Not quite a graveyard smash.

Rating: 4/10 (19 July 2007)

Van Helsing plays like Underworld on a sugar high. Like Underworld, it deals with vampires, werewolves, and monster hunters with hi-tech weapons, and like Underworld, it generally cares more about those things than plot or characterization. However, while I was able to enjoy the first Underworld as a stylish comic book good time, Van Helsing gets so lost in a storm of wall-to-wall action and cartoonish CGI that it's usually more disorienting and confusing than thrilling or exciting, and the plot makes no sense whatsoever. The performances are too good for the script and some inspired moments show up here and there, including the brilliant black-and-white sequence, but overall, this creature feature was a bloody mess.