Review: Van Helsing
DVD & Blu-ray: Van Helsing (2004)
When Van Helsing came out, despite it starring Hugh “gorgeous” Jackman, I thought ‘Nah, there’s only ONE Van Helsing, and that’s Peter Cushing’. So this was a first watch for me.
Directed by the King of ‘those sort’ of films; Stephen Sommers (The Mummy, GI Joe), you know, those bonkers CG heavy American action/fantasy films, it’s sort of like The League of Extraordinary Gentleman in style, a mish mash of Universal Monster ideas and characters with Jackman Playing Van Helsing as a long haired demigod of action with a crossbow (phwoar).
Oh and Kate Beckinsale is in it as the Princess/love interest/leather clad sex kitten (shame really that she gets so typecast, as she’s a pretty great actor – Love and Friendship – check it out).
Here’s a surprise. This is, contrary to my previous assumption, a really fun film. The crappy CG and set design actually add to the story, giving it a truly comic book look and feel that for me, worked really well. The acting is hammy and over the top, but again, it works.
It’s a romp, with flying vampire wives and a very off ending, and an extremely enjoyable one. Which is a testament to not believing what the critics say, have a watch and make your own mind up!
Peter Cushing might have a rival.
Gasp!
SPECIAL FEATURES:
- Feature Commentary with Director Stephen Sommers and Editor/ Producer Bob Ducsay
- Feature Commentary with Richard Roxburgh, Shuler Hensley and Will Kemp
- Van Helsing: The Story, The Life, The Legend
- Track the Adventure
- You are in the Movie!
- Evolution of a Legacy
- Bloopers
- The Masquerade Ball Scene “UnMasked”
- The Art of Van Helsing
- Monster Eggs
Van Helsing is released on 15th February 2021.
Review by Tina from a disc kindly supplied by Fabulous Films.
