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| Dracula II: Ascension | 
| Director: Patrick Lussier
Actors: Jennifer Kroll, Jason Scott Lee, Craig Sheffer, Diane Neal, Khary Payton
Studio: Dimension
Category: DVD
List Price: $19.99
Buy New: $5.53
You Save: $14.46 (72%)
Buy New/Used from $2.48
Avg. Customer Rating:  (48 reviews)
Sales Rank: 43047
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dvd-video, Widescreen, Ntsc
Language: English (Original Language)
Rating: R (Restricted)
Media: DVD
Running Time: 85 minutes
Number Of Items: 1
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
MPN: DISD29161D
UPC: 786936208436
EAN: 0786936208436
ASIN: B00008DDUZ
Release Date: June 17, 2003
Theatrical Release Date: 2003
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Description
An ancient evil is once again unleashed in the 21st Century as fright master Wes Craven presents this terrifying and suspenseful sequel to the big-screen hit DRACULA 2000! Featuring screen favorites Jason Scott Lee (RUSSELL MULCAHY'S TALE OF THE MUMMY), Jason London ( OUT COLD, THE RAGE: CARRIE 2), and Craig Sheffer (HELLRAISER: INFERNO, A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT), ASCENSION is the riveting story of a group of medical students who come across the body of the world's most notorious vampire! When a mysterious stranger appears and offers the students $30 million to harvest the body and steal its blood for auction, it's an offer they can hardly refuse! But as the lure of riches collides with unimaginable terror, the students also find themselves relentlessly pursued by a vampire killer from the Vatican! Also starring Roy Scheider (JAWS) and Brande Roderick (TV's BAYWATCH) -- anyone who craves intense suspense can happily sink their teeth into this chilling thriller!
Amazon.com
Did someone say Dracula II? Like there haven't been a few hundred Dracula movies already? Oh well: Dracula II: Ascension is a sequel to Dracula 2000, with the ageless vampire again returning from apparent extinction. The twist is that Dracula's blood will be used by a researcher (baroque performance by Craig Sheffer) to reverse the effects of a crippling disease; Sheffer's assistants (read: vampire fodder) will help. Joining this scientific survey is long-haired vampire slayer Jason Scott Lee, who seems to have stalked in from another picture--but never mind Roy Scheider, whose wizened priest might be onscreen for all of 60 seconds. After a reasonably lively opening half-hour, this cheapie devolves into the usual blood-letting and illogical behavior. Some of the vampire lore is pretty diverting (did you know a vampire must untie every knot he sees?), but Dracula II is strictly for enthusiasts of the genre. --Robert Horton
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| Customer Reviews: Read 43 more reviews...
 NOTHING TO SINK YOUR TEETH INTO March 13, 2008
WES CRAVEN'S DRACULA 2000 was a movie that I watched....and fell asleep during. I loved the opening sequence where they broke into the vault looking for treasure and the fact that they made Dracula turn out to be Judas, a nice touch. But the rest of the movie seemed to be lacking something.
The same can be said for its sequel. For once the fact that it went straight to video holds true with most movies that do so.
The movie begins with Father Uffizi (Jason Scott Lee) tracking down a vampire while in Europe. He wins his battle but not without a cost. He is barely bitten, but enough to change him. Purging himself with a bath if pure sunlight, he is cleansed of all vampiric desires, but retains some of the powers they have.
We move to a university in New Orleans where a wheelchair bound professor Lowell (Craig Sheffer) is found talking to his students, one of which is apparently the love of his life. This student then goes to the morgue to work and asks for the help of her old boyfriend in processing the latest body brought in, the body of Dracula we saw burned to a crisp at the end of the first film.
Although the skin is charred, the insides of this corpse are different, all white and lacking of blood. As she checks for dental records, a fang pops and her finger is pricked. This drop of blood affects the body and her ex notices. Realizing what they have on hand here, he ends up with an offer from a mysterious benefactor for the body. They pair agree and help take it to the buyer's representative.
A few dead friends and a blood bath later and we discover that this body is indeed a vampire. Well, we already knew that. But now with one less set of hands, this group knows it as well. With the vampire shackled in silver chains under a set of ultraviolet lamps, he seems to be contained. Prof. Lowell is brought in to assist since his area of expertise seems to be related to blood and the search for regeneration of tissue techniques.
Before the films end, we will discover who the mysterious benefactor is, if the girl pricked by Drac's tooth succumbs to his evil ways and if good old Father Uffizi can come to the rescue at the last minute when it comes time for the inevitable final battle.
The movie plays well at times but for the most part tends to drag. Less scientific dissection of all around would lend itself to more movement on the part of the cast, an easily likeable group with no standouts save for Lee. Lee's combination of martial arts and demonic fighting seems to work when seen. It's just not seen often enough.
The end result is neither all that satisfying nor unpredictable. And the very end leaves it open for part III (and yes, I've read that it was made at the same time this one was shot). Wes Craven is a name to be respected in the genre of horror films. But for the most part, reply on it when he is directing, not just tacking his name on to another project.
And by the way....you may have noticed Roy Scheider on the cover of this one? His part is last all of about 2 minutes if that. Don't be fooled.
Fine sequel, different but still good actor as Drac March 7, 2008
In this sequel to Dracula 2000, Drac's charred body is taken to a morgue where an autopsy is to be performed by Elizabeth Blane (Diane Neal) and her assistant Luke (Jason London). However, there is some weirdness surrounding this particular corpse. You see, when Elizabeth opens the mouth to examine the teeth, a FANG pops out and punctures her finger. After she rushes away to pour some disinfectant on the wound (as if that would help, but how is she supposed to know that?) Luke witnesses another phenomenon; some of Elizabeth's blood has spattered onto the face, and where the blood landed, the skin has regenerated. This, along with other abnormalities in the body, convinces luke that "this dude got his blood from somewhere else" - in other words, it was a vampire. Just then, they get a myterious call from a man (John Light, one of my favorite actors in this) who tells Luke, "I want the body, and I'll make you rich to get it". Luke convinces a reluctant Elizabeth to go along with a body-snatching scheme.
Then, an equally mysterious priest (the excellent Jason Scott Lee, who we have seen kick some vamp butt in the opening), shows up wanting to perform last rites ("Little late for that, isn't it, Father?" Elizabeth asks him) on the corpse in question. However, they've already smuggled the REAL vampire body out of the morgue, as our Priest discovers when he sprinkles another charred body with holy water and there is no pop-pop, fizz-fizz.
Elizabeth has let her boyfriend Lowell (Craig Schaeffer) in on her crime, and is led to believe that they are in cahoots. However, things are not what they seem. Her boyfriend, I should say, is not what HE seems.
Dracula is revived by placing his corpse in a bathtub full of blood in an abandoned house and restrained with the help of the man behind the earlier mysterious phone call, Eric (Light). They then proceed to draw Drac's (Stephen Billington) blood, hoping to find a cure for Lowell's terminal, degenerative disease. However, you can't keep a good vamp tied down forever, especially the Drac himself. He proceeds to seduce Elizabeth away from both her actual boyfriend (Lowell) and her would-be love interest (Luke) while still captured. eventually, one of the accomplices (Khary Payton) injects HIMSELF with some Drac Juice and is, of course, transformed himself. Meanwhile, Father Ufitzi (Lee) has tracked them down and is ready to get his can of whoop-a@@ back out. He kills the aforementioned transformed student and shows up at the old pool where Drac is being held, after Drac has gotten Lowell to nearly kill himself by driving his wheelchair over the edge of the swimming pool he (Drac) is being held in. This drives Elizabeth to transfuse some of her own blood (remember, she is already infected) into Dracula, so that blood can, in turn, be injected into Lowell to save him. Which it does - as well as cure his illness and turn him into a vampire, which is exactly what he wanted. Having gotten what he wanted, he not only abruptly kicks poor Elizabeth to the curb, he reveals his relationship with Eric - can you say "Brokeback Mountain"? That's right, Lowell has a BOYFRIEND and only went after Elizabeth to gain access to the morgue through her; he knows that vampires exist and that their blood could be his only hope for a cure as well as his ticket to eternal life.
Battles ensue as Drac finally escapes his bonds and Father Ufitzi shows up. Ending sets us up for a sequel which is probably the weakest of the three.
Now onto the actor playing Drac this time - Stephen Billington. Although he is not Gerry Butler - who is? - he does a fine job and is quite sexy in his own right. (Only one kissing scene with Elizabeth - Phooey!) Jason Scott Lee is a fine actor as well as athlete - amazing in fight scenes. All-around competent cast make this worth a watch.
Cheers.
Disappointing sequel to Dracula 2000 December 4, 2007
They should have kept the same actor for Dracula- he had a chemistry and really played the role well. Instead, they give some lame explanation about him "looking different" after every reincarnation, and couldn't even find another brunette to play the part. Ho-hum sequel at best.
So so sequel, Good direct to DVD February 11, 2007
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
I loved Dracula 2000. Not that the director was breaking any new ground but he understood the erotic nature and cruptiontion of the "Soul" that Vampirisim represented. On that foundation I was looking forward to the film and it took a dogs age for it to be released and the third took even longer.
I had to ignore the fact that in the theatrical leg of this trillogy Dracula was taken back to England by Mary Van Helseig. I was thinking that would be the likly jumping off point for the next leg but this is not the case. The Corpse of Dracula is retrieved by the police and taken to the New Orleans Mourge where Elizabeth is working. Dark shadows of future evil and mystery present themselves almost from that point on.
She is wounded by one of the lifeless Counts Cannine teeth while examining and don't think this will not mean something down the line. It was a good device for this film that was almost entirly pushed asside in the second but it is used for great affect in the second. Watching Elizabeth slowly change over the corse of the film is one of the more erotic parts of the DVD.
Toss in her friends including a boyfriend dying of a devilitating illness along with the promise of a multi million dollar reward and the problems that come to a rise when a group of inexperianced science types trying to uncover the mysteries of this Corpse and how a bath in human blood brind it back to life and you have have set the stage for mass distruction and some real gross out moments.
Jason Scott Lee is the Vatican Vampire hunter who dispaches twin Vamp sisters in the opening and is hot on the trail of Dracula in all his forms and he and Dracula have a bloody and Metaphysical discussion to end the DVD.
There are familiuar actors in this film such as Dianne Neil from "Law and Order SVU" and a breif cameo from Roy Schider from "Jaws" and "Marathon Man" to name a few. I would not expect a super great film but I didn't feel like I blew my cash on this DVD and that is a good thing.
 good sequel December 13, 2006
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
This first sequel to the fun Dracula 2000 is quite enjoyable. Sequels often fail to live up to the original, but Part 2 is interesting and entertaining. I liked it. 4 out of 5 stars!
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