Product Details

• Actors: Hugh Jackman, Kate Beckinsale, Richard Roxburgh, Shuler Hensley, Will Kemp
• Directors: Stephen Sommers
• Writers: Stephen Sommers
• Producers: Stephen Sommers, Artist W. Robinson, Bob Ducsay, David Minkowski, Matthew Stillman
• Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: French (Dolby Digital-Plus 5.1), English (Dolby Digital-Plus 5.1), Spanish (Dolby Digital-Plus 5.1)
• Subtitles: English, Spanish, French
• Region: All Regions
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Studio: Universal
• DVD Release Date: May 23, 2006
• Run Time: 131 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (734 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000E1ZK50
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #15,225 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

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• For more information about "Van Helsing [HD DVD]" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Like a roller coaster ready to fly off its rails, Van Helsing rockets to maximum velocity and never slows down. Having earned blockbuster clout with The Mummy and The Mummy Returns, writer-director Stephen Sommers once again plunders Universal's monster vault and pulls out all the stops for this mammoth $148-million action-adventure-horror-comedy, which opens (sans credits) with a terrific black-and-white prologue that pays homage to the Universal horror classics that inspired it. The plot pits legendary vampire hunter Van Helsing (Hugh Jackman) against Dracula (the deliciously campy Richard Roxburgh), his deadly blood-sucking brides, and the Wolfman (Will Kemp) in a two-hour parade of outstanding special effects (980 in all) that turn Sommers' juvenile plot into a triple-overtime bonus for CGI animators. In alliance with a Transylvanian princess (Kate Beckinsale) and the Frankenstein monster (Shuler Hensley), Van Helsing must prevent Dracula from hatching his bat-winged progeny, and there's so much good-humored action that you're guaranteed to be thrilled and exhausted by the time the 10-minute end-credits roll. It's loud, obnoxious, filled with revisionist horror folklore, and aimed at addicted gamers and eight-year-olds, but this colossal monster mash (including Mr. Hyde, just for kicks) will never, ever bore you. A sequel is virtually guaranteed. --Jeff Shannon

Product Description

Universal Van Helsing - HD-DVD
Legendary monster hunter "Van Helsing" (Hugh Jackman) is summoned to mysterious Transylvania on a mission that will thrust himinto a sweeping battle against the forces of darkness! With non-stop action and electrifying special effects, "Van Helsing" is an adrenaline-powered motion picture event Roger Ebert calls "Spectacular!"

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

47 of 55 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Van Helsing is a fun, tongue-in-cheek, salute to the horror films of the 50's and 60's., April 15, 2008

By	Steven Hedge "Movie Fan" (Somewhere "East of Eden") - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Van Helsing (Widescreen Edition) (DVD)

This film is a throwback to those old 50's horror films that had classic monsters doing battle with each other coupled with the wit of the 60's era all combined with the thrills and special effects of today's films.

Entertainment rarely gets better than this. Now stop laughing at my five stars for this kind of film. This isn't the five stars you would give a film like Platoon or The Painted Veil. It's more like the five stars you would you give a film like Aliens or Die Hard. This is fun, thrilling, and engaging entertainment. It's simple popcorn fun that the whole family, for the most part, can enjoy. The CGI can be a little over-the-top, but it is still excellently done and doesn't get in the way of the story.

The film has engaging actors who, while playing their roles with some seriousness, you can tell that it is all tongue-in-cheek and one expects them to wink at the camera at any time. Hugh Jackman certainly carries the film with great charm and coolness that reminds one of Ford's Indiana Jones. Kate Beckinsale is great as his reluctant partner and just looks dang sexy in this role that brings to mind her Underworld character. She just sizzles on the screen. In addition, excellent support is rendered by David Wenham, most known for his roles in 300 and The Lord of the Rings - The Motion Picture Trilogy, Richard Roxburgh of Stealth, Kevin J. O'Conner from The Mummy, and Robbie Coltrane who is best known as Hagrid in the Harry Potter films.

The direction is confidently done and unobtrusive. He combines action and horror very effectively. The photography is appropriately creepy and atmospheric. The set designs are elaborate and the score is compelling. The entire film is excellently produced and is what I call a high octane film. This film gets you running on all cylinders. Watch it and have a blast enjoying it for the kind of entertainment it is.

The film is thrilling and suspenseful with the various classic creature battling each other and at times forming uneasy alliances. This is just old fashioned witty and enjoyable entertainment. The repeat value of this film is what also makes this film worthy of a place in your DVD collection.

107 of 135 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I Hate to Bite and Run..., November 23, 2004

By	Marc Ruby™ "The Noh Hare™" (Warren, MI USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)

This review is from: Van Helsing (Widescreen Edition) (DVD)

All said and done, this film is a tremendous amount of fun. Director Stephen Sommers takes the stuff of our favorite fictional monsters and blends them together to create a highly imaginative reconstruction of the story of Dracula. Resemblances to Bram Stoker's original tale are entirely accidental. Instead we find Dracula (Richard Roxburgh) using with Dr. Frankenstein (Samuel West) to serve some dark and nefarious purpose. Not very far in the background is a werewolf (Will Kemp) who carries part of the answer to the puzzle - when he isn't trying to chew a hole in Gabriel Van Helsing (Hugh Jackman).

Kate Beckinsale plays Anna Valerious, the last living member of her family, who have been dedicated to exterminating Dracula for some 400 years. Thanks to an oath of her forefathers, the Valerious line is condemned to purgatory as long as Dracula wanders the night. Concerned that this curse is about to become permanent, a secret order of the Catholic Church sends in their best occult assassin - Van Helsing - aided reluctantly by Friar Carl (David Wenham), who plays the mad inventor to Van Helsing's athletic efforts. Gabriel shows up to help Anna, is promptly rebuffed by the woman, whose mind is definitely her own. But the action goes ballistic, and no one gets time to be banished or stomp off.

And of action, special effects, stunts. and computer graphics there is a great muchness. Most of which looks just believable enough to keep the audience staring open mouthed at the screen. An outstanding job is done with Dracula's wives (Elena Anaya, Silvia Colloca, and Josie Maran) and the Frankenstein monster (Shuler Hensley). So good that these characters very nearly steal the entire show. Sets are equally carefully crafted, with a marvelous medieval town and two whole gothic castles. The visual impression of the film often completely overwhelms the story.

The acting is bright, with a slightly crude, sarcastic style of interplay between the characters. The overall touch is comedic, despite the inevitable sour grapes of the ending. Don't look for greatness here. The point is to create an exciting, fun experience, not to recreate the dark and brooding spirit behind the originals. Sommers does well with this tongue-in-cheek, cut-and-run style and Van Helsing proves this once again

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Better than I had thought, October 22, 2004

By	N. Durham "Big Evil" (Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)    (VINE VOICE)

This review is from: Van Helsing (Widescreen Edition) (DVD)

After writing and directing the empty blockbusters of the Mummy and the Mummy Returns, Van Helsing finds him looting Universal's monster vault once again, this time featuring the Frankenstein monster (Shuler Hensley), the Wolfman (Will Kemp), and of course, Dracula (Richard Roxburgh). Hugh Jackman stars as the monster hunter Van Helsing, teamed up with a princess (Kate Beckinsale) and a loyal friar (David Wenham from Lord of the Rings), sent to Transylvania to stop the count from unleashing a horde of bloodsucking offspring. Some spots of the film are deliciously campy, while others stick out as plain dull. The opening is a wonderful homage to the classic Universal monster films, and buffs of classic horror will find plenty of references and homages in the film. The special effects are some of the best CGI seen today, and Van Helsing is more satisfying than Sommers' Mummy films, although underneath the break neck pace and special effects there isn't much left to it. It's still worth seeing and it has a bit of a surprising ending, and a sequel is almost virtually inevitable.