I go to movies to enjoy them... and I did enjoy Van Helsing!

Rating: 10/10 (7 May 2004)

I was prepared not to like this movie because of the hype. I'm married to a Vampire Move Lover. I like them too, but really like romance, if there is also something else going on. We both enjoyed this movie! Not only was the movie beautifully made as far as effects, but the people in the movie were also beautiful in their own right. I can't imagine anyone leaving in the middle of this movie, because if they did, they obviously did the movie a great disservice. The best of it was in the middle and toward the end. Of course, to each his own. If anyone is to give a summary of a movie, it stands to reason that they would at least give it a complete summary. Anything less is rather absurd, and gives the summary a condescending feeling... at least to me. My thoughts: Roxburgh was the most beguiling Dracula I have ever seen, from the way he pronounced his name to the way he obviously felt fear and pain when confronted with Van Helsing in the final moments. That was a surprise. Yes, I found it scary, but not in a terrifying way... in a "this is a semi-serious horror movie with special effects and lots of little surprises" way.
Okay... my 12 year old daughter wasn't scared by the movie, but thrilled is a better word. She jumped, shrieked, and even laughed. Is that so bad? No, it's not the Exorcist of the Vampire world... it's a well done story of the timeless legends of Vampires and their brethren... in a fantasy world that I found captivating, and fun. There wasn't an overabundance of blood, though I found the scene in the vampire "nursery" a big icky... The little bit of romance there was tended to be more a thought than an action... and was a nice side trip to the fast paced action elsewhere.
Overall - I loved it and really do believe it earned all 10 of the stars I gave it. I want to see it again already, and I just got home from the theater a little while ago.