The biggest problem with Dracula: Untold is the name. If the film had any other name, there would not be the expectation that this is in any way supposed to be a story about the iconic Dracula character. In fact, it's an interesting attempt to combine the history of Vlad the Impaler with the vampire narrative popularized by Bram Stoker. Vlad the Impaler is now a beloved prince. He spent 10 years as a child fighting for the Turkish Empire where he earned his nickname. As prince, he has reigned over a decade of peace in his kingdom. A slight in protocol results in the return of the Turkish Empire's army of 1000 boys, all to be taken from Vlad's kingdom. He seeks out the power that will allow him to save the lives of all those innocent children.
The other big problem with Dracula: Untold is the choice to turn Vlad the Impaler into a sympathetic hero. The man who invited people to his kingdom only to behead them and put their heads on stakes is not a traditional hero. There might be a good antihero or even a Byronic hero in the history, but not a loving family man whose heart aches for the safety of children. It's a misstep in the screenplay that leads to quite a few laughable moments as the story progresses.
The visual language of Dracula: Untold is extraordinary. The costumes by Academy Award winner Ngila Dickson (the Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Last Samurai) are beautiful. The armor worn by the opposing leaders in the final battle sequence is just breathtaking. The dresses worn by Vlad's wife are perfectly cut and the townspeople look like they walked off the pages of a history textbook. It's a surprising level of detail for a horror/action film that helps elevate the whole production.
The makeup and visual effects are equally stunning. The design of the head vampire is far different than any other you've seen before. He looks like he belongs in a black and white film due to the lack of pigment in his skin for centuries of living a dark cave. The CGI-driven transitions between life and undeath are quite haunting, and the decay to corpse or revitalization through human blood heartbreaking. It's a much-needed dose of realism for a story so driven by melodrama and cliche.
Dracula: Untold is not a bad film; it's a misguided film. There's something to this approach to vampirism. It just is not a film that plays well with the references to Dracula and Vlad the Impaler.