By: debbie lynn elias
Some of the most legendary monsters from Hollywood and history (and no, its not my family members, although there are strong resemblances) come together in this sci-fi-tastical tale of vampire hunter Dr. Gabriel Van Helsing. Set in late 19th century Eastern Europe, the Van Helsing legend takes a little twist as he encounters not only Count Dracula (who in history van Helsing was long rumored to have pursued), but Frankenstein’s Monster, the Wolf Man and even a little cameo by Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde, as well.
Picking up where the 1931 Universal classic “Frankenstein” ended, Dr. Frankenstein has just brought his monster to life compliments of an untold amount of harnassed electricity jolting through the creature’s body. But, as the townsfolk are ready to storm the Frankenstein castle and laboratory, enter Count Dracula. Seems the Count has been keeping tabs on the good doctor and appears on the scene ready to take the doctor’s notes, machinery and monster off his hands lest hey be destroyed by the rabble rousers. Not one to succumb to pressure, the doctor refuses Dracula’s request, only to succumb to death by vampire bite. Grief-stricken over his Master’s death, the monster carries the doctor’s body up into an abandoned windmill which is ultimately torched by the townfolk as in the 1931 original.
Meanwhile, we have Dr. Gabriel Van Helsing, a man who has dedicated his life to pursuing – and killing – monsters, deep in the investigation of a young woman’s brutal murder. Seeing and sensing a hulking evil presence, Van Helsing takes off in pursuit of the shadowy figure, eventually finding him to be none other than Mr. Hyde of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde fame. Battle ensues between the two, er, three, but things don’t go quite as Van Helsing planned and the “oops” factor rears its ugly head. But when one is a famed monster hunter sworn to protect the innocents and destroy evil at the behest of a super secret religious society, there is some degree of forgiveness to be found and Van Helsing soon finds himself summoned back to the Vatican for his next assignment – destroy Count Dracula. Seems the Count is in desperate need to discover the life giving secrets of Frankenstein’s Monster if he and his vampire brides want to perpetuate their lineage. After all, being dead makes it a bit difficult to give birth to live children – which explains what the Count was doing at Frank’s lab. (Ah, it’s all making sense now, isn’t it?!)
At the ready, Van Helsing quickly moves on to Transylvania with this trusty assistant Friar Carl, where they find a screaming mob and burning windmill. Too late to save Dr. Frankenstein but still hot on the trial of a burning monster and flying Count, Van Helsing also finds himself prey to the angry crowd. Thanks to an attack by three flying Vampiresses, the crowd gets distracted and Van Helsing saves the day with some high tech weaponry leaving him to his mission. But wait a minute…as if he doesn’t have enough to deal with, he soon finds himself saddled to, er, teamed with, Princess Anna Valerious, the last in the line of a family sworn to destroy Dracula, who brings her own special gifts to fighting monster mayhem. And so, the hunt goes on…….
Hugh Jackman stars as the sexiest Van Helsing to ever hit the screen. Even more impressive than his natural sex appeal, is his larger than life screen presence and physicality that keeps his character from becoming overshadowed by the incredible amount of CGI and monster effects. Jackman exudes a tongue in cheek confidence that just draws you into the legend and the man with every shot. And as for Kate Beckinsdale! She rivals not only Jackman for physicality and screen presence, but more than holds her own against every bit of evil she encounters without once ever appearing disbelievable. One of my favorite performances, however, comes from Richard Roxborough who gives a deliciously humorous take on Count Dracula. And for all you Harry Potter fans out there, yes, that hulking gentle giant we all know as the lovable Hagrid, Keeper of the Keys, switches to the dark side here as Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde. Making characterization extremely difficult for the actors in this film is the massive amount of CGI and special effects to which they must play off. Surprisingly, there’s not a bad performance in the bunch and every “human” character shines forth with their own nuances. Noteworthy is a non-recognizable Shuler Hensley who gives an emotionally sympathetic performance as the Frankenstein Monster.
Written and directed by the man who bought us two other Universal remakes, the blockbuster 1999 “The Mummy” and 2001 “The Mummy Returns”, Stephen Sommers clearly demonstrates his affinity with the Universal horror films of days gone by. Taking bits and pieces from “Frankenstein”, “The Wolf Man” “Dracula”, etc., with a generous blend of elements from “Star Wars”, “Indiana Jones” and “James Bond”, Sommers innovatively pieces them all together with more skill than Dr. Frankenstein himself. Toss in Sommers’ own patented brand of electrically charged high energy and you’ve got a winning work, jam packed with everything the avid movie goer, horror, action adventure fan (and girl) could want.
I would be remiss to not mention Allen Daviau’s cinematography and Allen Cameron’s production design. These two were essential to creating the look and feel of the film, bringing us beauty and brilliance amid horror and darkness, resulting in a stunning visual display that catapults you into the world of the fantastic. Add a heart pounding score by Alan Silvestri and the picture is complete.
So sure of themselves over the success of “Van Helsing”, Universal purchased/currently leases the town in which the film was shot in anticipation of sequels and franchising galore. Given the incredible sets, the high production values, energetic and innovative directing and scripting of Sommers, not to mention one hunky monster hunter, I think they’ve got their bets covered. “Van Helsing” is a spectacular fantastical adventure guaranteed to become what is, hopefully, only the first in a series of new Universal monster classics. And what the heck – it’s a helluva lot of fun to boot!
Gabriel Van Helsing: Hugh Jackman Anna Valerious: Kate Beckinsale Count Dracula: Richard Roxburgh Frankenstein’s Monster: Shuler Hensley Mr. Hyde: Robbie Coltrane
Written and directed by Stephen Sommers. A Universal Pictures release. Rated PG-13. (131 min)
