Van Helsing (2004)
Genre: Action / Horror
Duration: 131 minuten
Country:
United States / Czech Republic
Directed by: Stephen Sommers
Stars: Hugh Jackman, Kate Beckinsale and Richard Roxburgh
IMDb score:
6,1 (305.644)
Releasedate: 5 May 2004
Van Helsing plot
"The One Name They All Fear."
Eastern Europe, nineteenth century. The famous vampire hunter Gabriel van Helsing is on a mission to conquer evil. Not only Dracula, aka Vladislaus Dragulia, has his attention, but also Frankenstein's monster and The Wolf Man are reviewed.
Actors and actresses
Van Helsing
Anna Valerious
Count Vladislaus Dracula
Carl
Frankenstein's Monster
Aleera
Velkan
Igor
Cardinal Jinette
Verona
Reviews & comments
ClaudiaK92
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- 15 messages
- 17 votes
I really like this genre, but I can imagine that there are people who don't like this at all. It's not a blockbuster, not an original story. But for the time nice effects, Jackman and Beckinsale are a nice couple to see and a nice old-fashioned horror feeling. Misty and dark landscape that has never seen a ray of sunshine, well-chosen music and some well-known monsters. Recommended for those who like horror/fantasy.
Translated from Dutch · View original
DVD-T
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- 15565 messages
- 3129 votes
Very very entertaining. I'm a big fan of Sommer's movies. And certainly from Van Helsing.
The acting is very good right from the start and the actors clearly have a lot of fun doing it. Also their delivery of lyrics is great. Roxburgh in particular is great in it. Especially the "I Am Holloooow" monologue is brilliantly written. But Beckinsale also has a great piece of text that immediately makes short shrift of a cliche: "I think if you're going to kill somebody, kill them! Don't stand around talking about it!". Greatly written. Also great that the opening scene is in black and white. It's great to set the mood there. We also get some great action scenes. Especially the climax and the moments leading up to the climax are very grandiose.
The rest is just as fantastic. Great to see many Universal monsters in a movie. Although I did miss The Invisible Man a bit. Still one of the best Whale's monster movies. Silverstri's score adds a lot to the film. He kind of does the same thing here as he did in Back to the Future and that's making the whole thing seem bigger than it is. The visual effects in the paris scene at the beginning are pretty bad compared to the rest of the movie. But they don't really take you out of the movie. Effects later look good to fantastic.
Stephen Sommers has done a great job with Van Helsing. And this is perhaps his best and also his best film.
Translated from Dutch · View original
Onderhond
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- 87623 messages
- 12889 votes
Not good.
But it is also a Sommers film, it is not really suitable to bring this type of film to a good end. You actually need a Burton in good shape for this, but Sommers can't quite match that.
The goal is a kind of cheerful monster flick mixed with the adventurousness of an Indiana Jones. And purely on the basis of the facts, the film succeeds in doing so. The atmosphere is light, lots of adventurous action and no shortage of monsters of course. But facts don't make a good movie.
Visually it is not to look at. And that's apart from the somewhat "wrong" effects that are reminiscent of the old monster movies. Lots of bad CG and mediocre upgrade from the old effects. Acting is also very mediocre, with a few heavy miscasts (Jackman first). The fact that the plot is not much is not really a problem for a film like this, but the fact that it all leans so much on coincidence does little good for the film in the end.
With its 130 minutes it takes way too long. There are few exciting scenes in it (perhaps only the prom) and the overwhelmingly gothic never quite comes out. No, Sommers remains a very limited director.
1.5*
Translated from Dutch · View original
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