chasethestar Reviews

Dracula (2006 TV Movie)

okay for TV adaptation

[5/10 · 29 December 2006]

Watched it on BBC One yesterday night, running time was 1 hr 30 minutes.

This is a much simplified and altered version. There has been some changes in the story; some involving the plot, some characters.

Basically the plot goes like this; Aurther Holmwood has syphilis. And to avoid infecting fiancée and future wife Lucy, Holmwood joined some cult believing there is some magic cure. Holmwood arranged for Dracula, whom Holmwood believed holds the magical cure, to come over to England. Demeter, the ship that carried Dracula, was supposed to head to London but mysteriously steered to Whitby where Holmwood & Lucy were spending time. Dracula then takes Lucy for himself. Seward did some investigation and found Van Helsing locked up as a prisoner in basement of the cult HQ. Van Helsing told him what happened, they went to stake Lucy. They went on to confront Dracula. Holmwood was killed by Dracula, Van Helsing weakens Dracula, Seward staked Dracula.

Gary Oldman played a classier Dracula. Marc Warren is not very convincing, it's just his built. One other thing, this version portrays Dracula with dirty fingers! The Dracula seduction of Lucy scene is given more visual time than Coppola's version - which is a plus.

Harker basically died at Dracula's castle - feels really strange to sideline him. If you want a faithful adaptation, go for Coppola's. Also vampire Lucy only killed towards the last quarter of the show makes the show felt short. The conclusion of the show, the last 15 minutes, felt hurried. I did not like the ending where Dracula appeared to have survived. I mean this is a classic story, not some Alien or AVP franchise, can make without the open ending.

Overall, it is an average take. If you judge it against Coppola's cinematic version, this one is way inferior. As a TV adaption, I think it did just okay.

Project A (1983)

review & recommendation

[9/10 · 13 October 2004]

I grew up in the 80s watching many of Jacky Chan's movies. Three of his works that have lasting memories are Project A, Wheels on Meals and Police Story. This is when Jacky is at his peak, so you can expect to see death-defying stunts, great fight scenes, and hilarious comedy.

In Project A, Jacky plays Sergeant Ma Yu-Long, a Hong Kong coast guard officer during the colonial times. The coast guards aimed to defeat Pirate Lo Sam-Pao (Dick Wei), but on the eve of their mission, their vessels were sabotaged resulting in the disbanding of the coast guards. The coast guards were redeployed as police force under the charge of Inspector Chi (Yuen Biao). A series of events, including a fight in a gentlemen club, an arms shipment hijack, a bicycle chase/fight, the eventual revival of the coast guards and a covert operation on Pirate Lo's island. Samo Hung plays Cheok Yat-Fei a funny crook, who was Sergeant Ma's childhood friend.

Thumbs up on: 1) the fight scene in the bar between the police and the coast guards 2) the fight scene in the gentlemen club 3) the escape and ensuing bicycle case/fight on the narrow alleys which ended with Jacky's death defying fall from the clock tower 4) the covert operation on Pirate Lo's island

I strongly recommend Project A to anyone who is interested in Jacky's 80s movies (please note you will enjoy it even more if you understand Cantonese). It features the three brothers Jacky Chan, Samo Hung and Yuen Biao at their best (check out Wheels on Meals too!).

Project A has great props, wonderful stunts, memorable fight scenes, and good humour. This is the real Jacky Chan movie, unlike some of his more recent Hollywood comic.