Destined to fight
the world's evil, Van Helsing (Hugh Jackman) is a warrior in a
cowboy hat and a trench coat, heavily armed with a rapid-fire
multi-arrow crossbow, among other gadgetry. A legion of monks in
Rome send Van Helsing to Transylvania to hunt the immortal Count
Dracula (Richard Roxburgh), who is using Dr. Frankenstein's
research, his monster, and a werewolf for some sinister purpose,
and aiding in the Count's evil by terrorizing the local people are
his three vampire brides. Especially threatened is the vixen Anna
Valerious (Kate Beckinsale), whose family also strives to kill the
Count. Van Helsing and Anna Valerious work together, searching for
the secret door to Dracula's lair.
CRITIQUE
I
didn't have high hopes for Van Helsing when I saw down in the
theater, so when it was over I wasn't disappointed that I'd just seen
an action flick with a weak script, ridiculous action and stunts, and
too many special effects. Instead, I was displeased because I lost
eight dollars that night.
Well, whatever the case, Van Helsing tried to be an action film
with grand special effects sequences, some of which impressed and
others distracted. Director Stephen Sommers, who struck gold with his
two Mummy films (the first was entertaining, the sequel
sucked), should've put more effort into the script. As it is, the
story is too simple and many scenes move too slow, especially those
involving Dracula.
Visually, however, Van Helsing looks gorgeous, the
cinematography is very good, the sets look big and extravagant (maybe
overkill), and the muted tone and style add some flair to the
presentation. As far as acting goes, Hugh Jackman excels only
moderately. Kate Beckinsale and her accent don't impress much, but her
make up for it. Richard Roxburgh is a good Dracula, but the majority
of his lines are lame.
THE VIDEO
Universal presents Van Helsing in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen.
Colors look very good and crisp. Many of the film's night scenes are
presented in good quality without much grain or other issues, and the
daylight scenes look bright and sharp. The transfer is pretty good,
but there are some minor issues here and there.
THE AUDIO
Universal presents Van Helsing in English 5.1 Dolby Digital
Surround. Sound effects and Alan Silvestri's music are all over the
place, the surrounds do a good job getting through to dynamic range.
The front speakers handle all the dialogue quite well. A very solid
presentation overall.
THE EXTRAS
The
first commentary by the director and producer is decent with
some stories and stuff, and the second commentary by the actors
who play the monsters is a little more engaging even though they carry
big accents.
Explore Dracula's
Castle is an interactive feature that takes the viewer through the
Count's lair and reveals some hidden facts. The remote is your friend
here.
Bringing the Monsters
to Life spends ten minutes on the special effects. Find out how
computers and the artists created the creatures.
You Are in the Movie
shows four scenes from the film from different angles. The viewer can
control the angles with the remote. This feature runs about five
minutes.
Van Helsing – The
Story, The Life… The Legend is more of a history lesson, spending
ten minutes familiarizing the viewer with Dracula, Van Helsing, and so
on.
Also on hand is a
Blooper Reel that runs a bit over five minutes though it's not
particularly funny, an X-Box Van Helsing video game demo,
and a variety of trailers that play when you put in the DVD.
A
four-disc edition is also available which includes three Universal
classic horror titles.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Heck, I'm going to just say "rent it" for this DVD. Get it in one of
those "rent 1, get 1 free" deals. The film is not horrible, it's just
not good. Weak script, ridiculous action, and lame dialogue. Fans of
action or horror may find parts of it enjoyable, though. The DVD
presentation is pretty good in terms of video and audio, although I
didn't find the extras all too exciting.
