Van Helsing

Film Information: by Kate Jager

Plot: In 1887, transylvanian doctor Frankenstein (Samuel West) brings to life his monster (Shuler

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Hensley) with the aid of his assistant Igor (Kevin J. O’Connor) and Count Dracula (Richard Roxburgh). Dracula kills Victor after revealing that he helped him only so he could use Frankenstein’s monster to bring his undead children to life, although this plan is revealed to the doctor off screen. The monster escapes to a windmill which is burned down by a pursuing mob. The mob flees as Dracula and his three brides, Verona, Aleera, and Marishka, mourn the loss of Victor and the monster and their chance to bring their children to life.

Cast: Hugh Jackman as Van Helsing, Richard Roxburgh as Dracula, Shuler Hensley as theFrankenstein monster and Kate Beckinsale as Anna, Samuel West as Doctor Frankenstein.

Box Office: $300,257,475

Release Date: May 7th, 2004

Written, Directed and Produced by: Stephen Sommers

Film Score: Alan Silvestri

Physical Structure of the Monster: Large and bulky, carrying the same traits as Boris Karloff’s portrayal in 1931 such as the bolts in the neck and a flat head. He also has a visible brain and heart encased in glass and those glow green. He has an engine in his left leg. He is 8 to 9 feet tall, gruesome scars and pale blue skin. His electricity is emphasized  with an electrified crystal in the back of his head and over his heart.

Q&A: Who do Anna and Van Helsing find under the ruined windmill? Frankenstein’s monster. At the beginning of the movie, a black and white sequence shows the monster fleeing to an abandoned windmill, carrying the dead body of his creator. An Enraged mob of villagers burn down the windmill, with the monster and Victor trapped inside.

Film Synopsis by Makayla Holloway

Gabriel Van Helsing has been ordered by the Vatican to search out and destroy Count Vladislaus Dracula. Van Helsing does not like the idea because he is looked on as a monster that has been killing, when in reality he is just doing what he was ordered and some missions went wrong. He is also trying to find out more about his past because his memory was lost. When he gets to Transylvania he is not welcome by the Princess Anna, while there, he finds out more about his past along with fighting off all of the creatures that attack Transylvania. In the end he finds out what happened in his past, vanquishing Dracula, and falling in love with Anna. Although he accidently killed the princess with killing Dracula he let all of her family rest in heaven, along with not looking like the monster  that he was labeled earlier.

Adaption by Joleigha Harrington

Many aspects of the novel were adapted into Van Helsing.  Frankenstein's creature himself played an important role in the film.  In both, he was the key to creating life and much of his character remained the same.  He was shunned by humans, and called a monster,while longing to be loved and accepted.  The concept of creating life was a major theme in the movie that derived from the book.

However, the concept of mythological creatures such as vampires and werewolves, has no bearings in the novel.  The physical traits of the monster in the movie also differ from the novel’s description.  In the novel,the creature has all beautiful human parts, but form together to make a hideous monster.  His skin is so tight it shows his veins and his teeth are too white while his skin is too yellow.   In the movie, his skin is blue, his brain is exposed, and he has a fleshy face.  All of those traits combined give him more of a supernatural look.

Most Compelling Part of the Film: by Breeanna Hodel

The fight between Van Helsing and Dracula when Van Helsing is a werewolf is extremely compelling.  The two of them know that only a werewolf can kill Dracula, making this fight a fight to the death.  All the while, Anna and Carl are fighting the last of the three brides for the cure for a werewolf bite.

Most Disappointing Part of the Film: by Mackenzie Murphy

Although Frankenstein and his Monster are introduced in the very beginning of the movie,  as we move towards the middle of the film(where the majority of the plot unfolds), the lack of appearances made by Frankenstein and his Monster is disappointing.  In fact, Victor Frankenstein disappears from the movie entirely, as he no longer plays an important role in the progression of the plot. The lack of incorporation of Victor can be found disappointing. Frankenstein’s Monster, however, reappears during the climax of the film, and remains for the remainder of the movie.

Many of the themes present in Frankenstein are apparent in the Monster in Van Helsing. The Monster, just as he does in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is lonely, as he has no companion. He seeks to form relationships with the main characters in the film, constantly burdened by loneliness. The Monster also displays bouts of anger, a trait similar to ones found in the book. These similarities ultimately make up for the lapse of appearances made by the Monster in the middle of the film, as the work of Shelley is accurately reflected in the characterization of the Monster.

Another disappointment can be found away from the Monster, when we look towards a few of the more principal characters. Anna Valerious, the heroine of the film, dies in resolution of the film. Anna’s death is not only disappointing but also frustrating, as her survival is crucial to the main problem proposed throughout the film.

Rating: 3/5 Stars.

For more information: www.imdb.com/title/tt0338526/‎