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List Price: $29.98 | | Label: Universal Studios
Salesrank: 46830
Released: October 19, 2004 |
| Our Price: $45.00 |
| Used Price: $10.99 |
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MPAA Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
Like a roller coaster ready to fly off its rails, Van Helsing rockets to maximum velocity and never slows down. Having earned blockbuster clout with The Mummy and The Mummy Returns, writer-director Stephen Sommers once again plunders Universal's monster vault and pulls out all the stops for this mammoth $148-million action-adventure-horror-comedy, which opens (sans credits) with a terrific black-and-white prologue that pays homage to the Universal horror classics that inspired it. The plot pits legendary vampire hunter Van Helsing (Hugh Jackman) against Dracula (the deliciously campy Richard Roxburgh), his deadly blood-sucking brides, and the Wolfman (Will Kemp) in a two-hour parade of outstanding special effects (980 in all) that turn Sommers' juvenile plot into a triple-overtime bonus for CGI animators. In alliance with a Transylvanian princess (Kate Beckinsale) and the Frankenstein monster (Shuler Hensley), Van Helsing must prevent Dracula from hatching his bat-winged progeny, and there's so much good-humored action that you're guaranteed to be thrilled and exhausted by the time the 10-minute end-credits roll. It's loud, obnoxious, filled with revisionist horror folklore, and aimed at addicted gamers and eight-year-olds, but this colossal monster mash (including Mr. Hyde, just for kicks) will never, ever bore you. A sequel is virtually guaranteed. --Jeff Shannon
Van Helsing - (Ultimate Collector's Edition) - (Van Helsing/Dracula/Frankenstein/The Wolf Man) Reviews:
Not bad 
2008-11-12 - I wonder if anyone made the castlevania connection?! This was a great film and if they were going by paintings they got Dracula dead on right!! (no pun intended)
Fantastic movie!
2008-11-09 - This is a great movie for true fans of these types of movies. I liken it to The League of Extraordinary Gentleman in comparison to a "type" of movie.
While I'm never surprised to see a 1 star review from all the "comic book man" wanna-be's, if you don't like this type of movie, que sera sera. For those Kramer vs Kramer fans who happened to be forced to see this against their will, feel free to try and do better. Since you feel this movie is so poorly done, you should have no problem.
A Thrilling, Modern Monster Movie 
2008-11-02 - I'll give director Stephen Sommers one thing - he's got style. His previous blockbuster hit The Mummy Returns was almost too much style and too little content, but Van Helsing - a rollercoaster of a tribute to the old-fashioned horror/monster flicks of the past century - manages to finely balance this. But then again, you're not gonna watch this movie for plot. You're gonna watch it 'cause it has lots of monsters and fights, and that it presents those with style. And it does.
To get the plot out of the way, nonetheless, mysterious monster-mercenary Van Helsing is under 'employ' by a secret Vatican order to keep humanity safe from monsters. (Sommers seems to subtly poke fun at the Vatican, though, with a scene showing an Arab man being tortured for no apparent reason.) Dispatched to Transylvania to counter the threat of Count Dracula, Van Helsing meets up with a beautiful princess (Kate Beckinsale), the last in a run of family almost completely wiped out by Dracula, and the two reluctantly join forces. Yet how to stop Dracula, when all traditional methods have failed? That's for you to find out - and of course we have vampire brides (whom I personally find way more frightening than Dracula himself), the Frankenstein monster and wolfmen (3 in all) to spice things up a little.
I scarcely need to say that Van Helsing's biggest quality is that it's absolutely BEAUTIFUL. The setting is almost deliberately greyish - comfortably set in early winter - as to subtly homage the black-&-white roots of the movie's substance. In particular the werewolves are its biggest visual triumph - nowhere else have I seen as aesthetically-pleasing werewolves. With a slight spoiler warning, my favourite scene in the movie is the final werewolf fight. In particular where the werewolf almost elongates his claws before our very eyes and scratches the wall to enlighten his menace is a truly stunning cinematic moment.
Stephen Sommers's talent at going over-the-top is all to the benefit of this movie, a rollercoaster of a movie, a thrilling modern homage to monster movies. It's got a believable plot. It's got nonstop action from start to finish. It's got an awesome, well-executed werewolf fight. What more could you want? Take it. (I wouldn't watch before going to bed if I were you, though.)
Too Bad Kate Bekinsale was in this trainwreck... 
2008-10-23 - This film is a joke, and not a very funny one. From start to finish, this film is a ridiculous excuse to cram as much cg imagery and revamped monsters into one horrifyingly bad film. It ranks up there with Big Trouble in Little China in the "So Bad it's good" category. But really, its mostly just freaking terrible. Indiana Jones, James Bond, Blade, everything in this movie was stolen from a better movie.
Popcorn movie
2008-09-13 - This not a great movie; it doesn't try to be and doesn't take itself too seriously either. But its basically made well enough to qualify as light comedy/action/horror entertainment. However, there is an intense 5 minute scene that comes close to being great and that I re-watched 5 times because it was a really well done action scene. Its the part early in the movie where Helsing arrives into the village is attacked by 3 vampires flying down at him while he fires back with his machine gun cross bow - Great Fun!!! The girl Vamps were sexy, and the Count delivered a few good lines also. The movie is definitely better than average on every level.
