The Movie
Director Stephen Sommers is best known for his modern monster movies, big-budget reduxes first of The Mummy and later this enormous Hugh Jackman vehicle, wherein the long-locked action hero assumes the mantel of Van Helsing, The Vatican's secret weapon in the never-ending war against supernatural evil. After a few rounds with Mr. Hyde, Van heads to Transylvania to duke it out with The Count (Dracula, that is), uncovering an insidious plot involving a reluctant Werewolf and an AWOL Frankenstein's Monster. There are more than a few clunker moments in these two-plus hours, but the virtually non-stop action and conspicuous production design are tremendous fun for fans of the genre who don't take the legends too seriously.
The Picture
Blacks are everywhere in this dark tale but unfortunately they threaten to overpower the 1.85:1 image as they tend to be as lifeless as Vlad himself. Clarity is not all that spectacular either, even in simple, static close-ups, which should be brimming with the nuances of an actor's face. This is a frequently misty/smoky movie as well, which can lead to some unfortunate compression artifacts. I also detected noise and a bit of edge enhancement, while colors were never especially vibrant.
The Sound
As disappointing as the video was, the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 grabbed me and didn't let go. Sommers clearly likes his audio as intense as his pacing, so hang on for all the big clear bass beats, balanced by crystalline high end evident in the guitars during the quieter moments of Alan Silvestri's powerful score. Surrounds are insanely aggressive, from the subtle creak of a window or the rustling of some branches to wind, thunder or a swirl of angry bats, and we never have long to wait for another over-the-top action sequence. Just about any of the chases/battles is demo-worthy.
The Extras
The intermittent Picture-in-Picture--behind-the-scenes video of the current scene, rehearsal footage and more--BD-Live and the D-BOX Motion Code are the only new additions for Blu-ray, the many other bonuses are ported from DVD editions past. Director Sommers joins editor/producer Bob Ducsay on one commentary track, while the other reunites the "monster" actors Richard Roxburgh (Dracula), Shuler Hensley (Frankenstein's Monster) and Will Kemp (The Werewolf). "Van Helsing: The Story, the Life, The Legend" (58 minutes) draws upon the grand Universal Studios heritage of horror films to educate us, "Track the Adventure" reveals secrets behind the sets of Dracula's Castle, Frankenstein's Lab, The Burning Windmill, The Village and The Vatican Armory (34-and-a-half minutes total), and "Bringing the Monsters to Life" explains the special effects (ten minutes). "You Are in the Movie!" (four-and-a-half minutes) edits together some fly-on-the-wall video from hidden on-set cameras, in "Dracula's Lair is Transformed" we see the time-lapse building and breakdown of the stage, and "The Masquerade Ball Scene 'Unmasked'" provides an almost-half-hour "making of" for this one elaborate sequence.
"The Music of Van Helsing" (ten minutes) explores Alan Silvestri's inspirations and his experiences working with Sommers again after The Mummy Returns. The five-minute "Art of Van Helsing" video slideshow provides further background, while the six minutes of bloopers and trio of "Monster Eggs" (amusing on-set moments, two minutes total) are good for a chuckle. All of these legacy extras are presented in standard definition.
Final Thoughts
While the video was a bit of a letdown, especially in light of the ubiquitous digital effects here, the outstanding DTS-HD track carries the movie experience on its 5.1 shoulders. If you like Hugh Jackman, and if you want to see some classic monsters in a whole new way, take a bite out of Van Helsing.
Product Details
Where to Buy:
| Overall | |
|---|---|
| Video | |
| Audio | |
| Movie | |
| Extras |
