Out of all the Hammer movies, the Dracula ones are probably the most atmospheric and best looking movies. They also certainly have a sort of class to them, which is something that can't really be said about just every Hammer studio movie.
So Dracula has risen from the grave...again. Is it explained why? Not really but this of course really doesn't matter all that much. If you want logic, you shouldn't be watching a vampire movie in the first place, let alone a Hammer one.
But this is not your typical Hammer Dracula-entry really. Compared to others, this one is really slow with its pacing and build-up. You might even call it a bit of a lackluster, also since Dracula is hardly in the first half of this movie. It's one that relies way more on its story and overall atmosphere this time. In that regard you might even call this movie more loyal to the original Bram Stoker story. It's what foremost makes this movie very different from all of the other Dracula sequels made by Hammer, during the '60's and '70's. And this for most part is a good thing. It makes the movie original but at the same time I also did wish it had some more vampire action in it.
Thing that the movie also really could had used was Peter Cushing or a Peter Cushing type of actor, that could had been the main 'hero' of the movie. Now instead the movie is really missing a good main character, who is opposing the evil Christopher Lee's Dracula.
And I was actually quite surprised how sinister and evil the Dracula character was in this one. He was very manipulative and sadistic, especially with all of the women. You could tell that around this time Christopher Lee was still really enjoying playing the character and he put a lot of effort into it. This later changed, when he got more fed up with the character and got typecast a lot because of his Dracula portrayal.
Overall I really liked this movie for its atmosphere and the different approach to its story but at the same time I can see why some people will end up feeling disappointed by this movie. If you want a good fast paced- and some mindless Hammer movie fun, this is probably not the best Dracula-entry for you to watch.
7/10
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