DVD Review: Van Helsing (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)

By Jeff Swindoll Jul 8, 2008, 12:10 GMT

Legendary monster hunter "Van Helsing" (Hugh Jackman) is summoned to mysterious Transylvania on a mission that will thrust him into a sweeping battle against the forces of darkness! With non-stop action and electrifying special effects, "Van Helsing" is an adrenaline-powered motion picture event Roger Ebert calls "Spectacular!". ...more

Something old and very little new is found in this re-release of the Hugh Jackman starring take on the classic Universal monsters.  The problem is that the plot is as much of a mishmash as the Frankenstein monster, but it does offer some comic corn if you’re in the mood for it.  

In 1887, Dr. Frankenstein’s (Samuel West) castle is being stormed by angry villagers with torches (in black and white no less) as he’s brought his monstrous creation to life.  He’s also interrupted by Count Dracula (Richard Roxburgh) who is checking up to make sure that Frankenstein completes his work. 

The good doctor discovers that Dracula has only been funding his experiments for some dark purpose and the doctor is disgusted to find out the real reason, but the Count breaks his back for his troubles. 

The revived Monster (Shuler Hensley) takes his “father” and heads for the nearest windmill, Igor (Kevin J. O’Connor) calls out to them and the angry mob follows and torches the windmill.  Dracula and his brides arrive and anguish over the apparent death of the monster since he was an important cog in their dark scheme. 

In 1888, Gabriel Van Helsing (Hugh Jackman) is in Paris tracking down Mr. Hyde (and by default Dr. Jekyll as well).  He works for a section of the church that deals with fighting evil.

After completing his assignment he returns to the order to find that he’s to go to Transylvania with Friar Carl (David Wenham) and help Anna (Kate Beckinsale) and Velkan (Will Kemp) Valerious defeat Dracula.

The Valerious family has been trying to put an end to the Count since the 1400s and their bloodline cannot enter heaven until he’s staked.  Anna and Velkan are the last of their line and the hope for their ancestors in limbo.  Van Helsing is brought into this old fight and finds that he may have a connection to the Count that he didn’t think possible.  

Van Helsing follows Stephen Sommers’ reimagining of the Mummy.  However, the box office wasn’t so kind to this stitched together monstrosity of a film and a series of sequels equal to the Mummy franchise was not to be.  To that end many of the questions brought up in the film go unanswered, like Van Helsing’s real identity.

The nefarious plot of the Count is pure comic corn and is pretty stupid when you sit down to think about it.  The other monsters are only brought in by the merest of threads.  For a better monster combo pic check out 1944’s House of Frankenstein that features horror icons Boris Karloff, John Carradine, Lon Chaney Jr., with support from Lionel Atwill and George Zucco. 

Van Helsing feels like a videogame version of those old monster films sped up for a new generation and there might be part of the problem.  Classic monster fans may well find something to love in this mess but I think that most will hate what is done with the classic characters. 

Aside from the lame scheme, Roxburgh’s Prince of Darkness is more a pauper and is replaced by a CGI bogeyman during the finale (as is Van Helsing).  I found Jackman more able as Van Helsing but those nagging plot details (possibly to be answered in further films) tend to make him feel like half a character. 

Beckinsale is a woman of action, but has little to work with and a Transylvanian accent that borders on parody.  Shuler Hensley tries to bring some humanity to the Monster but other actors have had more to work with, as his part feels abbreviated. 

There are some entertaining parts, but you’ll be scratching your head over the plot.  Van Helsing is re-released in this collector’s edition to cash in on the latest Mummy installment hitting theaters this summer. 

This edition only really adds a free ticket to see The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor.  The rest of the special features are ported from the previous DVD releases, without the classic Universal films found on disc three of the Ultimate Edition.  

Van Helsing is presented in anamorphic widescreen (2.35:1) and is enhanced for 16x9 televisions.  Disc one has a commentary by director Stephen Sommers and editor/producer Bob Ducsay and another with “monsters” Richard Roxburgh, Shuler Hensley, and Will Kemp. 

There’s also a feature that explores Dracula’s castle, 5 minutes of bloopers, the 10-minute “Bringing the Monsters to Life” showing how they redid the creatures, and the 10 minute “The Legend of Van Helsing” looking at the character. 

The 4-minute “You are in the Movie” tells how the production put a hidden camera on the film camera to give you a bird’s eye of them shooting the scenes.  You can also activate this function during the film so you can look at more of this footage when an icon appears.  Next are two trailers (3 minutes total), a Van Helsing X-box demo, a 30 second Shrek 2 preview, DVD-ROM features, and 1 minute of DVD credits. 

Disc two has an interactive map that explores locations from the film (The Village – 8 minutes, Frankenstein’s Lab – 6 minutes, The Vatican Armory – 5 minutes, and the Burning Windmill – 6 minutes).  The Evolution of a Legacy section has a feature that explores Frankenstein’s Lab, the 2-minute “Dracula’s Lair is Transformed,” and the 9 minute “The Music of Van Helsing.” 

The “Van Helsing: The Story, The Life, and the Legend” section contains an 11 minute look at “Dracula,” a 9 minute look at “Frankenstein’s Monster,” a 12 minute look at “Werewolves,” and a 14 minute look at “The Women of Van Helsing.”  

This release is timed to try and cash in on having a Mummy sequel in the theaters, but only adds a ticket to that film as something new.  If you have the other releases, especially the Ultimate Edition, you already have everything but the ticket.  

Van Helsing (Two-Disc Collector's Edition) is now available at Amazon. As of yet, this version of the DVD is not available in the UK. Visit the DVD database for more information.