Anyone Else Find Christopher Lee's Dracula in 'Count Dracula' (1970) a Little... Off?

Okay, book purists, gather 'round! I finally watched 'Count Dracula' (1970). I know, I know, late to the party. But as someone who's read Stoker's novel *way* too many times, I was intrigued by the promise of a supposedly faithful adaptation. And it *was* interesting seeing Dracula initially portrayed as an actual old man, closer to the book’s description. Christopher Lee's makeup was pretty convincing in the beginning, making him appear elderly and frail. But I gotta be honest, I struggled with Lee's performance here. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Christopher Lee as Dracula, usually. But in this one, it felt...stilted? Almost like he was holding back. Especially compared to his Hammer performances where he's full of fire and menace. The bit where he's growing younger with each victim felt rushed and the makeup got less believable. I was also a bit disappointed with the way they handled the brides of Dracula. A great element from the source material. They just felt like window dressing here. And what was up with the Van Helsing/Dracula sword fight at the end? It felt so weird and tacked on, right? The book is more subtle with that dynamic. All that being said, I did appreciate the effort to stay closer to the novel's plot. But, did anyone else feel like Lee was maybe miscast or just wasn't vibing with the direction in this particular film? Or am I just being too picky? Curious to hear your thoughts! Maybe I'm missing something, or maybe it's just not my cuppa.