Van Helsing
Tags: good versus evil

Plot synopsis:
In 1887 Transylvania, Doctor Victor Frankenstein creates a monster with the aid of Count Dracula, who reveals that he plans to use the creature for his own evil plans. Dracula kills the doctor as a mob of villagers storms the castle. His assistant Igor escapes, but the villagers chase the monster to an old windmill and set it ablaze. The villagers are scared off by Dracula and his brides, who witness the monster and the doctor's research apparently destroyed by the fire.
One year later, after killing the elusive Mr. Hyde at the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, monster hunter Van Helsing returns to the Vatican in Rome. He learns that his mission to destroy Dracula and his amnesia are penance for unremembered sins that cause nightmares. He is tasked with helping the last of an ancient Romanian bloodline, Velkan Valerious and his sister Anna, who must kill Dracula before their ancestors may enter Heaven. Carl, a friar, provides Van Helsing with aid and weapons. In Transylvania, Velkan is apparently killed during an attempt to trap and kill a werewolf, and Anna is attacked by Dracula's brides shortly after Van Helsing's arrival. He saves her life and kills Marishka, one of the brides, but as the last of her line, Anna becomes more determined to kill Dracula. In order to protect her, Van Helsing knocks her out to prevent her from leaving. She awakens that night and encounters Velkan, who reveals Dracula has a dark secret, but to her horror, he becomes a werewolf and attacks. After she and Van Helsing track him to Frankenstein's castle, they discover that the vampires are attempting to give life to their born-dead children, using Velkan as the source of the power. Van Helsing, dubbed "Gabriel" by Dracula, realizes they had ties in the past. Van Helsing refuses Dracula's offer to return his memory and escapes. The experiment fails, and the vampire children die, but Velkan turns on Anna as he is consumed by his curse. Van Helsing and Anna escape together.
Under the remains of the old windmill, Van Helsing and Anna encounter the monster. Because he is not evil, Van Helsing cannot allow him to be killed, even though he claims to be key to Dracula's experiment. The werewolf witnesses the conversation and escapes to inform Dracula. Meanwhile, Carl discovers a painting that comes to life, depicting a werewolf and a vampire battling. They travel by carriage to Budapest, luring the remaining brides into a trap and killing Verona. Velkan ambushes the real carriage and bites Van Helsing before being killed. Anna is captured and held as a bargaining chip in exchange for the monster. They hide the monster in a crypt, but he is taken by the count's undead underlings while Van Helsing and Carl rescue Anna. Returning to the Valerious' castle, Carl discovers an inscription and creates a doorway to the castle. After failing to free the monster from his imprisonment, he lets them know of a cure to lycanthropy that Dracula possesses. Carl determines that the bite of a werewolf is the only way to kill Dracula. He and Anna take Igor to find the cure while Van Helsing goes to free the monster. Igor escapes while the final bride, Aleera, assaults Anna as Carl tries delivering the cure to Van Helsing. Igor confronts Carl on a bridge, but the confrontation sends Igor falling to his demise. The monster saves Anna and urges her to help Carl and Van Helsing. She kills Aleera and arrives at the castle. The werewolf Van Helsing and Dracula battle. Dracula tries reasoning with the werewolf, but Van Helsing bites Dracula, who dissolves into a skeleton. Anna bursts in, causing her to be attacked and accidentally killed by Van Helsing, but not before she delivers the cure. Van Helsing returns to normal, stricken with grief over what he has done.
At a funeral pyre, Van Helsing witnesses the spirits of Anna and her family ascending into the clouds while Frankenstein's monster rows away on a raft out to sea. Van Helsing and Carl ride off into the sunset.

Review: For the Van Helsing Game-9 out of 10. Although the movie is less than excellent, I believe that the game is ten times better. I would recommend this game to anyone who wants a fun game with excellent replay value. Plus, it is only about 16 dollars now that is a year old (Oct. 25, 2005)"The Van Helsing Game is an entertaining fiend-fest with excellent actors and some new twists on old stories." -- Staci Layne Wilson, HORROR.COM"Sommers is questionable-but the game is worth the full fifty." -- Bob Strauss, LOS ANGELES DAILY NEWSAbousolute bottom line--People who did not like the movie found the game to be excellent.9/10. VG next to the title?. Looks like we still got some very smart specialists here on IMDb that still didn't get it. Folks, the VG in brackets next to the title means Video Game... 9 out of 12 people wrote a comment on the movie, my my... How could anyone take you serious when you don't even get the easiest things? Besides that, why do you all complain about it? Did you really expect an intelligent plot and acting on its highest level? Well, if you did, I don't know what to say... Back to the game, it is nothing outstanding in the action adventure genre but it's still fun to play 'cause Van Helsing is, similar to Dante in Devil May Cry, very fast and agile and the weapons are o.k., too. But the hard mode really lives up to its name, I haven't completed it yet, but I keep on trying. It has a high replay value and there's enough action to never make you bored. So, fellas, next time look carefully what you're posting for.