooner than it did...
Universal's 1080p/AVC-encoded video presentation does a fine job with the series' ten episodes, and there really isn't a whole lot to complain about. That said, inconsistent black levels, at-times unwieldy noise, and some glaring crush amount to a mild distraction, even if they're a product of the source. But so it goes. Colors are warm and beautifully saturated on the whole, reds are fittingly splashy, and skintones are quite lovely. Detail doesn't disappoint either thanks to crisp, clean edges, well-resolved fine textures and disarming close-ups. An annoying digital polish undermines the more cinematic brushstrokes cinematographer Ousama Rawi is attempting to use throughout the series, but again, that has little bearing on Universal's efforts. All told, the highlight of the release is Dracula's video presentation, so there'll at least always be that.
Dracula's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track stays true to the series' sound design, without deviation. The problem being that the show's sonics are often too subdued and front-heavy to create a consistently immersive experience. Dialogue is clean, clear and intelligible at all times, although voices occasionally hover above the soundscape rather than dwelling within it. LFE output is decidedly decent when fangs are popped or swords are drawn, but such things are so rarely employed that it hardly matters. And the rear speakers are kept busy, albeit with unreliably restrained activity that's never quite as engaging or enveloping as it could be. Still, it's important to remind anyone shaking their heads that this is Dracula's audio as it was conceived, mixed and released. It isn't a remarkable lossless experience, but it also isn't hindered by any technical mishaps or flaws. Set your expectations accordingly.
Dracula is a listless corpse compared to other horror series on television, offers very little satisfaction (if any), and doesn't have any magnetic characters, least of all Meyers' titular vampire. No one was surprised when it was cancelled and few have rallied to its defense. Watch for this one to become a mainstay in the bargain bin. Even so, Universal's Blu-ray release shouldn't be dismissed as quickly as the series, thanks to a solid AV presentation.
2014-2016
1943
Collector's Edition
1962
1970
1972
1977
2019
1989
Indicator Series
1936
2015
2014
The Woods
2015
2019
Late Phases
2014
1965
1959
2018
Includes "Drácula"
1931
1993
1936