Dracula 2000 is not for any uptight vampire purist, or some of these goth folk that can't seem to lighten up enough to stop drinking their coagulated orange juice to have a little fun. This film is just an entertaining piece for a weekend date or a girl's night out.

The story begins in London, where Abraham Van Helsing's "grandson" owns an up-scale antique business, and who also harbors a very interesting collectible deep within a guarded vault: Dracula himself. Well, Drac breaks free, and ends up in New Orleans amid Mardi Gras to wreak havoc. (Please, somebody set a vampire tale anywhere but over done New Orleans!!) As the story progresses, a new twist to the Dracula myth is shown, but isn't supported well. This aspect of the movie would have made an interesting tale in itself.

There are some Matrix-type effects used in the film, mostly on the traditional Dracula "bride" trio. I don't think that these effects are overused, and actually work quite well when one of Drac's darlings end up in a psychological evaluation room. Particularly creepy!

Looking at other effects, I was happy that the corpses look pleasingly real, and the decapitation scenes produce what look like real heads rolling on the floor or flying through the air. I know these are strange attributes to mention, but after so many poorly done gore flicks, it's refreshing to see something convincing. There is one exception. The vampire teeth look way too fake!

Suspense throughout Dracula 2000 is plenty, but it draws on too long. You find yourself tapping your feet and wishing the scene would hurry and finish instead of being excited about what lurks around the corner.

Overall, with average acting, great imagery and a slick look wrapped into an epicurean setting, Dracula 2000 is worth a look, but don't expect an accurate, traditional vampire mythos, or a plot worth a think tank to pick it apart. Lighten up! The key word is fun.

---Teresa Clare