A lot of film critics have ripped "Van Helsing" to shreds on the premise that it is ridiculously goofy.
Some of the negative words used to describe the movie - unbelievable, cheesy and lacking any serious content whatsoever. And those criticisms are accurate.
But, far worse than a cheesy movie about a black-cloaked, muscular hunk of man chasing vampires and werewolves, would be a serious movie made on the same topic.
This action-packed fantasy flick never has a dull moment and thankfully, never takes itself too seriously.
Australian mega babe Hugh Jackman plays Dr. Gabriel Van Helsing, a monster hunter who is both murderer and holy man.
After visiting his buddies in Vatican City, Rome, Van Helsing is given the task of hunting down Count Dracula in 19th Century Transylvania.
Jackman's portrayal of Van Helsing was a little less wonderful than I had expected. He just doesn't seem too excited to be playing the part of the name feared by many.
Kate Beckinsale plays the stubborn beauty, Anna Valerious, whose family has been fighting Dracula for centuries, to no avail, and whose great-great-great-great (maybe even a few more greats) grandfather vowed the family would never rest in heaven until Dracula was killed.
Richard Roxburgh plays the ever popular Euro-trashy Count Dracula, with long fashionable hair and earrings. I must add that over the years, Count Dracula has become less of a tough guy - more of a latte sipping wimp who has others do the dirty work for him. This, of course, would make Bela Lugosi roll in his grave. But while Roxburgh doesn't come close to capturing Lugosi's accent for more than a few lines here and there, he does get the chicks.
I commend Sommers on bringing in three gorgeous women, including Maybelline model Josie Maran, to portray Dracula's wives.
However, being dead, vampires do not give birth to live offspring, so Dracula's castle is filled with gooey egg sacks holding baby bat creatures, in need of a jolt of life.
This is where Frankenstein's monster comes in, as the key to proving God is not the only one who can create life.
What I liked about "Van Helsing" is that it's exactly what I expected it to be. It's a story about a mysterious guy who hunts monsters. The most exciting part of the movie is an action scene on a horse-drawn carriage involving fire, and a flying vampire chick through the mountains of Hungary.
There's a sprinkle of witty humor throughout as well as a few suspenseful action scenes. It's not scary by any means, and not as cheesy as I was expecting - until the end.
I've seen worse endings, but they've been on movies that have sucked the whole way through. "Van Helsing" was a good movie, until the last 15 minutes when a wheel barrow full of cheese was dumped on the set.
If you liked this, you might also like: "Underworld"
