Should have been called 'Tarzan of Transylvania'

Rating: 5/10 (5 March 2005)

There wasn't a lot to like about Van Helsing. It was a camp rehash of old fashioned horror movies, which worked for the Mummy because it had snappy dialogue, a cohesive and character based plot, and good acting. Unfortunately Van Helsing lacked all these things.
The dialogue was pedestrian and mundane at best, horribly clichéd at worst, the plot was also rather monotonous and lacked any focus, and the characters lacked heart (no pun intended- most of the baddies did eventually get stakes through theirs). Even the impressive special effects packed action sequences began to get a little dull and repetitive, as every time the good guys got into a tricky situation they always had some handy rope, creeper or electric cable nearby to swing themselves to safety. After a while I thought I was watching a film about Tarzan!
Hugh Jackman was wooden and soulless, Kate Beckinsale was the most unconvincing action heroine I have ever seen, surpassed in ridiculousness only by her Romanian Gypsy accent, and the brides... well, I would rather forget about their hammy, screechy overacting altogether. Two small redeeming factors were Richard Roxburgh and David Wenham, both of whom performed their parts with enough aplomb to carry them off, while at the same seemingly conscious of how silly they are being, whereas Jackman and Beckinsale take themselves altogether too seriously.
I wouldn't sit through this mish-mash of a story again, so it definitely doesn't have the same kind of repeat playability as Sommers' Mummy films. I had hoped for something of the same calibre from such a good director of comedy action adventure romps, but I was disappointed.