| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Movie Name | Van Helsing (2004) |
| Director | Stephen Sommers |
| Screenplay Writer | Stephen Sommers |
| Based on | Dracula & Universal monsters |
| Lead Actors | Hugh Jackman |
| Cast | Hugh Jackman, Kate Beckinsale |
| Genre | Action, Horror |
| Release Date | May 7, 2004 |
| Duration | 2h 12m |
| Budget | ~$160 million |
| Language | English |
| Country | United States |
| Box Office | ~$300 million |
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In the genre of horror there are three characters that at one time or another polarized the imagination of the American public. Dracula (Richard Roxburgh), the Wolfman, and Frankenstein are to horror what apple pie is to America. Each monster in their singularity has brought us to question ourselves. Dracula is the quest for eternal life at all cost, and the desire of one over the needs of the many.
The wolfman could easily represent the uncontrollable nature of man, and his constant fight to overcome that darker part of himself. Frankenstein could represent man’s quest for knowledge, and the eternal question as to if we have went to far. These creatures have passed on a legacy through their films, and it is this legacy that Van Helsing tries to reawaken.
Van Helsing (Hugh Jackmon) is a sort of biblical assassin. Working for a secret organization simply called The Order, he is sent out on assignment to either subdue or kill the evilness that resides within the world. Embedded with the training of a soldier, he obeys his commands and carries them out with great efficiency.
He will take his skill on the greatest challenge he will have to face to date. To take out the monster known as Dracula. The best version that I have seen of Dracula would have to be Bram Stroker’s version that connected with the whys of what Dracula did. It offered this unique view into the character so well that you felt sorry for the creature while still despising him.
Van Helsings’ version has some of those qualities, but not enough to feel any sympathy for him. Dracula’s desire is to have his children be brought to life, and the ingenuity of this is where the other movie monster characters come in.
Van Helsing must stop this atrocity from happening or face a world filled with decade’s worth of vampires. Highlights of the film would have to be the special effects, which really bring the wolfman’s transformation to life. The new version of Frankenstein takes a little getting use to, but it grows on you after awhile. Kate Beckinsale brings beauty to the character of Anna, and a bit of kick butt attitude to a character that seemed to be underutilized. Her side story is one thread that should drive the film, but somehow we get off her trail until the end.
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