In your face Special Effects

Rating: 1/10 (11 May 2004)

First let me give you a frame of reference as to some of the movies that I have liked in the past, "Pitch Black", "Underworld", "The Matrix", "13 Going on 30", "Dracula" (the original), "Tombstone", "Cat People", "An American Werewolf in London" and on and on. Some of these movies had special effects, but the difference between these movies and "Van Helsing", is these movies had plot and acting.
Too many movies rely on special effects and this one was definitely in that category. Why does Hollywood think we want to watch a video game? Because that's what today's special effects are giving us in the movies. Wouldn't Mr. Hyde have been more believable and frightening if they had chosen a massive actor with an evil demeanor instead of a video game looking character. And an authentic fight scene is always more enjoyable without special effects (or at least a minimum).
Within 30 minutes, I was tempted to leave and go into a different movie (wish I had!). Maybe this one did have plot, but it definetly had no depth. I didn't enjoy it and would not recommend the movie to anyone!