Van Helsing (DVD)

Set in the late 19th century, monster hunter Dr. Gabriel Van Helsing (Hugh Jackman) is sent to Transylvania by a secret sect of monks to annihilate evil forces... evil forces with names like Dracula (Richard Roxburgh), the Wolf Man (Will Kemp), and Frankenstein's Monster (Shuler Hensley). Gabriel soon meets the corseted and gutsy Anna (Kate Beckinsale), who is the heir of a family committed for centuries to overcome Dracula's reign of terror.

After the silvery and shadowy black-and-white homage prologue, the movie takes an 'Indiana Jones meets James Bond' turn, even introducing a very Q-like character, the gadget-doting Carl (David Wenham), a friend and friar who accompanies Gabriel to Transylvania. When the movie hits its stride, it's action and horror all the way. Rated PG-13 in part for "nonstop creature action violence", they aren't kidding: The battles are indeed nonstop and fairly violent, but there's enough explanation between the action to sustain it. There isn't quite enough reason to sustain the film for two hours and twenty five minutes, but with so many monsters demanding their due it must have been hard to decide where to cut. Even though the running time is a bit excessive, there's never a dull moment.

As the Dr. Van Helsing we all know from Stoker's immortal novel, he is the character in name only. Much of the mythology has been mooked, but it serves the purpose of Sommers' plot and as such, Jackman is the best man in an already well-cast film. He brings panache, intensity, and a sense of irony to the larger-than-life fighter for right, and if the movie does well Jackman could very well have another franchise (ala X-Men) with a fits-like-a-glove character to play in the years to come. Another thing that fits like a glove is Becksale's costume, but she is more than just a leather-clad Eastern European Victorian babe — Anna has an agenda, and she is not afraid to run with the big dogs. The biggest dog of all is her brother Velkan who’s been transformed into the Wolf Man and is being manipulated by Dracula to do his evil bidding.

As Dracula, Roxburgh is workmanlike and certainly adequate, but from the POV of this female he does lack the smoldering sensuality of others who've embodied the role – Christopher Lee, Frank Langella, and especially Gary Oldman – and that flattens the character a bit. On the other hand (or batwing as the case may be), Dracula's trio of brides are certainly among the best ever depicted on film. Marishka (model Josie Maran), Verona (Silvia Colloca, who really got into her role and married Roxburgh last month), and Aleera (Spanish actress Elena Anaya), are beautiful, horrible, emotional, and cold all at once. They wear flowing chiffon in pastels reminiscent of the vampire vixens in Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992); that is, when they're not buck-naked Barbie-like bats. The luscious ladies fight for their undead man with ferocity, making Gabriel and Anna run for their lives more than once. The Brides are certainly one of the best things in the movie.

Another great addition is Frankenstein's Monster, not much changed from his original design but certainly updated with blazing electricity always running through his noggin. The Wolf Man makes abrupt transitions from Velkan to a CGI canine that remind me very much of the classic illustrations and depictions of The Big Bad Wolf. The toothy monster is fierce and ferocious, but since he's mostly a digital creation he gives the actor very little to do when so briefly in his human guise. Kevin J. O'Connor plays an overly made-up Igor and offers much of the comic relief with his usual ease. Finally, there are the diminutive henchman of The Count, known collectively as the Dwergie, who look like they belong in a movie that's a cross between Star Wars and Willow. But they're wisely used sparingly, therefore making them a fun and quirky supplement to the monster mash.

Van Helsing plays fast and loose with "the rules" and purists may pooh-pooh that, but as far as I'm concerned, the title character notwithstanding, it's actually truer to the original Universal monster flicks than it's been given credit for. Yes, many of the scenes are acted overwrought; corn spews in the dialogue on occasion; and there is silly comic relief in between the intensity — but all these tactics were employed in movies such as Dracula (1931), Frankenstein (1931), and The Wolf Man (1941).

Despite a sappy ending that almost ruins the entire film, Van Helsing actually exceeded my expectations when I saw it on the big screen. Seeing it again on DVD didn’t change my opinion: It’s a fun, pretty-to-look-at, popcorn flick. Nothing more, nothing less.

The DVD is presented in widescreen and features two separate commentary tracks. The one from director Stephen Sommers and producer Bob Ducsay is rather “We love our movie!” gung-ho (as well it should be; who wants to listen to someone lamenting over shoulda-coulda-woulda?) and technical. The second track, featuring Roxburgh, Kemp, and Hensley, is fun and light-hearted. It’s obvious the three were in the room together, riffing off each other and enjoying seeing the movie for the first time (the commentary was done in a private screening room prior to the film’s release, as is so often the case with current-year movies).

Explore Dracula’s Castle is an little interactive  featurette that allows you to move around with your remote control. You can explore every corner of the vampire’s lair, and some of the characters are on hand to share secret or little-known facts. It’s pretty well done, but not quite as good as some other “explore” features I’ve seen (Master & Commander’s exploration of the ship, for example, was fascinating – this one is merely entertaining, but not essential).

Bringing The Monsters To Life is a look at the CGI effects which is interesting from a technical point of view, but it really deconstructs the fantasy. Unless a movie is futuristic or science fiction and computers are naturally on my mind as I watch it, I’d rather not be thinking about the actors against bluescreen and hanging from wires.

You Are In The Movie shows different scenes from the film presented from unusual angles. This feature was shot with tiny cameras on set at the same time as the shots used in the final version of the film. The one mounted on the movie camera is pretty cool, and it’s fun to see the scenes from different “fly on the wall” perspectives. The 5-minute running time is just about right.

Van Helsing: The Story, The Life… The Legend is a look back at the evolution of Van Helsing from Stoker’s page to his screen debut in 1931. It’s not a very thorough look, and most of it just focuses on Jackman’s unorthodox portrayal of the character.

There is also a passable Blooper Reel and an X-Box Van Helsing game demo.

Van Helsing is part of what I call “Universal’s triple threat for Halloween” – which includes an unrated version of 2004’s Dawn of the Dead, and a Special Edition of 1982’s The Thing (both of which are reviewed here on the site).

Read Horror.com’s interviews with the cast here.