uninvolving, juvenille

Rating: 2/10 (8 May 2004)

Van Helsing 1/5
After the film, my friend turned to me and said `Aren't you sick of the over-use of computer animation in movies these days?' With Van Helsing, the answer is a resounding YES! This is yet another film that proves that special effects alone cannot make up for a lousy script. The best special effects are still the ones you don't know are special effects.
With VH going after vampires and werewolves at the same time, you just knew this was going to be a compromise.
There's nothing particularly scary in the film. The best monster of all happens to be Dr Frankenstein's monster, who actually does have a heart and a mind. Hommage is paid to James Bond Q department and maybe a bit of Indiana Jones and Spiderman. Unlike Indiana Jones, the Van Helsing character is humourless, flat and uninvolving. The first Spiderman film had a heart. This film has virtually no pulse.
With a rating of PG-14, you knew Van Helsing was going to be a juvenile, silly affair, and it hits the mark precisely. There's got to be a video game version coming soon. Is it worth seeing again or buying on DVD? I don't think so. Let's hope there won't be a sequel.
Review by Triniman