Van Helsing

What's the Plot?

Van Helsing (Hugh Jackman) is both a cursed and hunted man. Charged by a secret organisation, his job is rid the world of evil. Not understanding his duty, the very people he protects have labeled him a murderer. After facing down one such evil form amongst the rooftops of Notre Dame, he is called to the Vatican for his next mission. Dispatched to the shadowy world of Transylvania, Van Helsing finds a land where legendary creatures of darkness have come to life, and appear to either be under the rule of, or, in some part, created by Count Dracula (Richard Roxburgh). Van Helsing's mission is two-fold: help protect the remaining member of the royal family that has been brought to the brink of extinction by Dracula and his Brides (Elena Anaya, Silvia Colloca, Josie Maran); and kill the over-400 year-old undefeatable Dracula. However, Van Helsing finds that his "charge" - Anna Valerious (Kate Beckinsale) - is a fearless hunter in her own right and will also stop at nothing to avenge her murdered family. Dracula, though, who's world-altering plan that involves the wolfman (Will Kemp) and Dr. Frankenstein's monster (Shuler Hensley), is too close to completion to let it be stopped by 2 mere humans. But he's never met, and fought, Van Helsing... or has he?

The Review

Sommers (Writer/Producer/Director) gave the world it's first true stab at re-creating an Indiana Jones for a new generation with The Mummy's Rick O'Connell, but lost it with over-powering CGI, over-complicated plot and minimal characterisation in it's sequel. The good news is that his latest creation is a far superior job than The Mummy Returns, but the evidence of the previous mistakes are still very much up on the screen. Jackman's Van Helsing, who bears more than a passing resemblance to his other character of X-Men's Wolverine - missing memories; anger issues; hair problems - gets the full Indy Jones treatment, replete with hat and intro that has his face hidden in shadow until the cinematic time is right.

The CGI on show is some of the best of recent memory - Dr. Jeckyl puts The Hulk to shame - but, yet again, it takes over the whole film. You even get a finale that doesn't totally deal with 2 of the main characters, but no spoiler here! Let's just say that I would expect to see the title character in a big fight, but I didn't. Jackman and Beckinsale do what they can with their limited dialogue and thankfully only Beckinsale has to try to do a "tran-van" accent, but it's curious that Roxborough's Drac doesn't even though he's hung around (pun intended) the area for 400 years! Admittedly, the twist that Helsing is the original 007, with his own Q, played by David Wenham, is fun, except that Bond never took him along on missions; only his gadgets.

His position of comedy side-kick isn't helped by lines such as "why does it smell of wet dog in here?" after Helsing's first meeting with The Wolfman. Van Helsing is a pleasant enough time waster, but it's not nearly good enough to start a franchise or go up against the likes of Spiderman 2 and win. If the plot had possibly been kept simpler, with less villains, then maybe it wouldn't have suffered as the villain-heavy Batman Returns did. Popcorn and CGI-fed punters will no doubt love it, but the more demanding will feel their blood, will and money being sucked out of them... yet again.

STEVE'S SCORES

The choice for a new generation

The old school of adventure followers