Either this is the lamest Mel Brooks comedy ever or it's too close to other contenders to make much difference.

The only real sparks are set off by MacNicol as Renfield, the solicitor who develops a taste for flies and spiders after being bitten by Dracula.

Brooks, as Van Helsing, is one of the more successful aspects, but he hasn't imbued in his stock company a similar ability to rise above their underwritten roles.

Though it brims with recognizable Brooks film regulars and his signature, lively genre send-ups, his schtick runs a bit dry with this latest production.