Van Helsing (2004)

User Rating:

5.5/10   

Director:

Stephen Sommers

Writer (WGA):

Stephen Sommers (written by)

Release Date:

7 May 2004 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Drama | Fantasy | Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

The One Name They All Fear

Plot:

The notorious monster hunter is sent to Transylvania to stop Count Dracula who is using Dr. Frankenstein's research and a werewolf for some sinister purpose.

Plot Keywords:

Van Helsing | Dracula | Monster | Vampire | Transylvania

Awards:

2 wins & 13 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Sun. Nov. 8

1:00 PM

FX

Cast

Hugh Jackman	...	Van Helsing
Kate Beckinsale	...	Anna Valerious
Richard Roxburgh	...	Count Vladislaus Dracula
David Wenham	...	Carl
Shuler Hensley	...	Frankenstein's Monster
Elena Anaya	...	Aleera
Will Kemp	...	Velkan
Kevin J. O'Connor	...	Igor
Alun Armstrong	...	Cardinal Jinette
Silvia Colloca	...	Verona
Josie Maran	...	Marishka
Tom Fisher	...	Top Hat
Samuel West	...	Dr. Victor Frankenstein
Robbie Coltrane	...	Mr. Hyde
Stephen Fisher	...	Dr. Jekyll (as Stephen H. Fisher)

Also Known As:

Van Helsing (Czech Republic)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for nonstop creature action violence and frightening images, and for sensuality.

Runtime:

131 min

Country:

USA | Czech Republic

Language:

English | Latin

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

France:U | Malaysia:18PL | Italy:T | Iceland:12 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Sweden:11 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Brazil:14 | Canada:14A | Chile:TE | Finland:K-11 (re-rating) | Finland:K-15 (original rating) | Germany:12 | Ireland:12 | Netherlands:12 | Norway:11 | Peru:PT | Philippines:PG-13 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG (original rating) | South Korea:15 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Zurich) | UK:12A | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

Shuler Hensley, playing Frankenstein's Monster, also stood in as a body double for the CG Mr. Hyde for fight scenes between him and Van Helsing. Shuler wore a cardboard cutout with Mr. Hyde's face on top of his head so Hugh Jackman could have a point of reference when looking at his face.

Goofs:

Continuity: Anna holds the syringe at shoulder height when she approaches the wolfed-out Van Helsing, and when he jumps into her you see her hand go over his shoulder. There is no way he he could have been stuck in his lower abdomen with the needle as the scene shows.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Dr. Victor Frankenstein: It's alive. It's alive. It's alive!

Movie Connections:

References Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo. (1966)

Good stuff

Having watched the film (more than once)i must say that i think that the person who wrote the comment "A Stupid and Extremely Disappointing Movie" is being silghtly childish. You cannot watch a film like Van Helsing with out taking it with a pinch of salt - it is a movie with vampires, werewolves and the frankenstine monster in at all at once for goodness sake. So you cannot go in to it thinking in a literal sense. You have to accept that it is not going to be some ground breaking epic and that it is just a bit of fun - but at the end of the day that doesn't matter, because if you go in with the right attitude and you enjoy it, then what does it matter that it is a bit "off" in places. I thoroughly enjoyed the film and would definitely recommend it to any one who likes action/fantasy films and is up for a bit of fun!