While no match for the original Dracula by Tod Browning, Son of Dracula is, nonetheless, a much better film than its reputation suggests, and an improvement over the creaky Dracula's Daughter (a film that suffered of a bad case of "comic relief-itis", the terminal illness that killed off so many horror films of the era), which, while not totally without merit is mostly overrated. The problem with Son of Dracula is that it doesn't really feel like a Dracula movie. Dracula is a MacGuffin more than a character, and feels like a late addition to a non-Drac film (I guess I'm right, given that the working title for the movie was "Destiny"). And I really wish this was not a Dracula movie, as it would be better appreciated as a film, and we wouldn't have to see the untalented Lon Chaney Jr. as Dracula (only Carlos Villarías in the Spanish Drácula made a worse Count for Universal), who is pretty decent actually (better than as Larry Talbot), but that may be because he gets so little screen time. Anyway, I wish Bela Lugosi or John Carradine (who made an excellent Dracula but deserved better vehicles in the role) had played the part. In fact, this seems more like a Val Lewton production than part of the Universal cycle. Which is a good thing, actually, as that keeps the movie from being formula. Unlike the hacks that made most Universal sequels, Robert Siodmak was an excellent director and it shows here. The film is technically impeccable, moody, atmospheric and containing the very best visual effects of all the cycle. The transformation into fog is excellently done, and the scene where the hero shots through Dracula and kills his girlfriend (I'm not spoiling anything, it's in the trailer) is a classic moment to rival anything in the best movies of the cycle. Son of Dracula is not without faults, as it is somewhat slow in parts, but it's a very rewarding experience. Kudos to the Hungarian professor, who's more sympathetic than Edward Van Sloan's Van Helsing in the two previous films. And kudos to Curt Siodmak for keeping the comic relief to the minimum (just a couple of short bits with the black servants, not enough to ruin the movie). Forget if necessary that it's a Dracula movie and I promise it's worthwhile, and one of the best Universal monster movies (way better than the dreadful Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man, from the same year and also penned by Curt Siodmak and starring Chaney Jr.). 7/10