Debut director Gary Shore gives Count Dracula a “Batman Begins” restart – with lots of bats. The film connects the traditional Dracula myth with the historical figure of the Romanian nobleman Vlad Tepes, who served Bram Stoker as a model for the Transylvanian horror icon.
“Hobbit” archer Luke Evans plays Vlad, who is introduced into the plot as a loving family man. But the troops of the Turkish sultan Mehmed (Dominic Cooper) are approaching, who demands a thousand children as young soldiers, including Vlad’s son.