Dracula 1.03 Review: The Puppet Master at Work

For all those that have yet to watch last night’s episode of Dracula, entitled ‘Goblin Merchant Man’, now is your last chance to do so without the threat of spoilers before proceeding ahead. This is not a spoiler free blog. THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS! You’ve been warned.

Let me begin by saying that this is not an altogether bad series. When an open mind is kept such as I had with this evening’s episode, it is quite a pleasant series to watch. That being said, I do have some issues with it, the most prevalent being how it is often filmed much like an English television series, just with a slightly higher budget. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy English films, accents, and the setting, but I’ve never been able to care about their television. There’s just something in the way they film their television that is just off with me, something I find evident whenever watching something in HD. Not only that, but some of the music in this episode was a tad tedious, while other songs were quite fitting. It was much of a toss up.

Now, I do have to say that the mythology behind this series is quite intriguing when an open mind is kept. Based on what we’ve seen, and knowing that it is bias to his character, I find myself cheering Grayson on, hoping he gets his revenge. There’s just something so visceral in the seeking of vengeance that is such a human trait just magnified in his vampiric mind. But again concerning the mythology, it is very rich to the telling of this story, however heavy it may be at times. I’m really curious to know what the Order’s reasoning behind turning Grayson into a “monster”. They mention it was because of his defiance, but surely that cannot be all, that would be awfully petty of them if it were, as well as pretty damn stupid.

Another thing I love about this series is the opening titles. The whole construct of them, including the actual actors into the slides and then having the puppet master at the end pulling all the strings, it’s quite genius. There is such great thought put into it, that it reflects the series in such a metaphorical way. And also Renfield, I really like him. He is so large and all-encompassing that he just demands a person’s attention immediately with his presence. I’m quite curious to learn more about his character and how he came to work for Grayson. Also, can I just say how amazingly good-looking Jonathan Rhys Meyers looks? If only he were a few inches taller and maybe five years younger.

All in all, this was a pretty decent hour of television. I do love the extravagance of this series; it makes me wish I still lived in Europe, and in a different time. There were definitely several near squeal moments for me this week, one being Grayson’s smile after Van Helsing killed the seers, and the other was when he rescued Mina from that rather rude and belligerent artist man. I am curious to know, not recalling whether it was part of the books, whether Lucy is in love with Mina. I think she may have been, in the books, but I can’t remember, it has been a long time since I read it. Either way, I’m sure we’ll see more of this going forward. This is a darker series to watch, but it is rather fun to invest in.

My rating: 6.5 out of 10.

Okay, no memorable lines for the night, so I’m off to watch Haven. I’m not guaranteeing I’ll review it tonight though, so if I don’t check back in this time or a little earlier tomorrow.

Dracula 1.02 Review: The Heart Wants What The Heart Wants

Anyone that has yet to watch Friday night’s episode of Dracula, entitled ‘A Whiff of Sulfur’, here’s the only point where I will suggest you do that before reading ahead. As always, this is not a spoiler free blog. THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS! You’ve been warned.

Not a great second episode, not bad, but it was a little tedious and boring at points. It almost feels like there is too much set up to be had with, that there really isn’t enough story to depend on. This is a series about Dracula, a vampire that has had many variations of his story told. Certainly there must be a more interesting way of writing him into Victorian England that is better than what they are doing. Yes, this is the beginning of this tale, but too much beginning can alienate an audience.

One of the things that I have note that I did like this episode was the way the fight scenes are filmed. I quite enjoyed the slowed down cinematography to accentuate how visceral violence can be. Still, this technique may eventually become boring if it is the only way fighting scenes are filmed. But for the second episode, I do still enjoy it. The rest of the cinematography on the other hand was far too English for my liking. I don’t know what it is about English television, but I’ve never been able to enjoy its low quality filming style, and this series appears to be adapting that. For now I can get passed it, but I’m not sure for how long that will last.

Jonathan Rhys Meyers I also have to commend for being the best part of this series. He is a phenomenal actor, and quite perfect for this role. While I’m still not a fan of his need to use an American accent and how annoying it is compared to the British one he adapts while in the company of Renfield, I do seem to be able to get passed it. The way he is able to play this character is just splendid. And might I add how fantastic he looked in the flashback scenes where he has longer hair and blood distorting his face. I also find it quite intriguing, and almost despairing, to see that he imagines Mina – or her likeness at least – in the woman he was sleeping with’s place. Dracula really did love his wife.

While I am happy to see that Mina isn’t a proper English woman, and wishes to strive for something more, I do think that the character needs to be developed more. At this moment, she seems rather flimsy and almost dull, with a personality that doesn’t appear to come out quite clearly. I do hold out hope for her, but I’m worried that it may be the actress, and not the character herself.

Of the other characters, Harker is the only one that strikes me as half as interesting as the two aforementioned characters. While it disappoints me that in his drunken stupor he thought he could stagnate Mina’s dreams once a ring fit on her finger, I hope that this is resolved somewhat in the long run. I do hope Dracula himself and Mina end up together eventually, but now would be too soon if this series hopes to hold together for many seasons. But again about Harker, I am happy to follow him in his curiousity of this seemingly American character. It’s nice to be able to wonder along with a character that seeks the answers the audience duly seeks. I just hope he’s not as misogynistic as he came off in this episode, although it may have had something to do with his yearning to be able to take care of Mina while he couldn’t pay for anything in this episode until he got the new job.

All in all, this isn’t the worst thing out there, but it does lack a certain appeal. I hope to find it more interesting, and that the villains of the piece gain more personality than the blandness they’ve so far appeared to have. They’re kind of boring, and that’s not a great thing to have in a series you want to last. I was happy to see that there were opening credits, although rapid in their introduction. I’m always more interested in watching a series like the good old days where opening credits were the norm, as compared with today where an opening title is what’s usual. I will continue to give this series a few more episodes, but intrigue is a necessity for the long run.

My rating: 6 out of 10.

Best Lines:

“To lose her twice would be more than I could bear.” – Grayson (aka Dracula) explains to Renfield his reasoning behind keeping Mina in his life.

“Even you, you miserable git.” – Harker says to one of his co-workers.

Okay, I’m off to write up my review for Haven now. After that I’ll be writing reviews of Once Upon A Time and Revenge. Then I’m all caught up. If you have yet to read my apology and reason behind the lateness of this review, please check out the end of my latest Revolution review. Stay tuned.

Dracula 1.01 Review: The Seeking of Vengeance

All those that have yet to watch last night’s series premiere of Dracula should go and do so now or exit this screen. This is not a spoiler free blog. THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS! You’ve been warned.

As someone that has read Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and found it tediously boring, this was not a terrible revival of the tale. This new retelling of the old story has been given a fresh take to it, but still sticking to Victorian era I recall it being set in. That being said, this was not the best pilot to a series I’ve ever seen. If I were someone that only gave a series one chance, I would be unlikely to revisit this show again. But I am not, so I will give this a few more episodes to catch my interest.

One thing that caught my attention was how much I did not like Jonathan Rhy Meyer’s American accent. It wasn’t badly done or anything, but it was just so boisterously average, when his beautifully natural Irish accent is so much nicer that I don’t know why anyone would want to cover it up. But I do understand the need to have him play American; I just don’t feel drawn to his voice the way I am by his natural accent.

While I do feel that with this whole vengeance warpath Alexander Grayson is on does provide for interesting mythology and a possibly long series, there wasn’t much more to this bland sort of episode. For around three-quarters of the time spent watching this episode, I was rather bored. Yes, he’s a vampire, he’s the vampire, and vampires are very hot for the time being (although not as much as five years ago), there wasn’t anything new to this take on vampires. I’ve seen this before, millions of people have seen this before, this is not refreshing or original – especially since this book has had many renditions. But there’s not much to this character that catches my interest just yet, or to this series. Yes, he’s out for vengeance, that’s one intriguing notion, but there’s no pizzazz to this story. I don’t need flashy, but I do need something to draw me in and excite me.

I’m not sure if I was the only one, but I found it a little difficult to follow the conversations at times throughout the episode. It was almost as if this felt like the second or third episode in a series, where a lot of things have already been set up and I’m jumping in in the middle of the conversation. That’s how it made me feel, like it wasn’t explained quite well enough. Especially during the conversation between Jonathan Harker and Grayson, and the conversation between the two board members in the carriage before Grayson and Kruger fight. Part of it, I think, had to do with a lack of differentiating tone. There were very little inflections, or ups and downs, to the way people were speaking. Not quite monotone, but nothing to really demonstrate how most were feeling as they spoke. But perhaps that’s just polite English conversation. If it is, I much prefer my North American upbringing in that sense.

Van Helsing’s character I was a little unimpressed with. Grayson is played by the wonderful aforementioned Meyers, Mina, Jonathan, and Lucy are all played by attractive in their own right actors, but Van Helsing is played by a man I wouldn’t look twice at walking down the street. He just looks like an average Joe, nothing special. Perhaps that is the objective of the creators, to not have him be so encompassing that he’s easy to notice, but I’d think they’d want to be able to at least differentiate the actors in each scene. There’s nothing to him. Plus, correct me if I’m wrong, I can’t remember him working with Dracula in the book. I could be wrong, it’s been four years since I read the unremarkable text, but the two of them being in cahoots just seems wrong to me. Sure they have a common enemy, but I don’t think it’s enough – he’s Van Helsing.

One other thing I had issue with was the random addition of the opening title credit. There was no music to it, it was just silent, and it just felt thrown in to splice a scene from fitting together perfectly. I had a ‘What?’ moment when it came up on screen.

Two things I did enjoy were the wonderfully done special effects, and the choreographed dance in Grayson’s ballroom. The former may well have been great simply because of the smartly skewed lighting illuminating Grayson as he reanimated into the beautiful Meyers, but that would still be something well worked on for using those tricks to enhance the effect. The latter I just thought should belong at a gorgeous masquerade ball, or that One Republic music video. I always find it so astonishing when people dance in unison; it can be quite mesmerizing. Also, the way they pilfered in the gossip about the man that had invited all of them there was perfectly fitted.

Although I don’t feel like we were really given enough of the depths to some of these characters, I do feel the need to give this series another chance. As a fan of the gothic, I will try to power through, but I do hope that the blandness to this episode was just to set up the series going forward. This certainly wasn’t the worst premiere episode I’ve ever seen, but it was skillfully the best either. The acting was mostly good, and the writing so-so, better than a fair amount of television these days, so I’ll give it another shot.

My rating: 6 out of 10.

Best Line:

“Give me one good reason I should not peel you like a grape.” – Grayson shouts at Van Helsing.

Alright, so I hope by this publication you realize I won’t be posting a Best Performances of the Week. I haven’t been feeling it for the last few weeks, I just don’t think many performances have warranted it, so we’ll see how this next week goes. If I don’t find anything greatly done in Haven, I may just move that the BPW to Saturday’s instead of their usual Thursday’s being that I have no programs to watch on Saturday. Anyways, I’m off to go watch Haven, but don’t expect a review of that tonight, I can already feel the exhaustion seeping into my bones.