On paper, Van Helsing seemed like a surefire hit. With a charismatic lead like Hugh Jackman, the director of two successful Mummy films, and a greatest hits package of Universal Monsters - it’s easy to see why Universal Studios placed such high stakes on this film.
The resulting film was a swashbuckling adventure that felt more like a James Bond outing. While there were many elements that worked, the production ultimately sank due to its lack of commitment to chills. The opening sequence was a standout, paying homage to classic Universal Monster adventures. Shot in black and white, the tone was pitch-perfect. However, the actual film that followed fell short.
Director Stephen Summers was unable to explore the gruesome concepts that would have made the film truly terrifying, likely due to the PG-13 rating. While there were glimpses of potential, such as half-naked brides of Dracula giving birth to alien-like egg sacs and a visually impressive practical Frankenstein monster, the film was primarily filled with running, backflips, and overly ambitious CGI from the masters at WETA. This uneven approach tried to cater to everyone but ultimately pleased no one.
Despite its flaws, Van Helsing can be a good gateway horror film for introducing younger audiences to the classic Universal Monsters. However, it’s a hodgepodge of ideas that doesn’t fully commit to its Transylvania setting.
Looking back, I appreciate this film more now than when it first came out, but it still feels toothless compared to Universal’s Guillermo del Toro’s Hellboy, which was released the same year.
The lesson learned from these two films is that execution must match passion and ambition.
While nothing is truly dead in Hollywood, as we prepare for the introduction of Gabriella Van Helsing in Universal Orlando’s Dark Universe theme park next year, let’s hope that we’ve learned some lessons from this 20-year-old iteration of Van Helsing.
The real star of the 2004 film was Kate Beckinsale’s cleavage. Her mammaries did the real “heavy lifting.”
