Is this a bad movie? Absolutely not. Was it a lot of fun? Yes. Did I still leave a little disappoint? Also yes.

Between the trailers & seeing the runtime at 90 minutes, my expectations were kind of low. To be honest, I think everyone, including myself, were mainly excited for Nicolas Cage as Dracula. When the movie focuses on his character is when the movie is at its best. Cage has been having a spectacular run as of late, and this continues that trend. Nicholas Hoult as the titular Renfield is also quite good. The story takes a different approach with focusing on someone connected to a character that we have seen a lot of. It’s really all of the fluff that just does not make the movie work as well.

Before I even get into those negatives, I want to continue to point out the movie’s positives. Besides Cage’s fun and campy performance, and Hoult’s relatable character, the movie is insane when it focuses on its action. It is over the top and gruesome, but it makes even more shocking and hilarious at times. The movie also has a unique way to introduce itself in the beginning, even if it causes plot issues later on in the movie.

I think many who will see will agree that when the movie doesn’t focus on these strengths is when the movie is at its weakest. I really don’t mind Awkwafina in general, and I especially didn’t mind her here. When the marketing seems like it’s going to focus on one thing, the movie really ends up having way too many plotlines that are never really fleshed out well. The Awkwafina storyline really goes nowhere, and I thought about it more, it really messes with Hoult’s character journey. His character is trying to find peace and wants to be comfortable by himself, but in the end, he really doesn’t. His character’s journey also doesn’t always make sense; however, I think with his relatability, viewers will mostly enjoy that. The Lobo storyline was really the sore point and the worst aspect of the movie. It focuses way too long on this storyline, and with that, it seems like the direction calls for everyone to really be themselves. Cage is zany, Hoult is awkward, and then once Ben Schwartz starts to become over the top, it becomes annoying and lifeless.

Overall, I don’t think it’s going to be a movie that people need to flock to the theater to see, but it’s still a good time nonetheless. Truly, this feels like a movie that would have been made in the late 2000’s/early 2010’s. There is potential for this to a beloved classic. The humor and action is there, but the direction and script should have been reconsidered, instead of making it feel like it was being worked out as production was going on, as well as trying to make it work around the cast member’s busy schedules. I can’t confirm that, but it certainly feels like it throughout the movie.

VERDICT: 3.5/5 (Pretty Good)