One monster turkey.

Rating: 3/10 (10 May 2004)

Van Helsing will strike fear into any sane movie-goer's heart. The movie is one incredible failure that should never have seen the inside of a cinema.
The premise is cheesey, but at least has potential for some light entertainment. The concept of bringing together a collection of famous, nay infamous, horror creatures for a piece of cheesey villainy could have been carried off so much better.
However the complete lack of story-telling skill, the overwhelmingly tedious computer generated effects, and the absence of any sense of threat from Dracula himself render the movie simply a waste of time.
Events happen that have no bearing on the remainder of the film, and action sequences are dragged out for what seems like hours. Plot threads are created, and then abandoned and ignored when they no longer suit the director's requirements. The entire end sequence is one example - a clearly expressed deadline is simply forgotten with no ill effects.
The only redeeming features of Van Helsing are the black and white intro sequence - cheesey and corny, but at least entertainingly so - and the sight of Kate Beckinsale in a fabulously sexy outfit.
For all the monsters Van Helsing has slain, the one he missed most was the one that should have died at birth. This enormous monstrous turkey of a movie.