By: lainie
Synopsis:Gabriel Van Helsing is a man cursed with a past he cannot recall and driven by a mission he cannot deny. Charged by a secret organization to seek out and defeat evil the world over, his efforts to rid the world of its nightmareish creatures have been rewarded with the title that now follows him: murderer. Van Helsing roams the globe an outcast, a fugitive, a loner, himself hunted by those who don\'t understand the true nature of his calling. When dispatched to the shadowy world of Transylvania, Van Helsing finds a land stll mired inpast--where legendary creatures of darkness come to life--a place ruled over by the evil, seductive and unfeatable vampire, Count Dracula. And it is Dracula that Van Helsing has been sent to terminate. Anna Valerious is one of the last of a powerful royal family, now nearly annihilated by Dracula. A fearless hunter in her own right, Anna is bent on avenging her ancestors and ending an ancient curse by killing the vampire. Joined by a common foe, Van Helsing and Anna set out to destroy Dracula along with his empire of fear. But in challenging an enemy who never dies, Van Helsing uncovers a secret he never imagined and comes face-to-face with the unresolved mysteries of his own enshrouded past.

Fresh from her vampire role in the excellent "Underworld," Kate looks and acts the part as the mysterious and brave Anna Valerious. Hugh Jackman is always excellent in everything he does and he plays Gabriel Van Helsing with his signature charm, bravado and magnetism. Richard Roxburgh (Count Dracula), Shuler Hensley (Frankenstein's monster), Kevin O'Connor (Igor) and Will Kemp (Wolfman) round out the excellent supporting cast. The most surprising role of all, however, is the fabulous David Wenham (Faramir in "The Lord of the Rings") who is funny, charming and adorable as Van Helsing's sidekick Carl. His smart, ironic monk-in-training steals every scene he is in! I also adored the handsome Will Kemp (as Velkan Valerious), who, unfortunately, had less screen time than his alter ego, the Wolfman.

The highlights for me are the stellar cast, fast and exciting action sequences, thrilling chase / fight scenes and Alan Silvestri's throbbing score. I rate the film 4 stars mainly because some of the CGI still needs to be perfected. Admittedly, my idea of seamless visual effects is that of "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy (ie. Gollum) so any movie compared to this pales in comparison: for instance, Mr. Hyde in the beginning and the big fight between two of the main creature characters in the climax need a bit of work. However, the CGI/stunt work on the flying banshees/Dracula's brides are very well done as are the cinematography, art direction and sets/locations.

This film is what summer movies are all about - big, brash, fun and exciting. "Van Helsing" fully lived up to my expectations and my friends and I had great fun watching it. I recommend this to horror/fantasy/adventure film fans, Hugh Jackman/Kate Beckinsale/David Wenham fans and anyone who enjoys a good time (and a couple of scares) in the movies!

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