Van Helsing with Hugh Jackman and Kate Beckinsale
Synopsis of the DVD Movie: Van Helsing with Hugh Jackman and Kate Beckinsale
Gabriel Van Helsing is a man cursed with a past he cannot recall and driven by a mission he cannot deny. Charged by a secret organization to seek out and defeat evil the world over, his efforts to rid the world of its nightmareish creatures have been rewarded with the title that now follows him: murderer. Van Helsing roams the globe an outcast, a fugitive, a loner, himself hunted by those who don't understand the true nature of his calling. When dispatched to the shadowy world of Transylvania, Van Helsing finds a land stll mired inpast--where legendary creatures of darkness come to life--a place ruled over by the evil, seductive and unfeatable vampire, Count Dracula. And it is Dracula that Van Helsing has been sent to terminate. Anna Valerious is one of the last of a powerful royal family, now nearly annihilated by Dracula. A fearless hunter in her own right, Anna is bent on avenging her ancestors and ending an ancient curse by killing the vampire. Joined by a common foe, Van Helsing and Anna set out to destroy Dracula along with his empire of fear. But in challenging an enemy who never dies, Van Helsing uncovers a secret he never imagined and comes face-to-face with the unresolved mysteries of his own enshrouded past.
DVD Movie Rating for: Van Helsing
Rating for Van Helsing: 4 out of 5 stars
Movie Plot of: Van Helsing
Illustrated with over 150 movie stills, concept sketches, line drawings, and original art, this fascinating pictorial moviebook reveals the behind-the-scenes story of the thrilling movie starring Hugh Jackman and Kate Beckinsale. It includes the film's complete screenplay, a foreword by writer/director Stephen Sommers, interviews with the principal cast members and filmmakers, and text that details how Van Helsing was conceived, produced, shot and edited. From an historical overview of the horror movie genre to features on the film's amazing stunts and special effects, this unique book presents and unprecedented insider's view into the creative imagination of the filmmakers.
DVD Production Details of: Van Helsing
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Kate Beckinsale
Director: Stephen Sommers
Format: Color, Closed-captioned, Dolby
Studio: Universal Studios
DVD Release Date: October 19, 2004
Run Time: 132
DVD Extra Bonus Features
There was one mystery left: the secret of some miniature remote-controlled cameras hidden throughout Dracula's castle and other sets during the filming of the 2004 creature feature. That trick helped the film's DVD production crew capture special video of Hugh Jackman and his co-stars at work -- just one of the extras on the "Van Helsing" DVD.
In addition to footage from hidden cameras, the DVD includes a 360-degree interactive tour of the set of Dracula's castle, plus features on the special effects used to create Mr. Hyde (Robbie Coltrane), Dracula's wives and the other monsters in the film. Another segment details the evolution of the character into a younger and hipper monster hunter, as played by Hugh Jackman.
The "Van Helsing The Ultimate Collector's Edition" includes two additional discs with more extras: an interactive Frankenstein's lab; the literary and cinematic histories of Dracula, Frankenstein and Wolfman; and, in their entirety, the original "Dracula" (1931, with Bela Lugosi), "Frankenstein" (1931, Boris Karloff) and "The Wolf Man" (1941, Claude Rains).
Cast of the movie: Van Helsing
- Hugh Jackman .... Van Helsing
- Kate Beckinsale .... Anna Valerious
- Richard Roxburgh .... Count Vladislaus Dracula
- David Wenham .... Carl
- Shuler Hensley .... Frankenstein's Monster
- Elena Anaya .... Aleera
- Will Kemp .... Velkan
- Kevin J. O'Connor .... Igor
- Alun Armstrong .... Cardinal Jinette
- Silvia Colloca .... Verona
- Josie Maran .... Marishka
- Tom Fisher .... Top Hat
- Samuel West .... Dr. Victor Frankenstein
- Robbie Coltrane .... Mr. Hyde
- Stephen Fisher .... Dr. Jekyll (as Stephen H. Fisher)
- Dana Moravková .... Barmaid
- Zuzana Durdinova .... Opera Singer
- Jaroslav Vízner .... Gendarme
- Marek Vasut .... Villager
- Samantha Sommers .... Vampire Child
- Dorel Mois .... Dracula's Ball Performer
- Marianna Mois .... Dracula's Ball Performer
- Laurence Racine .... Dracula's Ball Performer
- Patrice Wojciechowski .... Dracula's Ball Performer
- Kacie Borrowman .... Dwerger
- Martin Klebba .... Dwerger
- Allison Queal .... Dwerger
Photo Gallery of the movie: Van Helsing
Click on one of the thumbnails to see the full size high quality photos, posters and wallpapers of Van Helsing
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Reviews of the movie: Van Helsing
Van Helsing ends up as a high-concept adrenaline rush that never stops generating lesser concepts over its elongated 145-minute run time. Wheels start turning when Count Dracula (Richard Roxburgh) funds the creation of the Frankenstein monster (Shuler Hensley) to power a machine that will allow the vampire's offspring to live. The prince of darkness is trying to please his voracious brides, while the final descendent of a line of Transylvanian vampire hunters (Kate Beckinsale) is trying in vain to stake the brute before he ends her life. The wild card in this mix is Van Helsing (Hugh Jackman), a hired gun with a guilty conscience working for the Catholic Church to vanquish various evil beings.
Sommers is a terrible choice to helm a special effects extravaganza. His Mummy movies made Universal some coin, but his effects work stands out for all the wrong reasons. Remember how bad it looked when Brendan Fraser raced the rising sun in The Mummy Returns? And let's not mention the CGI Scorpion King from the finale of the same film. Video games boast more convincing visuals - coincidentally, you can look for a Van Helsing game in stores soon.
Nothing in Van Helsing feels quite as animatronic as the cartoon King - though an early glance at Dr. Jekyll's alter-ego, Mr. Hyde, comes close. Sommers' past success at the box office afforded him a bigger budget, which he wisely poured into expensive but impressive set designs. The town of Transylvania, Dr. Frankenstein's laboratory and Dracula's ice fortress provide memorable backdrops for Sommers' otherwise forgettable romp. Yet even here, Sommers shows little confidence in his visual ability, so he shoots the majority of his scenes in darkness, rain, or heavy snow.
Van Helsing holds deeper ambitions but marries itself to the mythology of comics, not classics. The werewolf character contributes nothing to Dracula's overall scheme, but Sommers drags him into the fray because he's a traditional Universal Studios villain. Stock horror dialogue sounds bad when barked loudly in ghastly European accents. Jackman sports a silly hat and a haircut stolen from Whitesnake's lead guitarist, but he's a disposable prop that happens to spit out the occasional one-liner.
In reality, Van Helsing owes more to Newton's first law of motion than it does to the horror classics it steals from. Objects placed in motion by the director never stop moving like energized pinballs from one elaborate setup to the next. Things move so quickly, we can't stop long enough to ask why certain events are happening. Why is Frankenstein the key to preserving Dracula's babies? Why do people continue to live in the vampire-ravaged town of Transylvania? Why did a wooden carriage burst into flames when the werewolf touched it? Oh wait, stop asking questions or you'll miss yet another CGI Van Helsing figure being thrown through yet another CGI wall.
'Van Helsing' is from the director Stephen 'The Mummy' Sommers, and that means, you get lots of actions, mostly CGI-enhanced ones, with lots of monsters, plus silly dialogues. You don't find any emotional depth or realisitic characterization here, and those who have seen his films -- any of them -- would not try to find them.
The central idea of 'Van Helsing' goes like this -- Hugh Jackman is the titular vampire hunter with a powered-crossbow, who hunts down the monsters, working for the Catholic Church. and as this is a Universal Picture, most of them were once the features of the Universal horror pictures in the 30s and 40s. You see werewolf, Jykell and Hyde, and Dracula himself, the last one played by awfully campy Richard Roxburgh. And of course, he comes with three females with fangs.
That's it, and that's all. Helsing fights against them, and meets beautiful Anna, played by Kate Beckinsale, a princess who teams up with Helsing.
From the opening black-and-white shots which is a homage to Universal horror classics, 'Helsing' never stops, showing the fights after fights against the backdrop of Gothic archtectures. Each scene is finished with first-rate CGI techniques, but the jaded eyes which have seen too many of them would see them with less surprises.
It is clear that Hugh Jackman is the best choice for the role, and so is Kate Beckinsale, but it is Shuler Hensetey who would really impress you, as the Frankenstein's tragic monster. And as for the story about the two leads, I am afraid that the ending will not satisfy all of you.
The story is long and confusing, and as to its emotional side the film remains hollow to the end, but there are actions enough for us to keep on watching, especialy the one including the Hulk-like enemy, and one extended fighting against the flying vampires. And that's only beginning of the whole 2 hour story.
Van Helsing (Hugh Jackman), a man whose past is a mystery travels the world lonely and misunderstood. Even though his mission, which is also his curse, is clearly known to him and that of the secret organization that sends him into battle to vanquish the world's most evil creatures mankind has ever encountered. Van Helsing comes face to face with legendary creatures known as Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (Stephen Fisher and Robbie Coltrane), The Wolf Man, Frankenstein's Monster (Shuler Hensley) and, the one monster - the most retched beast of them all, Count Dracula (Richard Roxburgh.) However, not all of these creatures are truly evil by nature, some have been cursed or born into it.
Anna (Kate Beckinsale) and her brother, Velkan (Will Kemp), are the last remaining survivors of their family and they're fighting to rid the fear and poison that Dracula spreads across their homeland - forever. Van Helsing teams up with Anna and Velkan, but learns Anna is struggling with demons of her own that make the mission of defeating Dracula an even harder one to overcome. Carl (David Wenham), a friar, is accompanying Van Helsing to help protect him on his mission. Carl has much wisdom and his discoveries will prove most useful in helping to concur evil.
However, many evils still lurk to put an end to Van Helsing, Anna, Velkan and Carl's mission. There is Igor (Kevin J. O'Connor), the dedicated and vicious assistant, who betrayed Dr. Frankenstein for Count Dracula; Aleera (Elena Anaya); Verona (Silvia Colloca); and, Marishka (Josie Maran) who are Dracula's blood-spewing brides and who are all in desperate need to start a family. The only one who can help accomplish this amazing feat is Frankenstein's monster, MIA.
The DVD comes packed with extras including exploring Dracula's castle; bloopers; and bringing the monsters to life; you are in the movie; the legend of Van Helsing; theatrical trailers; super bowl spot; Van Helsing X-Box game preview; and, DVD-ROM features.
Monsters and Van Helsing are ready to do battle! Get yourself ready for an explosively good time because Van Helsing is awesome!
The point is, anything seems possible with Sommers and his wily monster-movie imagination. Consider "Van Helsing," a delirious cyclone of an action movie that grabs up bits of ''Dracula,'' ''Frankenstein'' and ''The Wolf Man'' and shoots them out like silver bullets. Despite Sommer's usual taste for convoluted storylines, it's a brash, imaginative and ticklishly fun hell ride that ranks as the best of his career.
As played by "X-Men" star Hugh Jackman, this Van Helsing bears scant resemblance to, say, the version played by Anthony Hopkins in Francis Ford Coppola's "Bram Stoker's Dracula" (1992). Sommers has changed his first name to Gabriel, attired him in a smooth leather duster and equipped him with a host of James Bond-style gadgets, including a gas-powered crossbow that spits out arrows like a Gatling gun. Whenever Van Helsing ices a bad guy (in the exciting opening sequence, he duels Mr. Hyde in a Parisian belfry), he crosses himself, Sammy Sosa-style.
Like Hugh Jackman's Wolverine character in "X-Men," Van Helsing remembers only bits and pieces of his past and labors in the employ of a secret Vatican order, hoping to recover his memories. His proficiency at his job - killing dangerous monsters and assorted demons - has unfairly earned him international repute as a cold-blooded killer. Only his friends at the Vatican, including a wise-cracking friar named Carl (David Wenham from "Lord of the Rings"), know the truth.
Alarmed by paranormal activity in eastern Europe, the Vatican dispatches Van Helsing to Transylvania, where the infamous Count Vladislaus Dracula (Richard Roxburgh from "Moulin Rouge") is hatching plans for a nefarious vampire-breeding program. The scheme involves Frankenstein's Monster (Shuler Hensley), which sounds like a stretch at first but proves to be one of the movie's more ingenious plot points.
Alighting on Transylvania, Van Helsing joins forces with Anna Valerious (Kate Beckinsale from "Pearl Harbor"), a luscious Slavic bombshell whose entire family has been wiped out by Dracula, something to do with a centuries-old vendetta. Van Helsing and Anna have not just Dracula to contend with, but also three of his fanged, winged mistresses (including one played by Sports Illustrated swimsuit vamp Josie Maran) and Anna's own brother Velkan (Will Kemp), who Dracula has transformed into a werewolf.
Roxburgh is a Eurotrash riot as Dracula, playing the villain like a 19th-century pimp-daddy who sends his brides into shrieks of fear and ecstacy with the merest flip of his ponytail. Hugh Jackman is adequate - if blandly heroic - as Van Helsing, whose murky history is never fully illuminated, leading one to believe that Sommers is saving that particular nugget for a possible sequel.
Though the tempo flattens out just a bit leading up to Van Helsing's climatic showdown at Dracula's snowbound lair, the movie is consistently gripping throughout. It's also one of the most purely scenic genre movies in recent memory, combining extraordinary special effects with brooding, stormy matte backgrounds. Scenic also is Kate Beckinsale, formidably sexy in a leather bustier than would reduce a lesser man than Van Helsing to tears
