Van Helsing

I've been to see this film twice since it opened last Wednesday night. What an amazing ride!

This film has so many great attributes that I could go on for a long time about all it's good points. So I'll restrict myself to a couple of the best.

Three, that's 3, aussie actors lead this film. Hugh Jackman with his very small head carries off Gabriel Van Helsing with the dryness it seems that Australia has a knack for. David Wenham is hilarious as Carl, managing to receive all the best oneliners the writers could think of. My favourite character and performance by far was Richard Roxburgh as Dracula. His delivery of this role could have completely ruined the movie, but he seemed to embrace the legendary campness of Dracula and turn it back on itself to give us a much better look into his motivations rather than 'i vant to suck your blud'.

Opening with a spectacular black and white homage to the classics really set the mood for the whole film.

I was so very pleased that I was not the only one laughing throughout the film. It is a very funny film and is very much aware of what it is asking you to believe, but not appologetic for it at the least.

A friend I saw it with said about 3/4 the way thru "I'm having trouble suspending my disbelief" and I understood why he said it. Van Helsing asks alot of it's audience, but it certainly rewards you by delivering two and a half hours of action and adventure. Well worth suspending your disbelief for.

BTW don't go to vanhelsing.com, it's a business not a site about anything related to the character. If you want the movie you need vanhelsingmovie.com