Van Helsing

[samurai1986]

Just to warn any readers, this is my view on the movie Van Helsing based on an add I saw in a magazine. I think that this is the right forum for this however please move it to the right forum if it is not. Now on to my views:

I was reading popular science and I saw an add for Van Helsing. I read the book Dracula by Bram Stoker from which the character Van Helsing comes. In that story he is a medical doctor who fights Dracula with crucifixes, pieces of the Eucharist, garlic and wooden stakes. But the power of God appears to have been too boring for Hollywood. They've given him a completely new look alog with a huge cross bow and some sort of buzz saw blade thing!!! Also there are flying around him what appear to be the Wicked Witch of the West's winged monkeys on steroids! This looks like another case of Hollywoods butchery of a good story. I loved the Book Dracula but this looks like it just totally messes up the story.

Anyways, this is just my reaction based on the add in Pop Sci. If anyone disagrees please respond. If it should happen that I am completely wrong I will post a full apology taking back everything I said.

[MasterDias]

From what I've understood of this movie, it's not supposed to be directly based on Bram Stoker's Dracula but rather a whole bunch of old monster movies and books considering that Frankenstein's monster and The Wolfman also appear.

So I wouldn't really be picky about creative liberties as it's not supposed to be a retelling/remake of Dracula or anything else in the first place...

Here's a premise I got off of Yahoo movies:
Set in the late 19th century, monster hunter Dr. Abraham Van Helsing (Jackman) is summoned to a mysterious land in East Europe to vanquish evil forces... evil forces with names like Count Dracula (Roxburgh), the Wolf Man (Kemp), and Frankenstein's Monster (Hensley). Assisting him once he gets there is Anna (Beckinsale), the heir of a long-running family committed to hunting down and destroying Dracula. (Anaya, Colloca and Maran play Dracula's brides; Wenham plays a friar, Carl, who escorts Van Helsing through the dangerous wilderness) The movie gets its start as Dr. Van Helsing is hunting down a mysterious monster called Mr. Hyde who has some sort of tie to a chemist, Dr. Jekyll...

[Lightbringer]

i think it looks kind of lame personally. I especially dont like his gadgets, but you cant expect realism in a attempt to get money from "wolverine" and do the monster movie thing. personally i think putting frankenstien in is dumb. but oh well. Hope its better then it looks

Lightbringer // Aaron

[Ashley]

Sounds like this will be another LXG...which, was decent if you understood the literary allusions...

ah well...to put it as one comedian did,

"I pity the next generation of children...who knows how many book reports will be horribly slaughtered thanks to LXG and the new Hellsing movie. But we'll all get a good laugh at our ignorant prodigy, right?"

[CrusaderX]

Van Helsing is supposed to be a big fun popcorn movie. Its from the same director who did The Mummy, and that's the feel that they're going for - bringing back the classic Universal monster movies with modern filmmaking techniques and action.

[Stephen]

I think I had some paint I planned on watching dry...rats. *laughs* I do not plan on catching this in theaters...maybe rent it or somthing....but it seems really silly to me. As soon as I found out that Frankenstein was in it....I kinda lost total interest. Ah well, plenty of awesome movies already this year, and more to come.

[Lunis]

I don't care about all that stuff! I just want to see him beat up all the monsters...and cool special effects!! (This is not how I am with all movies, BTW.)

[Inferno]

That was not the wicked witch of the west! Those were dracula's brides!

[cbwing0]

Isn't this based on the anime Van Hellsing?

Either way, I will probably go see it in the theaters. I haven't seen the anime, but the previews look interesting. There are a lot of good movies coming out this year, and I play to see this one along with the rest.

[uc pseudonym]

I'm not sure what to think about this movie as of yet (there has been another thread, but this one has a decidedly different flavor, so this one is not really redundant). While I wasn't impressed by the commercial I originally saw, I do somewhat appreciate the number of literary works that have been tied together (and I loved LXG for the same reason). It could be cheesy in a gothic sense, or actually be decent.

My only other comment was that I thought Helsing's cross projectile was cool.

[Stephen]

It is nothing like the anime Hellsing.

[uc pseudonym]

I'm relatively certain that was a joke. I interpreted it as such.

[Inferno]

You guys, the people that made this movie are some of the people that made this movie a people that made the old dracula and frankinstine movies, and now they're trying to tie all of the old monster movie together. I think that it's gonna be great. (only because i like these kind of movies.)

[Stephen]

I figure the next trailor that comes out will also feature the lock ness monster, bigfoot and maybe count chocula. I hope the sequal gets Frosty the snowman...that would own. *blah*

[uc pseudonym]

This is only slightly related to the topic, but it is tied to Shatterheart's post. Wouldn't it be funny if a movie was hyped up completely seriously, made to look as though it was a dark, R-rated film, then was actually just a horribly stupid joke? For example, Count Chocula and Frosty the Snowman. I think it'd be hilarious.

Then, you'd have to get all the critics to give it serious reviews as well. See how long the joke would go. In my mind, it'd be a humorous idea, anyway.

For another example: make the movie The Alamo, then up and make the Americans win. The irony of that movie is that everyone knows what's going to happen from the very beginning... except you wouldn't in the spoof. Once they stopped being serious, they could feel free to be just bizarre (a la: Oliphants suddenly ride out of the Alamo. Equipped with shield generators).

[Stephen]

I think it would be more disturbing to have an R rated movie with count chocula and Frosty...if it was really an r rated movie. Full frontal snow nudity? Death of marshmellos?

[Ashley]

huh? Alamo? Texan sense tingling...

so Shatterheart, if they made a Frosty Chainsaw Massacre, would the snowmen bleed red tinted ice cubes? Cover the kiddie's eyes on that one.

(btw, on topic: eh I can't decide whether I like Van Hellsing or not...I saw the preview again today and it looks interesting--but mostly because I've read the books the characters come from. I'll probably end up renting it some night in the summer)

[uc pseudonym]

If we were to stop speaking of how we can twist such things, I doubt I would object... <to clarify... I'm just getting bad ideas that I can't get out of my head, that's all. That's not meant to be a nasty comment>

Now, just to set the record straight in this thread:
Van Helsing = legendary monster hunter, now a movie
Hellsing = anime

Note the difference in ls. Considering the name of the anime is derivative of our hero, I'm not sure why they changed it. Either that's a mistake, an effort to be profound or a translation issue.

[bigsleepj]

I'm looking forward to this movie because, despite preferring "deep" movies and such, I still have a loony love for a good action movie. Indiana Jones is one of my favourites. But "Van Helsing" looks like one of those "leave your brain at the door" things. Popcorn movie; the type where you sit back, kick your shoes out and relax. Whether or not it will succeed is another story. Some movies try to be this way and fail miserably. Oh well, can't win them all. Stephen Sommers, who directed this movie, directed also "The Mummy" which I rather liked, and "The Mummy Returns" which is my contender for the worst movie ever made. Yes, it's worse than "Plan 9 from Outerspace" which is at least entertaining.

[Hikage_Ninja]

I suppose this is the thread to talk about this movie...even though all the previous posts were about the movie before it was actually released and such...

But anyway, I just saw it last weekend with my dad. And yeah...it's pretty much your typical mindless action flick...but it kept my interest throughout the whole movie and I was really impressed with the special effects. I really liked how they had the human turn into the werewolf and vice versa. I thought it was kind of neat how they incoroporated all the major horror movie monsters...but they really did use a lot of creative liscence...still it made for an interesting movie in my opinion.

I think that if you're a fan of constant action scenes, and want to see a movie to just sit back, relax and enjoy, I'd recommend it. ^_^

[cbwing0]

I saw the movie last weekend as well, and it was decidedly...average. The action was intense, and the special effects were excellent. However, there was almost too much CG in my opinion. All of the monsters (with the possible exception of Frankenstein...I can't tell with him ) were 100% computer-generated. I would have preferred creative costume designers and stuntmen to complete CG. The effects might not have been as spectacular, but they would have been more enjoyable.

My other major issue was the lack of explanation of certain key points in the plot. What exactly is the relationship between Van Helsing and Dracula? How did Frankenstein survive? What's the deal with the werewolves?

It would have been nice if the only suspension of disbelief necessary in viewing the film was to accept the existence of the undead; unfortunately, the plot also required a healthly dose of reluctance acceptance.

[Shao Feng-Li]

THink it's goona have a sequall? I saw it, and it was cool. VAn HElsing was a awesome character, but the movie was okay. I think its gonna have a sequall, hmm maybe a prequal? I was expecting more though, cuz the Mummy movies are some of my favorates...

[Hikage_Ninja]

Yeah...the unanswered questions were a bit...trying... So I'm expecting a sequel or prequel or something to explain some things. If there is no such thing...then...well...I'll...um...be...irked. LOL. Yeah...you know you fear it.

[Inferno]

Ya I saw it last weekend it was awesome. And CBwing0 the relation ship between Dracula and Van Helsing is (although not seen it was told) LIke a long time ago Van Helsing killed Dracula, then he did his little come back to life thing and he could turn into like a demon form.

>And what's the deal with the werewolves!


It just made the movie more interesting/cool! And it added more of a plot.

[cbwing0]

And CBwing0 the relation ship between Dracula and Van Helsing is (although not seen it was told) LIke a long time ago Van Helsing killed Dracula, then he did his little come back to life thing and he could turn into like a demon form.

Was that actually in the movie?

[Hikage_Ninja]

Yeah it was...Dracula reminded Van Helsing of it near-ish the end... And that also explains the ring on Van Helsing's finger.

[Inferno]

Ya it really does explain the ring.

[cbwing0]

Then that creates other problems. If Dracula is centuries old, then Van Helsing would also have to be quite old. Is he a vampire also? If so, why didn't he die when bitten by the werewolf?

[Hikage_Ninja]

I don't think he's a vampire... I'm not sure though...see...that's what bothered me about the movie...they didn't explain it. BUT...he was called Gabriel by Dracula and referred to as the "Left Hand of God." So...maybe he's an angel? Just a guess on my part.

[cbwing0]

Just a guess on my part.

My point exactly: they don't explain it, so we can't really be sure of the nature of the relationship between Dracula and Van Helsing.