" To you it's a mirror, for the Prince of Darkness, it's a doorway to Hell "

Rating: 10/10 (25 July 2009)

If you're a fan of Gothic stories, this movie is just what the doctor ordered. Nearly every conceivable horror creature created for the silver screen is resurrected for this masterpiece. Mary Shelley's Frankenstine born in 1818, Bram Stoker's Dracula penned in 1897, the fable Lycanthrope, Wolfman and even Robert Louis Stevenson's duel identities of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde are part of this magnificent and horrifying menagerie. The story also includes Dracula's Black Transylvanian castle, the pathetic hunchback assistant Igor and an army of throat-ripping, flying children of the night. But just to round-out the story the famed vampire hunter Gabriel Van Helsing takes center stage to this nightmarish saga. The film is called " Van Helsing " and is a living tribute to all the horror stories of the 1930's 40 and 50's. What this movie offers is a collection of those dark tales and nightmares we thought we'd forgotten in our youth. Not so, with the incredible special effects this film uses, those black dreams return and are more terrifying than ever. Hugh Jackman plays Van Helsing, with Richard Roxburgh as Count Vladislaus Dracula. Kevin J. O'Connor is Igor and surprisingly Alun Armstrong plays Cardinal Jinette. Samuel West is Dr. Victor Frankenstein with Robbie Coltrane and Stephen Fisher both playing Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde. For those seeking eye candy there is Kate Beckinsale and Josie Maran as Marishka. From start to finish, there is so much action, drama and savage physical confrontation it's nearly impossible to turn away. What puzzles me is the main characters' constantly fall from dizzying heights to crash against everything from thick wooden beams to concrete and stone barriers of all kinds and yet few bones are ever broken. Still, the excitement and enjoyment from this movie are incredible, so much so, it's no wonder it immediately became a Classic. Superb! ****