La tumba de Drácula

Before Marvel studios took on Frankenstein we got this Dracula piece that left me pining for Dr Strange (2016) which I thought was the absolute pits.

Alike The Monster Of Frankenstein (1981) this was made by Marvels Japanese animation studio however strangely looks very western.

It tells the story of Dracula, the woman he loves, their children, Satan (Yes Satan) and the group determined to see him dead.

I'm struggling to find the words to explain just how bad this is. It's tacky, full of laughable dialogue, pitiful characters and an awful storyline.

Unlike Frankenstein this is a very PG affair. Sadly it's not exactly family friendly, won't appeal to the kids and I'd imagine most adults will find it juvenile.

The movie was so bad it made my nuts rattle, both of them!

The Good:

Animation is decent enough

The Bad:

Dracula looks ridiculous

A lot of cheese

No idea who the demographic is

Things I Learnt From This Movie:

Marvels cinematic road to where they are now was one fraught with embarrassment

Such a great classic Dracula animation! Loved the plot!

I've heard a lot of bad things about this movie. And is it really as bad as everybody says it is? Well, to be perfectly blunt, yes and no. For me, this movie is kind of a mixed bag. It's not the worst adaptation of Marvel Comics' "Tomb of Dracula", but it's not the best either. I've seen better, but I've seen worse. The film is at least watchable, but I do see how it could have been so much better in terms of its writing, voice acting, and overall execution. The animation is not bad for the early 80s, but the story is full of holes, the writing is a mess, the English voice acting is so bad that it's laughable, and there are some scenes in this film that don't really serve any importance to the plot. Some of the things that happen in this movie are so random and out of place that they just make me question "What's going on here?". Some of the characters had a lot of potential to shine, but are really not all that important to the grand scheme of the story (e.g. Janus, Lilith, Frank, and Torgo). So yeah, this movie has not withstood the test of time, and it really doesn't do its original source material justice at all. It could have been so much better.

But to its credit, the movie does have some redeeming qualities. For one, it had some dramatic moments, and it portrayed the character of Dracula in a more positive light as a tragic antihero with a dark and troubled history. And while that's not what I'm used to seeing when I think of Dracula, I think it was a rather bold attempt to explore Bram Stoker's legendary vampire in that sort of perspective. But while I didn't mind exploring him in that direction, I was not cool with how this film portrayed him as a wimp. Because that was NOT cool. But all in all, this was an interesting watch. And while this film is highly considered to be one of the worst animated movies of all time, it's definitely an interesting piece of history. Again, "Sovereign of the Damned" is not the best adaptation of "Tomb of Dracula" ever made. It has its moments, but the problems it has hinders it from actually being memorable. But I guess it could be considered a cult-classic if you are to look past its flaws. But I would only recommend this to you if you're into anime and if you're into vampires. But be warned, you may be put off by this movie's general goofiness and its hilariously bad dubbing. If you're genuinely curious about this movie, it has been released on DVD in recent years. But its very hard to find, and they commend ridiculously high prices for it on e-Bay. If you're willing to pay the price they ask for, then by all means, buy it. But again, this may or may not be a good choice. And if you intend on watching this movie, don't expect it to be of high quality because you will be disappointed if you do.

Count Dracula, fed up with being constantly pursued by European vampire hunters, moves to USA. But when he finds a Satan-worshipping cult, he loses his power he finds himself against past undead acquaintances, also vampire hunters Hans Harker and Rachel Van Helsing along with Satan himself.

Tomb of Dracula, aka Dracula and Dracula: Sovereign Of The Damned might be better than anything Marvel has to offer these days. Produced by Toei Animation, the film was part of a deal between Marvel and Toei in the 1970s. Dracula: Sovereign of The Damned, adapted The Tomb of Dracula comic series published from 1972 to 1979, and attempts to cram the plot elements of the comic series into 94 minutes. First broadcast on TV Asahi in 1980, it appeared on cable networks, VHS and Betamax in the early 80s.

A few lapses in logic aside, the plot has plenty to offer, with lots vampire lore, action and abilities on display throughout. It's a little hammy at times, mainly due to the voice dubbing and some narration. Nevertheless, the traditional art & animation and Hammer Horror-like score delivers nostalgic joy, there's classic horror themes, sound stings, also disco music in the night club scenes. Directors Akinori Nagaoka and Minoru Okazaki offer great visuals, violence, ample blood, sexually charged scenes and even some nudity. There's many story elements, sacrifices to Satan, love, fatherhood, even being devampirised and reduced to eating hamburgers. The character design is holds up. Memorably there's a creepy graveyard scene where the dead come to life and a fang-full of notable vampire attacks that capture the feel of the comics.

Overall, great horror fun, especially for an over 40 years old made-for-television release. Highly recommended.

I recall stumbling across this to rent on the shelves of a Video Towne store in the mid-1980s, and the cover caught my eye. I took it home, popped it into the machine, and immediately experienced Deja Vu. This cartoon was based on Marvel Comic's monthly color series, "Tomb Of Dracula," from the early 1970s. (Which is when and where the character of Blade made his debut appearance.) I even still have the issue(s) used as the springboard for the story. My memories are a bit dim, but it seems as if the box for this was sketchy on details, and I don't recall any mention of Marvel being made on the packaging. Too bad this is out of print, as it would be neat to see it again and see how it holds up. Maybe it could be reissued under the Marvel banner and given better promotion, as the film seems to have slipped by unnoticed. It's so obscure, even die-hard fans of Marvel and/or Japanimation/anime' often have never heard of it.