Barnes & Noble

Having successfully re-imagined one of Universal's classic movie monsters in the recent Mummy films, director Stephen Sommers broadens his scope to include the rest of the gang in this extravagantly produced, thrill-packed motion picture. Although Sommers emphasizes action over atmosphere, Van Helsing still manages to be as creepy as it is exciting, maintaining a gothic look and establishing a pervasive mood of otherworldly malevolence. Hugh Jackman, whose turns in the X-Men movies have equipped him for the flamboyant heroics required by films like this one, portrays vampire slayer Gabriel Van Helsing, whose late-19th-century pursuit of Count Dracula (Richard Roxburgh) gets him caught up in a scheme that involves the Frankenstein monster (Shuler Hensley) and the Wolf Man (Will Kemp). His closest ally is Anna Valerious (Kate Beckinsale), a feisty young woman whose family has opposed Dracula for generations. Sommers takes considerable liberties with the various monster mythologies established in the Universal films of the '30s and '40s, and his versions of the classic creatures eschew the familiar look of their previous incarnations. But there's plenty here to warm the hearts of horror-movie fans, and more than enough dynamic, explosive action to keep other viewers interested. Ed Hulse

All Movie Guide

The greatest monster hunter of them all has his work cut out for him as he tracks down three deadly foes in this action-adventure saga. Gabriel Van Helsing (Hugh Jackman) is a man who has dedicated his life to battling evil forces who exist outside the bounds of nature; Van Helsing's work has not always made him friends, and a false accusation of murder still trails him. But when he's summoned to Transylvania at the behest of Anna Valerious (Kate Beckinsale), whose family has been fighting supernatural beings for generations, Van Helsing wastes no time answering her call. There, Van Helsing discovers that the undying vampire Count Dracula (Richard Roxburgh) has put a misshapen creature named Igor (Kevin J. O'Connor) under his spell, and, in turn, has forged an alliance with a hideous monster (Shuler Hensley) who was created by the misguided Dr. Victor Frankenstein (Samuel West). Adding to Anna's burden is her brother, Velkan (Will Kemp), a lycanthrope who becomes a bloodthirsty wolf under the light of the full moon. Van Helsing also co-stars Elena Anaya, Silvia Colloca, and Josie Maran as Dracula's vampire brides. Mark Deming

Product Details

• UPC: 025192040894
• Source: UNIVERSAL STUDIOS
• Presentation: Pan & Scan
• Time: 2:12:00
• Sales Rank: 31,458