Van Helsing just about works as a film if you don't take it too seriously. It's a fun fantasy romp with numerous references to 30s and 40s Universal horror films. It does have some awful dialogue (it's written and directed by Stephen Sommers, and as with The Mummy and The Mummy Returns, he proves himself much more talented in directing ballsy action sequences than bringing profound vocal utterances to the big screen). It also has some awful performances from its cast (the chief culprit being a laughable, bad Eastern European-accented Kate Beckinsale, but a fairly wooden and inconsistent Hugh Jackman in the title role doesn't fair much better) and the plot is an ugly mess - rather than a glowing tribute to classic horror filmmaking it's a ridiculous throw-everything-but-the-kitchen-sink affair. Despite these glaring issues, Van Helsing could never be called boring. Yes, it might be a bit too long, but the film boasts some fantastic effects (I personally feel that the werewolves featured in the film are the finest in movie history) and the action scenes are handled well - though each set-piece is quite long, the momentum is never lost. You also have a liberal dose of humour and a standout performance in Richard Roxburgh's Count Dracula. Yes, he's hammy, but in a knowing sort of way, and he's a much better actor than Bela Lugosi ever was, and, perhaps most importantly, he appears to be having so much fun with the role. Van Helsing is completely hilarious if it's taken completely seriously, but if you're willing to suspend your disbelief, ignore its more wobbly aspects, it's quite possible to derive a certain amount of perverse pleasure from such a genuinely entertaining film.… Expand

Van Helsing is possibly the closest I have come to giving a film a 0. It is a lifeless corpse of a movie. The acting is dreadful bordering on laughable. The referencing of classic monster movies doesn't only fall flat but it grates. Richard Roxburghs Dracula is over the top in the worst possible way and the scripting is dreadful. If anything its one saving grace is a remarkably entertaining intro to the character of Van Helsing (even if Hugh Jackman is terrible as the title character) with the fight between Jekyl and Hyde being a fun piece of action. Its the films only saving grace and its only 5 minutes. The film lumbers on after that, slowly killing your soul. It's dire and thats before it gets to the end where you get to witness Lion King esque sky visions. Because copying Disney in a monster movie seemed like a good idea at the time. Don't watch it, and if you do, bring a pillow.… Expand

To save you valuable hours of your life, here's a summary of the whole movie: Big action scene with monsters, Bad CGI, People talk fast, Big action scene with monsters, Big action scene with monsters, Big action scene with monsters, People talk fast, Big action scene with monsters, Bad CGI, Big action scene with monsters, faux-dramatic scene, Big action scene with monsters, Bad CGI, Bad CGI, Fin.

I heard great things about this movie. It failed at keeping my attention but I have to say that the graphics and concept was truly something out of the ordinary. I'm a fan of vampire movies but this was not something I could get myself to enjoy.

For me a movie underestimated. It 's just a movie for entertainment, but it succeeds well in the order and tells an interesting story about Van Helsing starring Hugh Jackman (a role that seemed inappropriate to him but he managed to play well).

If Bram Stoker resurrected and see what they did with his story, he kill himself! this movie is just, i don´t know, this movie simply have no reason to exist

Eh, it's pretty mainstream and a good example of shallow storytelling, sure, but it's ok after all if viewed with the right mindset. Not that I'm into those things that much, but the action segments and the CGI were not bad at all, so combine that to a story that is... well, I'd say more "neutral" than bad, like incredibly obvious and, again, mainstream... and I guess you get something "ok-ish" out of it. I admit it also has some minor sentimental value to me, seen this one a lot of time ago.… Expand

Van Helsing is a definite thrill ride, just the never-ending action sequences were so prolonged that it got quite annoying after a while.

Easily one of the worst movies I have ever seen. It's caused me physical pain to watch. The special effects were horrible. In the flying vampire women scene, you can see the digital boxes around them whenever they fly! Don't waste your time.

To think 160 million dollars went into one of the worst movies i've ever seen. Blade II uses half that amount, and gives you twice the fun, and axes those annoying Transylvanian accents. Dracula's brides were cool when they didn't talk. That crossbow is a good use of Retro-futuristic imagination. But everything else is a total wreck. How could ILM screw up so badly? Those FX guys worked with Steven Spielburg, for heaven's sakes! Even the musical score fails to deliver. Oliver Stone's disasterous Alexander at least had uplifting, epic music from Vangelis, but this stuff was just garbage. Just watch the mummy movies for hollywood cheese. This blunder doesn't even qualify for those lowly standards.… Expand

I guess people hate this movie, huh? Well, I'm weird.

Easily, may I repeat EASILY, 2004's biggest cinema dissapointment. It's not a terrible movie, I just expected it to be a classic on the lines of Batman Begins or Spider-Man 2, and, well, it wasn't. It had pretty good FX and the action scenes were enjoyable, but the plot was just a rip-off of Godzilla if you think about it. The bad guy is trying to let his billions of babies hatch to rule the world. That's pretty much it. I will, however, admit that Van Helsing and Dracula are likable, but all the other characters hace as much life as Dracula's children, for a few momentary seconds they may have life, but then right after they lose it.… Expand

Noisy, fast paced, boring, lacking any depth. Very nice effects and lots and lots of actions. Also sometimes stylish design and lots of effort. If only it had plot and charisma.

Another epic breakthrough by Universal studios. I loved the monster violence, but the story needs some help. Definately a solid 9.

Very Good Movie. The characters were well thought out and designed. The Special effects were awesome. The plot could use some work, but overall a very good movie, that I recommend.

How can anyone give this movie a 10? Seriously folks, I understand that everyone has different tastes in movies but a 10? It's not Casablanca. Bottom line is that this movie provides a weak story (which is fine for what this movie tried to be), awful acting (which is never ok), horrible cgi effects, and god awful dialogue. I wish I could rely more on the internet to get a decent idea of what to expect in regards to movies. Apparently that is just not going to happen. Honestly, if people really love this movie and want to rate it a 10 then I am not surprised at all with the dung that Hollywood continues to churn out.… Expand

Here's another under-appreciated movie. This is a movie where people went into it....expecting...well...I don't know what they were expecting! I was expecting an 'action packed thrill ride with amazing special effects' ....and that's what I got. The action (which almost NEVER STOPPED) was amazing, the effects were jaw dropping, the plot was cool, the villains and monsters were cool.....the directing was awesome, (sometimes the camera brought A LOT to the screan...Sommers is really turning into an awesome Action Movie director. See this if you want fun action, with great effects and cool characters. I don't know what everyone else was expecting, but they obviously didn't get what they expected. What I described is EXACTLY what to expect. Go into this movie expecting that, and chances are that you won't be disappointed.… Expand

Sure the beggining is a bit slow, but I can't help but be furious with most crititcs because the special effects are gougeous, the plot is pretty cool, and the action is intense. I would have given it a 10, but the slow begginig detracts 2 points.

If you must.

If you enjoyed this movie...what DON't you enjoy? It's just too lame for my tastes...

Cheesy, but thoroughly enjoyable. Kate Beckinsale never looked better.

Reminds me of a swan sculpture made of crap. No matter how nice it looks, its still crap, and WTF is up with the oompa loompas with goggles.

I watched this movie and kept it running. Peed. Watched this movie and kept it running. Cooked dinner. I never really missed a thing during these absences, because it was continual special effects overload. It just went on and on. In the end, I felt that if I saw one more flying vampyress, I was going to beat the s... out of her and the TV. The effects were great, but it was all just a tad over the top. … Expand

Too long. Sucks.

I fell asleep way too much, boring...

Van Helsuck? No, Van Helsing. The new monster mash of a movie from the director of The Mummy series. Although, Van Helsuck would be an appropriate title for this. There are so many things wrong with Van Helsing. First of all, the plot is so overstuffed, the film always seems confusing and will leave a bad taste in your mouth. Second of all, the acting isn't really something to shout from the hilltops about. But, the special effects are really spectatuclar, and if you could forget all the things wrong with Van Helsing and just focus on the dazzling visuals, you will have a good time. I'd wait till DVD on this one. … Expand

DEFINATELY FUN! It's what alot of folks go to movies for...suspension of reality...and ALOT of FUN!!! I bought the DVD and it will have a home in my collection.If you can't enjoy this one...I'd like to know what you can. It has everything,great acting,great scenery,costumeing was very COOL and animation was stunning.The work that went into this movie seems of epic proportion and you can't beat the lead role casting...to of the newest "best" actors there are...so go to it,buy it and for gosh sake have fun...it's only a movie!!but a really well done one!… Expand

This is the worst movie ever. this movie is a atrocious butchering of all that is good in this world. Burn this movie to erase it from the pages of history, for if a higher power or more intelligent life was to stumble upon this piece of trash, they would surely decide that we are unfit to continue existence. Sommers butchers every legend, tale, or story that has every involve anyone of these characters in this movie. Trash.… Expand

For a popcorn movie this kicks ass. I was never bored and some of the effects were breathtaking. if you want a serious movie to contemplate then this is not for you. if you want to sit down with some nachos and be taken on a wild ride then check this out.

This movie made no sense not even for the low standerds set by summetime action- adventure flicks the score was loud and annoying and frankly so was the movie there was no real plot and the special effects werent realistic or compelling in any way whover wrote this has no real compassion towards monster movies since frankenstein is sensitive and misunderstood and vampires can walk around in the daylight before i saw this it felt like they just threw a bunch of monsters together without any logic thinking poeple would be stupid enough to see it well unforuntely they were right since the audience i saw it with clapped and cheered at the end obviously these kinds of movies dont have to be intelligent or thought provoking but if thats the case shouldnt the action and the effects take up the slack? anyone who enjoyed this movie needs a lobotomy quick!… Expand

The special effects were fine the acting also but the direction "oh my god" it made me sick and dizzy! kill the director!!!!!!!!

I loved everything about it! It was the greatest movie I have ever seen in my life!

Van Helsing was a great thrill ride. Hugh Jackman was like Johny Depp in Secret Window. A little too many special effects. But great animation. It was a good movie.

I liked this movie with lots of non-stop action which wasn't good had no real story though. I thought it was a good B List movie with some humor thrown in I liked it okay and The San Fransico Chronicle and Wall Street Journal can shove it for giving it a zero.

For a fantasy movie, Van Helsing is two-thumbs up movie, but as to the rest, Van Helsing has much to say.

Pay no attention to Dan...It seems his only way of critiquing a film is attempting to humiliate those who don't see things exactly as he does. It is definitely worth seeing, if you are a fan of the Dracula and Frankenstein horror stories.

This is a great thriller movie.

Van helsing. first of all the name VAN suggests that this fella is of dutch origin. why would a dutch guy go around killing famous horror classics when he has horrific dull landscapes to paint is beyond me. i guess during child upbringing, parents should urge their kids to take art lessons?...is this the idea? as for the so called "horror legends" such as dracula and frankenstein, they would be terrified to have their names associated with this film, no need for wooden stakes here...they are allready taken care for, avoiding anymore bad scripts. the person who played dracula should be allowed to meet horror film fans at a convention so he can enjoy a meal of fresh vegtables in his face. the actor (too lame to be named here) kind of tries to mimic a romanian accent but he comes across as an angry french waiter. which by the way is very scary if you ever saw one. van helsing fella (too redundant to say his name here) does a good job of keeping the production value as low as possible so the director can keep up with him in order to create a complete crap of a film. this fella was decent in the x-men movies and now we know for a fact that his acting skills are result of amazing on screen luck. either that or the fella who directed the x-men films (some young punk) took like 300 shots for a single scene. whatever the case, this guy aint no buffy. for the ammount of money they spent on this film one would anticipate a marvel, now we are only marveled by how much nothingness a money can buy.… Expand

A blast of a movie that kept me glued to the screen- fantastic effects, alluring females (well, it's true) and a gripping score- to keep the film alive. A must for fans of the (admittedly) cliched action thriller: as this film most certainly is.

Would I see this again? No. But do I regret seeing it? No. Hey, I went in expecting a stupid action movie with hot women, and that's what I got. Final score: 6 Final score without Kate Beckinsale's cleavage: 2.

Un film à aller voir !!!!

Just the worst. I was tempted to flee the movie several times. The beginning was your typical cookie cutter "I made frankenstein" scene. Count Dracula's actor was not at all scary looking. Poor casting. Van Helsing was boring and barely killed anything. He had a weapon that created light as powerful as the sun but never used it until the end ballroom scene. If he had a bag full of these devices he could have destroyed all the vampires from the very start, instead he uses turbo arrows that never hit anything. Vampire babies? What the heck? So like how do they make a "Dead" baby, grow it into a form then put it into a sack and its still dead. Just need electricity to make it alive. Right. Scene after scene makes no logical sense. Stupid stuff happening one after the other. They swing around like tarzan with one hand on the rope, one hand holding a girl across a river 1000 feet high with no injuries. Have you ever tried to hold on to a rope or bar with one hand. Good luck. Nobody had any super powers unless I'm missing something. Just a joke of a movie. Basically this movie SUCKS.… Expand

Okay, not the best SCIFI I've ever seen, but definitely a good way to kill an afternoon. Worth the matinee, but don't pay full price for this one.

This movie was fun!

It sucks!

Hey vicky... congratulations on seeing your first movie.

Is this fun? No. Are the visual effects great? No, they're horrible. What about the actor's performances? Inept. Direction? Non-existent. A monumental waste of $160 million dollars. I'm sorry if this will sound a bit arrogant, but even I could write a better movie. What a disappointment.

Loved it, gonna go back to see it, excellent action in the movie, so who cares how the story works out?

I wasn't expecting much when I went in but even my lowest expectaions were shattered by this dull and noisy hunk of crap-o-la. For all of the promotion the movie received it looked as though it were pratically thrown together. Perhaps the worst movie I've seen in a long long time.

Silly, mindless fun. Very cheesy at times, but I loved the visuals and the tongue-in-cheek homage to classic horror flicks.

By the time the credits started rolling my forehead was red from slapping it so much in stupefied disbelief. This movie can be summed up with a quote from Futurama where Fry says "Wow, it has a vampire AND an explosion." If you liked this film, lean over here so I can slap you.

I thought this was an excellent and entertaining movie. I went into the theater skeptical, but found myself really enjoying the film. The only downside was that it was a little long. But don't listen to "steaming turd" kid, it was well worth the price of a movie ticket!

This was a great movie, no doubt about it. It has all of the original horror movie characters, pretty good acting, (I love Frankenstein) and some really good action. I heard "this movie has no plot", and "there's no way you can mix frankenstein, the werewolf and dracula and come out with a good story". Well, I think it worked, and it worked very well. I would definitely recommend this movie if you are into those old horror creatures, but don't want to see a horror movie, but a great action movie.… Expand

For all those people who are rating this movie bad you have serious issues... I'm not kidding, really I'm not. I love horror/action movies and this satisfied both. The cast and location couldn't have been better either. Every single aspect was perfect. I could watch the movie over and over again and it wouldn't get boring at all. I throughly enjoyed Van Helsing and so should you.… Expand

Absolutely the best movie I have ever seen in my life! The whole story ties together into a mysterious romantic thriller. You see the classic villians such as the Wolfman, Dracula's Brides, Count Dracula, and Frankenstien. No other movie can surpass the greatness of such a wonderful movie as this. This movie is simply THE BEST!

Everyone here is right. This story DOES have a plot. It's just a crappy one. Ok, so get this. Dracula, who has recently asked Dr. Frankenstein to raise a corpse, tries to use the same method used to revive the Frankenstein monster to bring his thousands of babies back to life. Because he is undead, they are born pre-dead. Thus, he must put life in them. Utter, utter schlock. it was probably only made because it gave millions to ILM. Kudos. You have made crappy movie history.… Expand

Easily the noisest and emptiest movie of the year, Van Helsing even manages to minimize Jackman's innate charisma. While the set designs sometimes excel (Dracula's castle growing OUT of the mountain is an eye-opener), Stephen Sommers, as he did with the Mummy movies, manages to make our favorite scary monsters boring. And what is with Kate's Romanian accent? Slide her back into leather and the Underworld movies where she's nice eye candy.… Expand

This movie was very exciting and a thriller.

Utterly terrible CGI schlock-fest. And awful CGI at that! There is nothing to recommend in this movie - the acting, plot (lack of), dialogue, music, and - most of all - directing attain new levels of crap. Go only if you feel particularly masochistic.

Id rather die then watch van helsing once more.

The maker of this movie must be flogged in public and then stoned to death!

It has lots of gross parts but I think it's the best movie I have ever seen! Even my friends think that! I would give it five stars!!!

*Sigh*... I'd predicted it would fall into mediocre drivel once I started seeing more and more previews for it, and then once I learned the director of the Mummy films was making it I was really skeptical to even go to it. But gone I have, and dissapointed I am. Rather than try to appeal on a few levels to the audience in really fleshed-out, good ways, the film tries too hard to appeal to every level and fails on all. It's not properly distributed...the entertainment, it's like they tried to cram in as much random stuff so as not to miss something that could be considered appealling but lost sight of even achieving any one thing remotely interesting or captivating. If you go into the film with low expectations (quite low) you will be pleased, if you go into the movie with reasonable expectations, you will be dissapointed. As expected the CG is good, and there are some definitely interesting locations, but Sommer's use of dialog and attempt at establishing character pale in comparison to the visual elements of his pieces. Yeah, The Mummy films and Van Helsing look great, but taking away the CG elements youre left with a rather sour taste of poor character development and even worse dialog. It wasn't the worst movie made by any means, or even neccesarily "awful" but instead of bursting onto the scene in all its potential glory, Van Helsing stumbles out of the curtain in shame and shuffles off shamefully to the resounding tune of many "boo"s.… Expand

Stephen Sommers previous movies all had a great combination of adventure, action, witty dialog, and gee-wiz factor. This movie sadly does not. It's like a different guy wrote and directed it - a guy not quite as talented as Sommers. Not to say that the movie was badly made or it should be walk out on, but rather just another over-produced, big-budget, summer wiz-bang disappointment. I really hope that this is not a sign that Stephen Sommers best work is behind him - that would the real disappointment.… Expand

I tried very hard to enjoy this movie - - I really did; I turned off almost all of my brain - - but it just wouldn't click with me. It's a terrible letdown. Perhaps the only enjoyable part for me was the ending, because I was laughing hysterically at it. I wanted badly to scream "Mufasa!" during that sequence. If you were unfortunate enough to pay for this trash, you will know what I mean.… Expand

The entire first half of this movie drags along while you continue checking your watch and praying for the end. And while the second half is a bit better, the movie could not be saved. Too bad, I was really looking forward to this one too.

Van Helsing has a race-along story with plenty of action but never quite lives up to its promise - probably because it falls between various stools. There are nods and references to action movies from James Bond to Indiana Jones as well as untold Dracula and Frankenstein films but it is this tangled mess that lets it down: Van Helsing doesn't know what kind of film it is. There is no character development and any one-line gags more or less fall flat. Good fun though it is at times and visually enjoyable for both its CGI and fetishistic costumes, the plot groans under the weight of too many improbabilities and handy devices - for example we have to accept the Vatican not only employs adepts and monks from every other religion but they work to invent (among other things) a gas fired crossbow so it works like a machine gun. This movie touches on an interesting idea but never properly explores it: as a savior of the human race a person may rightly or wrongly have to be considered a murderer. But perhaps the film never intended to explore anything more than endless rooms in huge castles.… Expand

A disappointing film with bad dialog, so-so acting, less than impressive effects, and a really cheesy ending. This movie had great potential, but was unable to deliver the goods.

Van Helsing 1/5 After the film, my friend turned to me and said ?Aren?t you sick of the over-use of computer animation in movies these days?? With Van Helsing, the answer is a resounding YES! This is yet another film that proves that special effects alone cannot make up for a lousy script. The best special effects are still the ones you don?t know are special effects. With VH going after vampires and werewolves at the same time, you just knew this was going to be a compromise. There?s nothing particularly scary in the film. The best monster of all happens to be Dr Frankenstein?s monster, who actually does have a heart and a mind. Hommage is paid to James Bond Q department and maybe a bit of Indiana Jones and Spiderman. Unlike Indiana Jones, the Van Helsing character is humourless, flat and uninvolving. The first Spiderman film had a heart. This film has virtually no pulse. With a rating of PG-14, you knew Van Helsing was going to be a juvenile, silly affair, and it hits the mark precisely. There?s got to be a video game version coming soon. Is it worth seeing again or buying on DVD? I don?t think so. Let?s hope there won?t be a sequel. Review by Triniman … Expand

Good special effects, nice action, fun lighthearted escapism. Not a serious movie for all you tight as--- who are trying to analyze a summer movie. Lighten up and have fun. The movie was meant to be light and entertaining, not change the world.

I walked into Van Helsing excited at the prospects. I thuroughly enjoyed Sommers' Mummy films. So I went in expecting good action and simply a fun summer film. This even fell short of those low expectations. This was obviously nothing more than a thrown together script with every monster character and cliche Universal had at their disposal. Universal has entrusted way to much to this film with a video game, tv series, and unfortunately sequels in the mix already. The only part that made this film worth sitting through was Kate Beckinsale who as usual is stunning. Now the question remains will Universal films continue to jam this crap down our throughts or will they abandone their pointless side projects for this movie. The only future I see for this film is on a five dollar bargain rack collecting dust next to Gigli.… Expand

This movie was fun. It wasn't as bad as people are saying it is. I enjoyed it. It's not the best movie out, but it's not the worst.

In the past 2 years, I've been sorely disappointed by 2 monster flicks, Underworld and now Van Helsing. I had high hopes for the show and was let down in every way. The plot was clunky, the action boring, the acting, terrible and the characters comical (not in a good way.) Can't believe they messed it up so bad.

This movie will and is awsome cuz it takes place in Romania (w00t).

Have no doubt -- this is a bad movie. I thought it might be fun based on the premise and the previews. It was a little amusing. The script is awful, with so much corny bs that it actually becomes sort of amusing. There is so much illogic to many plot points that it astounds the mind. Most of the technical aspects are decent. The special effects are of decent quality. The sets are interesting. The locations and constumes are fine. The problem with this movie is the script and the bad accents.… Expand

This is a great flick -- if you're a thirteen year old boy. Grossly disappointing, crammed full of noise, flash and spectacle, but even Hugh Jackman's valiant efforts can't hold it all together.

Unlike "The Mummy," this film was quite enjoyable. The sets and cinematography are wonderful (and should be recognized somewhere), and it's full of action. Not a terrific film, but definitely not worth the bad press it's getting.

This Movie is utterly ridiculous, has hollywood ran out of stories to tell? They have Van Helsing, Dracula, Mr. Hyde, Frankenstein's monster and the Werewolf running around. I almost died with laughter. I just wanted to see Frankenstein bust a colt .45 revolver, that would finish off this movie. This movie should have just been converted into a spoof comedy during the production -- Oh wait it all ready is -- it just wasn't done intentionally … Expand

I thought it was fun. It had excellent special effects and a very hot leading man! It isn't necessarily great movie-making, but it doesn't have to be.

Words cannot describe what a complete and utter mess this film is, so I won't bother trying.

Ok so its not the most realistic film you will ever watch, nor is it the most gripping but I have to admit that despite its many flaws Van Helsing managed to entertain me for 2 hours. True a lot of that time i was thinking "oh how convenient that the rope you are swinging from is pointing exactly at the room where the main character is held hostage" etc but if you're after a good popcorn movie where you can turn off your brain, laugh at the charcters (like the ultra camp dracula) and just enjoy it then I would recommend it!… Expand

DREADFUL...Simply dreadful!

I spent several hours in deep thought attemping to draw at least one positive feeling out of this movie experience, and thus far I have drawn a blank. I give it a 1 because I liked the font they used for the credits.

Oh My God!

I was screaming "END DAMMIT" in my head through-out most of the movie and, at about 2 hours in, i walked out...

Awesome effects, the plot sucked but it was still lots of fun. The ending isn't as good too, but you should see it for yourself.

2. For the adorability that was David Wenham scuttling around as a little beetle priest. Everybody else sickened me. I genuinely wanted those stupid vampire brides to explode and kill them all.

What a huge pile of suckass!!! Don't even rent this when it comes to DVD.

"Van Helsing" was a monster disappointment. I went to an advance screening and the film was WAY too long and there is no character development. The mythologies of Frankenstien, Dracula and the Wolfman shouldn't be mixed. The special effects and CGI are amazing, but that's about it.

Great special effects. Mediocre acting and story. Fun show to watch... up until the final 5 minutes. If the movie didn't end as it did, I would have rated it at least one point higher.

The special effects were amazing. That is about the only positive thing to say about this movie. The acting was wooden, the dialog was shallow and unengaging, but by far, the worst aspect of this movie is the plot. Written for those who recently fell off the turnip truck or who, like Frankenstein, have an abnormal brain, this screenplay is completely devoid of any redeeming qualities and is frankly just stupid and insulting. There is no emotion connection either between the characters or between the characters and the audience. Several plot lines teased throughout the film are left unresolved in a most unsatisfactory way for the viewer. What is most upsetting after viewing this film is the recognition that a concept with such potential was executed in such a poor and wastful way.… Expand

This Movie is utterly ridiculous, has hollywood ran out of stories to tell? They have Van Helsing, Dracula, Mr. Hyde, Frankenstein's monster and the Werewolf running around. I almost died with laughter. I just wanted to see Frankenstein bust a colt .45 revolver, that would finish off this movie. This movie should have just been converted into a spoof comedy during the production -- Oh wait it all ready is -- it just wasn't done intentionally … Expand

It sucks!

While the special effects were good, the movie was built on stereotype after stereotype after stereotype. Wouldn't be exciting for once if the two main characters didn't fall in love? Not only must you suspend your belief in reality, which I have no problem with, but you must also suspend basic physics laws and the construction abilities (could they really build a castle that big and cool in 1400? Why does a vampire need that many fires lit?) … Expand

Enjoying this movie is completely dependant on expectation and predisposition. It is not a good movie. I loved Legue of Extraodinary Gentlman for what if offered, epic super-human characters come to life, but I still know that it wasn't a "good" movie. Vanhelsing will amaze you in its depictions of vampires and Frankenstein and Warewolves....but its plot and character development will leave you annoyed if you need it. Its a fun and visually enticing ride, if not 45 minutes too long, but not for everyone, that's for sure.… Expand

I just got back from seeing this film. Frankly, I wish I had never gone. What a shocking film! They have taken a good idea and shredded it to pieces, and have tried and failed to cover it all up with below par cgi stuff. I'm an action movie buff and can sometimes forgive bad scripts with good action and grahics. This film has neither. What a dud.

This movie was so amazingly bad, that it was good! Bonus points for the crazy evil Oompa Loompas and the fact that after continuous backbreaking falls and assaults the main characters did not bear so much as a scratch on them. Overall a truly horrible action movie, but at the same time an amazing comedy feature.

Since I really hated Stephen Sommers' brain-dead, sloppily computerized Mummy movies, I went into his gloss on the mid-1940s Universal Studios Frankenstein-meets-Dracula-meets-(fill in the bank) flicks with very low expectations and a real sense of dread. And, I must admit, Sommers blindsided me. A wildly energetic, everything-including-the-kitchen-sink hodgepodge of Universal, Hammer, Indiana Jones, James Bond, the Howling movies and the Alien films (!!!), this movie incredibly fast-paced, don't-look-back popcorn movie is the dictionary definition of a "guilty pleasure". Sommers doesn't have one iota of Buffymeister Joss Whedon's storytelling skills or wit, but attempts to compensate by throwing so much at the audience (vampire brides! Mr. Hyde!! A Frankenstein monster with a breakaway face!! Gatling-style archery!!) that I'm surprised he didn't try to make the movie in 3-D. Hugh Jackman is typically charismatic in the title role (even if he's occasionally overwhelmed by all the STUFF whirling around around, over and under him); Kate Beckinsale, whose psuedo-accent is delightful, does more for bustiers than anyone since Jennifer Lopez as Selena. Special props to Richard Roxburgh's Wagnerian Dracula turn; his wall-walking entrance is unforgettable. If your cinematic superego craves nourishment, Kitchen Stories or Barbarian Invasions, is, I'm sure, playing SOMEWHERE; Van Helsing, meanwhile, is perfect comfort food for your moviegoing id.… Expand