Dracula 2000 Movie Review

Runtime: 99 minutes
Rating: R
Release Date: December 22, 2000
Director: Patrick Lussier

Matthew Van Helsing (Christopher Plummer, Possessed) runs a large antique company in England with his assistant Simon (Johnny Lee Miller, Mindhunters). A group of men break into his vault one night, and it turns out they were led by his employee Solina (Jennifer Esposito). She has a romantic relationship with the leader Marcus (Omar Epps, Scream 2), but he’s unhappy because they find almost nothing of value in the vault.

The men eventually discover an ornate coffin, and while trying to get some jewels off the top, a sensor goes off, killing two of the men. They manage to get the coffin onto a plane bound for America. Nightshade (Danny Masterson) gets the lid off the coffin and discovers a body inside covered with religion iconography and leeches. The figure in the coffin suddenly comes to life, killing Nightshade and attacking the others.

While all of this is going on, a young woman named Mary (Justine Waddell, Three) begins having visions of Dracula (Gerard Butler, Reign of Fire). She talks to her roommate about it as well as a priest (Nathan Fillion, Slither), but no one seems to have any answers. When the plane crashes in New Orleans and Dracula gets loose in the streets, all of the stories come together as the characters race to stop the vampire.

I loved Dracula 2000 so much when it first came out that I actually saw it twice on the same day. Yes, I paid to see this two times in one day, and in fact, it was the day the movie opened. I started watching it a few weeks ago, and my roommate watched it with me because I kept gushing about it. After watching it though, I had to wonder why I once loved it so much. My boyfriend watched it the other day, and I actually got up and did some dishes instead of watching the last 30 minutes.

This is easily one of those horror films that does not age well. Everything about it seems a little dated, including the special effects and even the actors. Johnny Lee Miller seemingly never ages, but Gerard Butler looks like a teenager here compared to how he looks now. Then again, I will watch almost anything if it involves Shane West, even in a small cameo.

There are still a few good moments in the movie though. One comes when a reporter gets attacked by Dracula. We see the attack through the lens of the cameraman, and since vampires do not show up on film, it looks like an invisible figure is attacking. When West gets the same treatment though, it basically looks like he’s trying to strangle himself.

Due to the inclusion of Dracula 2000 on multiple compilation DVDs this season, I am now the proud owner of at least three copies. Here’s hoping that I discover I love it the next time around.