Dracula Untold is not a horror movie. It's not even a monster movie. It's a superhero movie. Its formula is ripped off from a thousand other superhero movies, superimposed roughly over the Dracula backstory. This is, as you probably guessed, an awkward fit. The filmmakers strain mightily to fit the formula by making Vlad the Impaler into a nice guy, a good-hearted prince of Transylvania who, sure, has his flaws—the opening reminds us that he impaled, like, a lot of people in the past—but who mostly just wants what's best for his people, his wife, and his son. But when evil Turks invade his empire, he has to make a deal with dark forces to save everyone. Cue the origin story, get ready for the special effects, and prepare yourself for the unwanted prequel to one of the most-retold stories in cinematic history. by Paul Constant