Very disappointing...

An Exercise In Nonsense

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

I found this movie so interesting, my.. I am not really a fan of Dracula but I wish there were more movies about the life of Vlad III Dracula, and the actor was perfect, it really did look like how you would imagine how Vlad would look, amazing! I found the story really good, I needed to do a presentation about the life of Vlad III Dracula and I learned a lot about this! Thank you! If people still need to watch this movie, just do it! I found it really good and fascinating and definitely the end, how suddenly a plot twist came, first I wanted to skip the part where he dies because I thought it was going to be very sad but then suddenly something happened! It was really interesting, and one of the best movies I had seen in times.

I am really confused.Is this about vampires or not? Mostly, Dracula is related to Vampire. So at the first glimpse of the word "Dracula" in the title one may think this film has to do with vampires. Besides, look at the poster! Look at the sharp teeth, big fangs! Yes, must be a vampire film! Then, during watching, one needs not finish the entire film to figure out that vampire is hardly related here, that this is a biographical type of story about the historical figure Vlad the Impaler, the national hero of Romania, as the title continues to suggest: the "true story".BUT, at the end of the film, supernatural elements started to appear as Vlad Dracula rose from the coffin... Oh! Wow... I'm speechless, dumbfounded, lost, confused... So, the "true story", uh? It can't be about vampires because 99.99% of the film has nothing to do with them. If so, then it doesn't live up to that vampire face on the poster! It can't be about the true story of the HUMAN Vlad the Impaler, either, because the final sequence suggests the appearance of the returning dead, which can't be true. If so, then it doesn't live up to its title which is clearly stated as "The True Story"! I am all confused...Isn't that poster misleading? Or is it the filmmakers' intention to be ambiguous at the disorienting ending? I'm all lost... I don't know what I just saw...Maybe it's just the filmmakers' own interpretation of this famous Romanian.Now, about the film's quality.Ridley Scott once said that ALIEN (1979) was a B movie with a Class A treatment.Well, following that logic, this "Dark Prince" is an A movie with a Class B treatment.Because the story of Dracula, even the real historical figure, could have great potential of being epic.But this one is just a movie made for TV, so naturally we cannot expect to see styles of Gladiator or Lord of the Rings.But one thing crucial is missing: Vlad the Impaler's cruelty. The Dracula portrayed here is young and handsome, but not nearly cruel enough. The thing for which Vlad became so famous, the legendary bloody field of Turkish soldiers being impaled, is missing. Maybe it's not the filmmakers' fault. Like I said, this is a TV film which is not meant to be big.Despite all the cons, the story, the characters, the dialogs, are all pretty engaging.I once saw Bathory (2008) by Juraj Jakubisko, a film about the legendary Blood Countess, and it was epic, extremely well done!Hope someday a great director could helm an epic film about the real Dracula, Vlad the Impaler? Only time will tell...

*May contain spoilers in reference to thematically important quotes*What first caught my eye about this movie was the title: Dark Prince: The "True" Story of Dracula. After watching the film, and doing research on my own, I have found that this was not the historically accurate movie I was anticipating. However, in the respect of creating a movie based on some historical events and linking them to present day folklore about the literary figure, well done. I will admit that if the movie was made to be totally accurate, I probably would not have liked it as much as I did. To comment on the plot line, by making this movie action packed, romantic, and dramatic in illustrating the possible goodness within a man who has been known for terrible deeds, this satisfied many of the characteristics that I like to see in a movie. The casting was also excellent, especially for Vlad, the attractive Rudolf Martin whose looks scream Dracula in this movie as they did in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"; and Lidia, the petite Jane March whose voice and looks expertly display the quiet yet strong religious character. The personalities of Vlad and Lidia perfectly compliment one another to create the drama the two share and show the power of love between them. *I loved the constant reference of walking with each other in the providing a good romantic connection as well.Another merit for the movie was the soundtrack: a well selected arrangement of background music that seemed to fit perfectly whenever it was played. Whether it is the acting, the plot line, or just the general topic of Dracula, I always come back to this movie as being one of my favorites. I would have loved to see it go on for more than 90 minutes, but at face value, a definite must see film for entertainment purposes, which is why it receives a 9 from me. However, do not let the "true" story fool you, for being a biography, this would get a 4 or 5.

The true story of Vlad Dracula (The Impaler) is often confused by the propaganda that was circulated at the time by the Turks, and borrowed by his enemies on the Christian side of the frontier. Although this film portrays Vlad as more loved than feared by his people, which history disputes, the basic structure is very accurate. The acting, the sets, the scenes are all excellent; if all films made on this sort of budget were as good, Hollywood could close tomorrow. Even if the history doesn't interest you at all then watch it just for the quality of production. Please note that this is not a horror film - just a realistic representation of the Balkans in medieval times.