May 15, 2004 06:07 AM
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(Updated May 18, 2004 06:08 AM)
May is a month for great movies, Van Helsing, later to be followed by Troy, then Shrek 2 then The Day After Tomorrow. Yes, I am perpetually living in the cinema this month. (Though I gave Main Hoon Na a miss!) The release of Sommer?s version of Van Helsing has eagerly been awaited by many and the ticket sales proved it.
Storyline:
Van Helsing (Hugh Jackman), monster slayer, mix of holy man and murderer, was sent to Romania by the Vatican to help the Velarious family fulfil an oath that they made once, to kill Count Dracula (Richard Roxburgh) or be forever doomed to purgatory, and seeing that the family was down to their last two descendent, Prince Velkan and Princess Anna (Kate Beckinsale) they were in dire need of help.
This story is definitely different from your normal run of the mill monster stories, first because it incorporated many different monsters, resurrecting them in different skins and expelled many of the more popular myth concerning them;
Dracula can?t be killed by a stake or a crucifix.
Werewolves don?t have hair growing from their skin rather they appear from under their human skin and rip their human skin off (woah)
Dracula and his brides don?t change into small twittering bats, but full fledge almost pterodactyl like creatures.
Frankenstein has a religious twinge to him.
etc etc ?.
even Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde made an appearance with Mr Hyde being something akin to the incredible hulk if you ask me.
What I thought About It
I would be lying if I didn?t say I loved the movie. I?m a sucker for monster movie and outrageous CGI effects. Van Helsing incorporated those two in one fluid movie that gives you the whole thing in one tasty package, adventure, action terror, love. (Oh, and the fact that Prince Velkan, Count Dracula and Van Helsing were tasty to look at as well didn?t hurt either)
The actors fitted their roles to a T. Count Dracula was awesome, mysterious, suave and chillingly cold. Richard Roxburgh brought the blood loving count to life like no other actor before him has.
Hugh Jackman of course, the stud that he is played the first ever young version of Van Helsing, crossbow totting smooth talking lethal killer.
As for Kate Beckinsale, she walked right out of Underworld from being a vampire to being a vampire hunter. There wasn?t much difference in either role, but one can never call Kate a damsel in distress.
Of course, the award winning role goes to Van Helsing?s side kick, the weapon inventing friar Carl. To think the David Wenham who played handsome warrior Faramir in LOTR could turn into this comical slightly stooped fella who provided the laughs through out the movie was excellent.
Still, the storyline is rather hanging in a few places and you are left wondering about a lot of things, Who is Gabriel and why is he still alive after 400 years? What happened between Gabriel and Count Dracula, how did Frankenstein fit into the secret to life? It?s a little frustrating to have these aspects introduced into the movie and never dealt with.
All in all, the movie was a spectacular visual fest and though there will be parts you wish a little explanation came along, you?d probably be able to skim over it with all the monster bashing and high flying action that you?ll get. Great movie.
Favourite Lines:
-I think if you?re going to kill somebody, kill them, don't stand around talking about it.
- I thought monks were not suppose to swear; I?m not a monk yet, I?m still a friar, so I can swear all I like damn it.
