Not as bad as all that but still no classic Spoiler

Rating: Null/10 (1 November 2004)

In yet another odd attempt to re-translate Victorian British characters as fantastical "super heroes", Hugh Jackman plays Gabriel Van Helsing, the alleged younger brother of Abraham Van Helsing from the Bram Stoker's "Dracula" stories. This Van Helsing is a kind of amnesiac world trotting super-spy/assassin who goes around whacking monstrous creatures that threaten man kind and what not. After a bad run in with Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde, he is sent to dispose of Count Dracula (Richard Roxburgh) with squeamish monk/gadget man Carl (David Wenham) in tow along with a shapely princess named Anna (Kate Beckinsale). Along the way they encounter the Frankenstein monster and some werewolves, but are these as horrible as the secrets of Van Helsing's missing past?
Not exactly "Raiders of the Lost Ark" but not as bad as all the critics would have you believe. There are some weaknesses in story structure and some over done stunts that could have used more restraint and logic (it actually feels LESS professional than Stephen Sommers more light-hearted "Mummy" films). Jackman plays his part well enough, despite hitting a few sour notes. David Wenham is somewhat funny as his cowardly Q sidekick (but how do you go from playing Faramir in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, winning the hand of the fair Miranda Otto/Eowyn to playing Hugh Jackman's wimpy sidekick?). Richard Roxburgh goes all out over the top as Dracula & Kate Beckinsale basically stands around heaving her chest at the audience. Although I'm not a fan of Kate Beckinsale, I found her death at the end of the film rather came out of left field and should have been left on the cutting room floor (unless the idea was to make VH darker than the Mummy films).
Go ahead and rent it. It's really not that bad.