Some of Column A, Some from Column B

Rating: Null/10 (25 June 2004)

"Van Helsing" Column A: There doesn't seem to be much of this going around so I'll try: there are a few things I think the film-maker's did well in the production. First off, if someone were to try and jam 90% of the most famous Gothic characters into one film AND attempt to create a coherent (if not anywhere near plausible) storyline around it - this isn't too shabby. Secondly, as an avid movie and television watcher, it is really hard to find anything that is genuinely surprising anymore, but I did find a few twists in the film that were completely original; namely, the clever integration between the Frankenstein subplot and the main Dracula one - a truly diabolical application of technology I must say. In addition, there are some very scary ideological underpinnings that sprout from the fictitious reinvention of the leading antagonist characters. It was a cool answer to the question, "if Dracula and Dr. Frankenstein met, what would they talk about?" In short, it was these two factors of surprise and clever integration of multiple themes that made the movie worth watching.
On the flip side, we have column B: What the film has in ideological plot ingenuity it lacks in its rampant efforts to "make its mark" in the action genre; Sylvester Stallone's Rambo and Sigourney Weaver's Ellen Ripley define the persona's of Van Helsing and Anna, respectively. The characters are often shunted around as more staples of a different genre rather than key players in Gothic fiction. They're tired veterans and experienced soldiers, and as such, they are completely desensitized to the genuinely creepy, violent, and monstrous elements of their world. Some people accuse the movie of being over the top; rather, I think that the film is just missing some of the drama of watching all-too-human characters butt-heads in a conflict that creates an all-encompassing, paralyzing, bed-wetting fear. This Van Helsing is an icon, but nothing more. We watch in awe and amazement at the things he does, but forget him just as quickly after because his humanity (such as compassion and fear) has been shone away in a way that ours hasn't.
In general, this creates a strange paradox for potential viewers; the plot gracefully argues the shared Gothic core of the original fiction where emerging technology and magic question our beliefs about the nature of the divine, but presents it in a way that heralds the later action/sci-fi genre - using the magic and science as a plot device to deliver what boils down to a really big brawl.
My recommendation: if you're willing to look past the brawl because you love Gothic fiction, you will be heartily rewarded for the film's attenuation to the original spirit of the works; namely, the integrative treatments of Dr. Frankenstein's "monster," and (to a lesser extent after the first reel) the origin tale of Dracula. If that doesn't matter to you and you just want to see a supernatural slug fest, then have no reservations about checking out the film - immediately. Drama in this film is few, far-between, but wholly rewarded when seen; even so, their are many surprising and genuinely fun moments that are worth watching for any audience.