tired clichés bound together by tired characters in tired roles. By the time the eighty-five minutes of movie are over, you'll be pretty tired, too. Nothing happens that is in the least bit frightening. ... [T]he filmmakers splatter the screen with buckets of blood, severed heads, and gory, close-up autopsies, but while all this may be gross and disgusting, it's not scary". Patrick Naugle of DVD Verdict said: "In Dracula II: Ascension, co-writer/director Patrick Lussier has crafted an only mediocre sequel that is sub-par in every respect: acting, plot, and special effects. In place of an interesting story is a movie that takes the character of Dracula, binds him to a cross, and keeps him locked up for most of the feature's running time. While the filmmakers' intentions were good, I can't really recommend this sequel to horror fans looking for true cinematic terror". Craig Villinger of Digital Retribution called the film "a disappointing sequel and a disappointing vampire film in general", adding: "Despite the obviously limited budget, Lussier has tried to make a visually impressive feature, and to an extent he succeeds, but ultimately the film is dragged down by an uneventful script, poor performances, and a terrible ending which offers the viewer no closure whatsoever". See also Dracula III: Legacy Vampire film References External links American supernatural horror films Romanian supernatural horror films American vampire films English-language Romanian films Dracula films 2003 horror films 2003 direct-to-video films Direct-to-video horror films Direct-to-video sequel films Films shot in Romania Films directed by Patrick Lussier 2003 films Cultural depictions of Judas Iscariot Portrayals of Jesus in film Films with screenplays by Joel Soisson Dimension Films films Films produced by Joel Soisson Dracula 2000 (film series) 2000s English-language films 2000s American films