The Hammer Dracula series started very strongly with Horror of Dracula, which is still one of Hammer's best films. The following four follow-ups ranged from solid to very good and Scars of Dracula was just about above average. Dracula A.D. 1972 and Satanic Rites of Dracula while not quite as horrible as reputed were disappointing. The good news, is for all its flaws, The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires is an improvement on the previous two entries but not on par with the first five films.
It's very stylishly photographed with very effective camera angles and foreboding and vibrant colours, and has the most vivid set designs of any Hammer Dracula film since Taste the Blood of Dracula. Particularly true here is the Dracula's castle set for the prologue, which gave off a real spookiness that was much needed. James Bernard makes a welcome return, after hearing such outdated, unintentionally cheesy and out of place music for Dracula A.D. 1972 and Satanic Rites of Dracula it was really welcome to hear the rousing, thunderously booming and wonderfully eerie scoring provided by Bernard here. The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires is often a lot of fun, has a great atmosphere and rarely feels dull, and Roy Ward Baker directs rousingly. The fight sequences are very entertaining and excellently choreographed, and Peter Cushing can do no wrong, playing with real involvement and professionalism and it is another classy performance.
However, most of the acting is weak(apart from Cushing, Robin Stewart is likable as well), with Julie Ege's vapid and expressionless acting skills not matching her luscious looks, David Chiang looking and sounding awkward and John Forbes-Robertson completely missing the suavity and menace for Dracula(instead coming over as too overly-theatrical, Christopher Lee may have lost interest in playing Dracula halfway through the series but is sorely missed here). The dialogue is often stilted, the special effects are laughably cheap and the vampire make-up even less believable and the climax is far too brief, too rushed and too easy.
All in all, fun and decent but middling final entry in the Hammer Dracula series. 6/10 Bethany Cox
It's very stylishly photographed with very effective camera angles and foreboding and vibrant colours, and has the most vivid set designs of any Hammer Dracula film since Taste the Blood of Dracula. Particularly true here is the Dracula's castle set for the prologue, which gave off a real spookiness that was much needed. James Bernard makes a welcome return, after hearing such outdated, unintentionally cheesy and out of place music for Dracula A.D. 1972 and Satanic Rites of Dracula it was really welcome to hear the rousing, thunderously booming and wonderfully eerie scoring provided by Bernard here. The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires is often a lot of fun, has a great atmosphere and rarely feels dull, and Roy Ward Baker directs rousingly. The fight sequences are very entertaining and excellently choreographed, and Peter Cushing can do no wrong, playing with real involvement and professionalism and it is another classy performance.
However, most of the acting is weak(apart from Cushing, Robin Stewart is likable as well), with Julie Ege's vapid and expressionless acting skills not matching her luscious looks, David Chiang looking and sounding awkward and John Forbes-Robertson completely missing the suavity and menace for Dracula(instead coming over as too overly-theatrical, Christopher Lee may have lost interest in playing Dracula halfway through the series but is sorely missed here). The dialogue is often stilted, the special effects are laughably cheap and the vampire make-up even less believable and the climax is far too brief, too rushed and too easy.
All in all, fun and decent but middling final entry in the Hammer Dracula series. 6/10 Bethany Cox