Hard to say whether this is a good movie or not. On the one hand, there is nothing truly bad about but on the other, it's also being a movie that doesn't has any truly great or entertaining moments in it. You could say this movie is being average, in about every regard and I can do see this movie ending up being a disappointing one for a lot of people, including the Dracula and Hammer fans out there.

As often is the case with Hammer movies, you could so easily skip the first 30 minutes of it. Hardly anything happens and it attempts to set things and characters up, by showing and doing stuff that has absolutely nothing to do with the rest of the movie.

But what follows isn't being anything all too great or entertaining neither. The movie lacks some good interaction between the Dracula character and the 'heroes' of the movie and I did wish there was some more vampire action in this as well. It's not like this is a boring movie but it at the same time also does very little to excite you or get you involved with anything. It's as if the Hammer studios 'demanded' another Dracula movie but the writer Anthony Hinds just had no good ideas at all and instead decided to put in some stuff we had all seen before in previous and far better Hammer studios Dracula productions, making this movie as generic and unremarkable as it could be.

It's a shame, since there were still some ingredients for a great movie present here. One of them is obviously being Christopher Lee, who once more plays the blood sucking count, who once again gets resurrected from the death. The other is being director Roy Ward Baker, who had directed some of the best Hammer movies and simply was being a great director, in general. Both of their talents sort of go to waste in this movie, since they are given very little good to work with.

And I'm still not really sure whether or not Dennis Waterman was a good leading man in this. Don't really think he had the right charisma and star-power and this movie is being one of those cases that really could had used a Peter Cushing, or someone of his caliber, in this.

I know I'm sounding mostly negative but in all truth, I did not hated watching this movie at all. Can't say there is anything truly bad about it but there just isn't being anything in it that makes me truly like this movie, or makes it one that stands out from the tons of other Dracula movies.

6/10

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(Review originally written at 10 September 2008)

This is a rather nice 100 minutes lasting outline of the history of Hammer Film Productions ans simply a must-see for every Hammer movie lover.

I did not only wanted to see this documentary because of its subject and I'm a big fan of the Hammer studios movies but also because this was the last project Peter Cushing worked on. He died in the same year as the release of this documentary. He also sounded really old and just not 100% healthy during his narrations. The other part of he narration is being handled by his old buddy Christoper Lee. Together they starred in dozens of Hammer movies. It also feels right that this was Peter Cushing's last project, since he spend most of his career playing in Hammer movies and is also a reason why he is still so well known and loved, due to all the fine and iconic roles he has played in Hammer productions.

A lot of persons appearing in this documentary has died ever since so obvious the documentary is better than it could had been as it was made at this current day and time, although this movie also uses a lot of archived interviews. The documentary got made at the right time, after the Hammer reign had already ended.

It lets actors, directors, studio executives and everything in between speak about their own personal experiences and the history of the Hammer film studios, from the '30's to their peak at the '50's, '60's and '70's and the end later less successful years. It of course mostly focus on the horror productions, for which the Hammer studios are so well known. The movies had a very unique and distinctive style, which gave them a very large cult following, which was the reason why the Hammer movies were so successful at their time. They putted new life into the declining horror genre in the '50's.

The documentaries provides some unique behind the scenes footage and stories. It's also filled with footage from the actual movies and interviews with all those involved. It isn't just only about their successes but also about the bad choices they made and they also don't pretend like they were making "Citizen Kane" sort of movies at time and their movies were all perfect in every way thinkable.

The documentary is mostly insightful into the history of the Hammer studios and explains why they did things their way. It's perhaps not as insightful on the actually movies and some of its stars and directors, so just don't expect to learn a whole lot of new things about some of the Hammer classics.

Also the actual style of the documentary itself just isn't anything special. It's formulaic but pleasantly fast paced. It doesn't let one person needlessly say more than the other and the documentary features a wide variety of interviewees, which makes this a pleasant and always nice paced and told insightful documentary.

An essential movie for the Hammer lovers.

8/10

(Review originally written at 15 October 2006)

Guess this movie is a case of; you'll either love it or hate it. A vampire movie set in China, combined with Kung Fu elements might definitely not be just everyone's cup of tea. It's an highly unusual mixture of different genre elements, with as a result an highly unusual and original Hammer movie. I just love how the movie combines the different elements and how it works out in the movie.

By right this movie can definitely been seen as a Kung Fu movie, rather than an horror. The movie is filled with many spectacular and great choreographed fighting sequences and most definitely lays its emphasis on the action rather than the story or horror themes of the movie. The movie is also made from the period when Asian Kung Fu movies were popular in the West. Hammer tried to jump on the bandwagon with making this movie. It's an unique experiment from the Hammer studio's that might shock/disappoint some Hammer fans but pleasantly surprise others as well, such as me.

The movie is shot entirely on location in Hong Kong, which definitely helps to set the right mood and atmosphere. Most Hammer movies are usually studio work, so in that way it already makes this movie an unique one.

Like most Roy Ward Baker movies, the movie and its sequences are very well build up. It provides the movie with some unforgettable and impressive sequences and moments. The story on its own is to be fair not really that impressive or even clear enough but the build up and style of it all is great. So yes, the movie is definitely a case of style over substance but in this particular case, I really didn't mind.

Normally Peter Cushing is an enrichment for every Hammer movie. However in this case I'm not too sure about it if his character Van Helsing was completely required. After all, this is a Kung Fu movie. No place for Van Helsing's wooden stake here.

The movie might at first seem a Dracula movie but in fact the character of Dracula plays a very little part in the movie, only at the beginning and the end. No wonder Christopher Lee declined this movie. The real main villains of the movie are the 6 vampire warriors. The one's that try to stop them are Van Helsing and his son, a rich noble woman and a family of Kung Fu experts, who each have their own specialty and weapons (a bow, knives, swords, etc.). The movie is basically a traveling movie in which every now and then they are being attacked. It does make this movie a rather simple one but it perhaps is this same simplicity that makes this movie such a lovable and great one to watch.

The fight sequences are truly awesome and amazingly choreographed and brought to the screen. The sequences however last a bit too long and there also are a bit too many of those sequences present to keep the movie entirely original and surprising. This is perhaps my only beef with the movie.

I would love to see a Quentin Tarantino remake of this movie.

9/10

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(Review originally written at 28 September 2006)

This movie surpassed my expectations in almost every way possible. It has a genuine creepy atmosphere, the story was build up well and above all very professionally and artistically directed. A true pinnacle among Hammer studio movies and '70's horror in general.

Hammer movies aren't exactly known for their subtle or believably told stories. The movies are mostly always simple entertainment without a real solid story or creepy atmosphere. This movie is however a real pleasant exception to this all.

The movie is basically a very free interpretation of the famous story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. As a matter of fact, this movie its story has absolutely nothing to do with the Robert Louis Stevenson novel. All that it uses from the novel is the name of the main character but that really is about all. The story of Dr. Jekyll changing into a woman, due to a life elixir that is supposed to extend a persons lifespan, might sound extremely silly and ridicules at first but the concept works surprising well in the movie. Never before has the inner conflict between the 'good' Dr. Jekyll and the 'evil' Hyde side been brought more interesting and striking to the silver screen. Also the rest of the cast and character make sure that the movie works out.

The movie takes its time to build up the story and set up the right mood. The movie doesn't immediately start off as a creepy one but due to the extremely well build up and directing the movie slowly transfers into a great intriguing movie about an inner conflict. The movie is also filled with more than enough gory and creepy sequences which all helps to make this a forgotten Hammer studio movie that is among the very best of its period.

I really thank the wonderful directing from Roy Ward Baker for making this movie what it is. The movie is extremely well build up, without ever forcing anything. It tells the completely ridicules and far from believable story in the most compelling and interesting way possible. Due to that the movie becomes good and believable in its own way. The movie is also filled with some great artistic sequences that work effective as well.

Of course non of the actors in this movie are among the best of all time to put it mildly, although Gerald Sim makes a pretty good impression. Ralph Bates also acts well but he isn't the most charismatic actor, which makes his character perhaps a bit flat at times. Still thanks to the most fine directing, all of the performance work out well in the movie. Perhaps it's due to the fact that there aren't any familiar actors in it, that this movie is so little known.

The movie is good looking with some nice sets and costumes and some atmospheric cinematography, that all helps to set up the right mood for the movie. It gives the movie a genuine creepy atmosphere and moody sequences, in which you never know what is going to happen next. The absurd story at the same time also makes sure that the remains mostly unpredictable, in its little things, for the main plot is of course predictable from start till finish.

A great underrated Hammer production from Roy Ward Baker, that deserves to be seen and praised more for what it is.

9/10

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