Van Helsing (2004)

"Van Helsing"

Gabriel Van Helsing (Hugh Jackman) has a past that he

cannot remember and a present that he cannot forget.

Charged with the destruction of evil by a powerful but

secret, worldwide religious organization, he is set

with a mission that will bring him to a nightmare

world of fantastical creatures where he must hunt down

and destroy them in "Van Helsing."  

Stephen Sommers, who wrote and helmed the incredibly

popular "The Mummy" and "The Mummy Returns," has a

good eye for capturing the look and feel of the

classic Universal horror films of the 1930's and 40's

(updated, of course, to take good advantage of the

high tech effects since developed by Hollywood). With

his latest opus, "Van Helsing," Sommers ups the ante

considerably with his reported $200 million budget and

kitchen-sink story that would make the old filmmakers

from Universal's horror library proud.

"Van Helsing" begins where the 1931 horror classic

"Frankenstein" leaves off. The mad scientist and grave

robber, Dr. Frankenstein (Samuel West), is jolting his

newly assembled creation with millions of volts of

electricity as the village folk storm his imposing

castle. "It's alive!" the doctor declares as a giant

battering ram smashes the castle's entryway. The crowd

will be upon him soon and his begins to gather his

notes and brand new monster to escape. But, things

take a twist from the original work when Count Dracula

(Richard Roxburgh) enters the picture and demands that

the mad doctor give over his creation and the

machinery that brought the monster to life. When

Frankenstein refuses, the count takes matters into his

own fangs and kills the scientist. The monster,

carrying his master's body, is chased into an

abandoned windmill and, as in the '31 original, it is

put to the torch.

Flash ahead a year to Gabriel Van Helsing, the

renowned monster fighter whose trade has earned him

the ire of those unfamiliar with the world of mystical

creatures that surround them in the late 19th century.

When we come upon Van H, he is examining the body of a

young woman just brutally murdered. In the distance, a

giant figure runs off and the hunter takes chase. It

is Dr. Jekyll, in his Mr. Hyde (voiced by Robbie

Coltrane) form, that Van Helsing pursues and he

confronts the huge, powerful and evil foe at the

behest of a secret, religious society tasked with

bringing all the supernatural creatures of the world

to justice. Van H is supposed to bring Dr. Jekyll in

unharmed, but Mr. Hyde thinks otherwise and the two do

battle. You know who will win but the confrontation is

exciting and funny all the same.

Back at secret headquarters, Cardinal Jinette (Alun

Armstrong) gives amnesiac Van Helsing his latest

marching orders - to find and destroy the most evil

incarnation on earth: Count Dracula. He is sent to

Transylvania to find and destroy the wicked creature

but not before he is well equipped by the society's

main munitions maven, Friar Carl (David Wenham). (In

just one of the film's many reinventions, "Van

Helsing" parallels the James Bond films and utilizes

Friar Carl as a good substitute for Q.) With

rapid-firing crossbow, silver stakes, holy water and

other paraphernalia for the fight against evil stored

away, Van Helsing takes Carl into tow and they head

off on their arduous journey to the wilds of Central

Europe.

The bulk of "Van Helsing," as you would guess, deals

with the monster killer hunting down the count to

destroy him. But, as I said, this is a kitchen-sink

film, so the vaunted vampire is not the only foe to

face. Van H and Carl must also do battle with

Dracula's three brides, a giant werewolf, untold

numbers of vampire spawn, Frankenstein's monster and,

more down to earth, contend with the beautiful (and

human) Princess Anna Velarious (Kate Beckinsale) - the

last in the line of the aristocrat family that has

been decimated by Dracula during over 400 years of

battle. For the next two hours we see the life and

death struggles as Van Helsing and his cohorts strive

to bring down his enemies and rid the world of evil.

Sommers's script reinvents rather than rips off (well,

it does rip off a bit) such films as the Universal

horror library - "Frankenstein," "Dracula," "The Wolf

Man," "Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man," Frankenstein

Meets Dracula" and on and on - and borrows liberally

from many a modern horror and adventure film. "Indiana

Jones," "Aliens," "Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back"

(with some evil Ewok-like creatures), the

aforementioned "James Bond" franchise, "Gremlins" and

more are fodder for Sommers jam packed screenplay.

Couple all of these other sources with the obviously

expensive computer generated F/X, furious fights,

bombastic score by Alan Silvestri (way too loud, in my

opinion, and I'm not the only one to complain) and

non-stop action and we have what may be yet another

franchise in the making.

When you have hundreds of millions of buckaroos to

spend on a flick like "Van Helsing" a good portion of

that cash better show up on the big screen. It is.

Sommers and his special F/X crews - there are eight,

count them, eight, effects houses credited - spent

their time well with such creations as Mr. Hyde (a

cross between Hellboy and Andre the Giant) and the

Wolf Man and Dracula's ability to walk up walls and

across the ceiling. 

Acting, as expected, takes a back seat to the F/X

machine but Hugh Jackman uses his inherent screen

presence so as not to be overwhelmed by the CGI. Kate

Beckinsale plays the bodacious babe princess with a

physicality that makes her the equal of Van H. Richard

Roxburgh gives an amusing turn to his Dracula role

with his "I'm so bored" demeanor. Shuler Hensley,

heavily made up as the Frankenstein monster, gives a

sympathetic perf akin to Peter Boyle in "Young

Frankenstein" - but without the comedy and soft shoe

dance. The rest of the supporting cast does what they

can opposite the F/X machine.

Techs are on a level you would expect considering the

huge budget. The CGI fans are going to scrutinize the

F/X but the average bear is just going to enjoy the

show. I give "Van Helsing" a B.

For more Reeling reviews visit www.reelingreviews.com

robin@reelingreviews.com

laura@reelingreviews.com

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