Van Helsing

Van Helsing - *1/2

Stephen Sommers' "Van Helsing" is one of those movies that makes you look back at the end and wonder why? Why, for instance, did they make a film over two hours in length if they had barely more than 60 of decent material? Why did they write the vampires to look and sound like the French stereotype? Why, and this one is perhaps the most important, does a movie that cost $160 million to make and included location shots in the Czech Republic look like it was made entirely on a low budget enclosed set? It's questions like these that beg the biggest "why" question, why take a chance on a movie that seemingly turned out so awful? Well apparently the film, starring Hugh Jackman and Kate Beckinsale, turned out to be a chance well taken; the film has grossed $300 million worldwide, but that still doesn't redeem it. Dracula (Richard Roxburgh) reminded me of the comedic version of the character portrayed by Leslie Nielsen in Mel Brooks' "Dracula: Dead and Loving It", and the Frankenstein character is oddly similar to the type of things seen in the "Scooby Doo" sequel. In fact, a lot of this movie is like that particular film. Just a terrible movie. Thumbs down.