Van Helsing [Blu-ray]

Great film, great effects, never understood why it did not do that well in the USA. Maybe Dracula was a bit too over played (dare I say camp)!

Brilliant thank you

Great movie has aged well.

I thoroughly enjoyed this film, and I didn't expect to. It's effects-laden, the characters are thin, there's every movie monster except the mummy (for obvious reasons) thrown in - not always to great effect - but somehow it works. It's great entertainment: a rip-roaring ride from start to finish, with amazing set pieces. Everyone seems to be having a great time and there's just the right level of knowing camp about it. It's also nicely frightening in the right places, and those gaping vampire mouths are just plain creepy. Of course it's pure hokum - after all wasn't Van Helsing as originally written a fairly doddery German?/Dutch?/Scandinavian gentleman of advancing years, armed more with books than a vast array of weaponry? But if you go into it expecting devilry rather than depth, you shouldn't be disappointed. The problems I had with the film that lost it a star were: 1. After a promising black and white start that makes fun of all the old horror films, it moves into colour with the Jekyll & Hyde character, who is completely CGI. Whilst it's a fun piece, the Hyde is so obviously a computer effect that it jars and just looks odd. They might just as well have had VH fighting Roger Rabbit for all the 'reality' it brought. 2. The backstory wasn't carefully enough elaborated. I'm sure there's a sequel coming that may explain more (Hugh Jackman has so much past to catch up on what with this and Wolverine, he's going to need therapy for years) but I needed more explanation here. By the way, just who is there going to be left to fight in a sequel? 3. I couldn't stop wondering where Kate Beckinsale found a set of curling tongs in nineteenth century Transylvania! And a personal dresser come to that. Since her family was dead, there were no servants around and the rest of the village was dressed in rags, a) where did the natty costumes come from and b) how did she put on a corset that ties in the back by herself? 4. It's good to see equal opportunity bashing around, but given the number of walls she was smashed against, heights she was dropped from and pastings she took from all and sundry, shouldn't Kate have at least broken a nail? Watch the film and you'll come up with your own questions, niggles and inconsistencies - but enjoy it anyway. Get the 2 disc version. The extras are fun too.

Gabriel Van Helsing (Hugh Jackman - X-Men 1-3 Box Set (6 Disc) [DVD] [2000 ]) turned up on the steps of the Vatican half dead and unable to remember his past, aside from the odd dream and nightmare. Since then he has become a hunter of abnormal and supernatural beings. He does this on behalf of the "Knights of the Holy Order", a secret organisation run by the Vatican. After "dealing" with Mr Hyde he returns to Rome and is told that his next mission will be to go to Transylvania to assist the Valerious family in conquering Count Vladislaus Dracula (Richard Roxburgh - The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen - 2 disc Special Edition [DVD] [2003 ]). If they fail to destroy Dracula they will be cursed to never enter the gates of heaven. Van Helsing takes with him a Friar called Carl (David Wenham - The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (Extended Edition Box Set) [DVD ]) who is the Order's version of Q, coming up with all of Van Helsing's gadgets, and the films comic relief. Arriving in Transylvania they meet and team up with Anna Valerious (Kate Beckinsale - Underworld Trilogy [DVD] [2003 ]) and go in search of the way to beat Dracula. The start of the film recreates the old black and white Frankenstein movies. Simon West's "It's alive" line was sublime for me (I am a fan of the old black and white horror films that I watched as a child). The Frankenstein monster is played by Shuler Hensley and Igor (Kevin J O'Connor - The Mummy [DVD] [1999 ]). This is the usual fun film from Stephen Sommers, in the same vein as the The Mummy 1, 2 & 3 Steelbook Box Set [DVD] [1998 ], etc. It does not take itself too seriously. And there is Kate Beckinsale is there in tight pants for those who like her, and Hugh Jackman and David Wenham for the rest of us. All in all it's a great family film - fun with scary bits.

A glorious action-packed offering which offers endless special-effects coupled with all the fearsome monsters of stories told. The film set in the late 19th century with Hugh Jackman starring as Van Helsing who because of the killings he was assigned to do becomes the most wanted man on earth. We see the Vatican instruct Van Helsing to travel to Transylvania to hunt down and kill the legendary and all-powerful Count Dracula. He will be joined by Carl (David Wenham) a friar of the holy-order and the beautiful Anna (Kate Beckinsdale) in the quest. (Anna's brother during a battle with a werewolf has become one himself) With Frankenstein's monster, the brides of Dracula played by .Richard Roxburgh the task and dangers will be great. A superbly entertaining movie (4k upgrade works well)

I was fortunate enough to see this at the cinema while I was abroad this year !!! This film is SPECTACULAR. It has non stop thrills, gorgeous cinematography, a great bunch of characters & the special effects are amazing. It's a 2 hour movie, but never bored me or my 3 companions whom I watched the movie with. Now I have the 2 disc dvd which I suggest you get rather than the single disc one !! This film feels like a horror epic because of its grand use of scale & costumes too. Highlight for me was the horse carriage chase through the forest & on the mountainside. AWESOME. Disconnect from the real world for 2 hours in the best possible way. GET THIS DVD !!!!

Show que pena não tem áudio e legenda em português

Bardzo fajny film fantasy, z doborową obsadą. Polecam

Ottimo film, ovviamente per quello che è il genere, rimpiazzato il DVD

A great and classic film ! :)

Réalisé en 2004 par Stephen SOMMERS, on se rend compte dès le début du film, de la patte du réalisateur, qui signe également le scénario. Sa passion pour les monstres est réellement présente à l’écran et rend cette histoire très intéressante, car dépoussiérée et modernisée, il faut dire en cela aidé également par un énorme budget de 160 millions de dollars, et cela se voit, le spectateur en a pour on argent, tant les scènes affichent plusieurs morceaux de bravoure, rendant hommage au genre comme à nul autre pareil. L’histoire commence à la fin du 19ème siècle, en Europe, Gabriel Van Helsing est envoyé par le Vatican, pour traquer tous les monstres qui y sévissent. Il se rend alors en Transylvanie pour mettre fin aux activités néfastes du comte Dracula, il est accompagné dans son périple par un jeune moine, également inventeur d’armes anti-monstres, Carl. Sur place, alors qu’il doit très vite neutraliser une des épouses vampires de Dracula qui attaque le village, il est aidé par Anna Valerious, une jeune et intrépide aristocrate, qui a juré d’éliminer le compte et tout ce qui l’entoure, car persécutant sa famille depuis des générations. Franchement, si vous aimez le genre fantastique, vous ne pourrez être qu’heureux, ce film rassemble tous les monstres et légendes possibles, Dracula, ses épouses, des vampires, des loups garous, Docteur Jekyll et Mr Hyde, le Docteur Victor Frankenstein et sa créature, bref, tout le « bestiaire » connu est rassemblé dans ce seul métrage, et les effets spéciaux sont très bien rendus, ce qui rend le tout encore plus impressionnant. Autrement, le film se déroule sans aucun temps mort, le rythme est vif et prenant, les scènes d’action se succèdent pour notre plus grand plaisir, jusqu’au final. Du très bon divertissement, sans prétention, mais qui remplit parfaitement son objectif, en mettre plein les yeux au spectateur, qui n’attend que ça. Le casting est très réussi et vise le 3 étoiles. En premier, dans le rôle-titre, on retrouve Hugh JACKMAN (mondialement connu pour son interprétation de notre griffu préféré, Wolverine, dans la saga X-MEN) toujours aussi charismatique et imposant sa présence à l’écran, il fait un chasseur de monstres et légendes très convaincant. En principal rôle féminin, on retrouve Kate BECKINSALE (mondialement connue pour son interprétation du vampire Sélène dans la saga UNDERWORLD) toujours aussi percutante, elle délivre un jeu réaliste qui donne vie au background de son personnage, dont la destinée durant le métrage surprendra certains. Dans le rôle du comte Dracula, on retrouve Richard ROXBURGH (connu pour son rôle de Duc dans la comédie musicale MOULIN ROUGE), même s’il ne représente pas parfaitement le célèbre vampire au niveau physique, il réussit à retranscrire impeccablement sa psychologie et ses buts à atteindre, rendant sa grandeur et sa magnificence au personnage. Côté blu ray, bien qu’affichant un univers sombre, le film bénéficie d’un très bon rendu HD niveau image, la définition est superbe et le contraste est très bon, la précision concernant les petits détails se voit très bien à l’écran. Le son est extrêmement efficace, d’un niveau HD que l’on est en droit d’attendre sur tous les BR, très précis, c’est un vrai régal pour les oreilles. La VF est de très bonne qualité, mais toutefois moins précise que la VO, où tout éclate véritablement avec un dynamisme ahurissant. La musique d’Alan SILVESTRI, est réellement mise en valeur, attestant l’une de ses plus belles compositions, ce qui apporte un plus non négligeable au film. Pour le reste, concernant les bonus, il y en a plein, ceux-ci reprennent l’intégralité existant déjà sur la version DVD, avec des options en plus attenants au Blu Ray, comme le U-Control. C’est vraiment très intéressant, apportant un complément idéal à la version du film donné par le réalisateur. Bref, un des meilleurs films sur les monstres et les vampires. A voir et à revoir.