many flaws, but ultimately fun

Rating: 7/10 (17 May 2004)

I took my kids (17 & 13) to see this on Friday. While we all had fun, on the ride back, pointing out parts of the movie that were not done well, in the end we all enjoyed it.
Hugh Jackman and Kate Beckinsdale were solid, if unspectacular, in the leads. The Friar was very good as comedy relief, Dracula's brides were alternately luscious and vicious, Frankenstein's monster was very well done, even with the steampunk edge to him. This was more the monster from the book than from the old Universal films, but, for me, it worked.
Dracula was a bit insipid and the CGI'd Mr. Hyde was almost cartoonish. As another reviewer pointed out, there were no scary moments, but this was, to me, much more of a CGI action picture, with a horror motif, than a horror movie. (Might as well complain about the lack of science in Star Wars, but then I have done that myself.)
In the end, we had a good time, the movie wasn't great, but it was a fun kickoff to the summer.