Monster Movies; Gotta love 'em!

Rating: 10/10 (9 June 2004)

A lot of people have criticised this film for being too cheesy and not loyal to the original characters, but I think it is one of the best films so far this year. I'm a big fan of classic monster movies, and director Steven Sommers has taken the best of the big bads and modernised them to make a great kick-ass actioner. The costumes are great (a certain Miss Beckinsale looked fabulous in those boots and corset), the sets were breathtaking (I won't spoil anything but those of you who have yet to see it, keep an eye out for Dracula's Masked Ball!) and the movie even succeeds in making the audience jump out of their seats several times. Well, it worked on me anyway!
I only have one quibble and that is about the dialogue. Some of the lines are a little cringeworthy when heard, but there is always some great action sequence just round the corner to distract you. And though the characters don't exactly stay true to their legendary status (Sommers bent a few rules here and there) the movie still works well, and to be honest, I don't really care if it's not like the previous monster movies, and I'm sure many others won't either. Change is good, after all!
In short, this is a great action adventure film that's fun and fast-paced, with added eye candy for both guys and girls! So damn the critics, go see Van Helsing, you'll love it! It's just pure entertainment!