It is a simple enough matter to dismiss Van Helsing as the typical, commercialized, no-brainer action movie, and a sorry excuse to showcase a schlock-ful of CGI-effects, half of which are so blatantly unrealistic, they stand out jarringly from the "real" props/characters. Seriously, however, one cannot expect too much from the same man who helmed such senseless summer blockbusters like The Mummy and The Mummy Returns but I can safely say that this goth-inspired monster movie is much more enjoyable than the similarly themed, League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen.
Both LOXG and Van Helsing draw influences from classic goth literature, and uses a charismatic leading man (i.e. Sean Connery & Hugh Jackman) to draw the crowds but whereupon the former fails miserably by trying to be grander than what it actually is, the latter's success lies in its unabashed embrace of CGI and brazen campiness. And indeed, Van Helsing is full of campy fun (if you have a wry sense of humor like me that is), to be found in Kate Beckinsale's (remember her in Pearl Harbor?) hilarious Transylvanian accent and her impossible curls, Richard Roxburgh's (he played the Duke in Moulin Rouge) off-beat & exaggerated portrayal of Dracula, and the brilliant comic timing of David Wenham (Faramir in LOTR) as the cravenly, token side-kick. Nevertheless, Hugh Jackman is the real star here as he manages to turn in a convincing performance despite an otherwise gibberish script and paper-thin plot.
Van Helsing is a shamelessly obnoxious parade of CGI special effects with a juvenile storyline (and a dash of romance thrown in for good measure) but it is, beyond all doubts, an entertaining spectacle. my ratings - 3.7/5 stars!
