The follow-up to the theatrical Dracula 2000 (which made 30 million dollars in U.S. box office, not bad), written and directed by the same creative team, brings new faces and an impressive burst of energy to the continuing story. Considering its status as a direct-to-video sequel, production values are extraordinarily top-line, with all the money on the screen. Director Patrick Lussier keeps the pace steady and the gore factor high (bouncing severed heads and bathtubs of blood), but not uncomfortably so, because some of it is played for laughs. In fact, there are lots of throwaway jokes amid the very serious bloodletting. There's a wall-to-wall orchestral score by Kevin Kliesch that rocks the ear and special effects by iOFilm that dazzle the eye, as well as a lively, occasionally comical script that is forever surprising. Horror and action fans will be delighted by the overall quality and no doubt will want to see Dracula III: Legacy, shot at the same time as the this film, which resolves the cliffhanger ending.