It’s been nearly 20 years sinceHugh Jackmanput on the black hat and trench coat to star as the titular vampire hunter inVan Helsing, and in that time the film has largely (and tragically) been forgotten. WhileStephen Sommers' take on the Universal Classic Monsters brand was critically panned at the time, the swashbuckling adventure film is much better than you remember, not unlike Sommers' previous work onThe MummyandThe Mummy Returns. ThoughVan Helsingmostly drops the horror in favor of the traditional blockbuster “action-adventure” model, it still manages to honor what came before. No wonder this one has garnered a cult following over the years… Oh, and just to be clear, we’re not talking aboutthe SyFy television series of the same name.
Van Helsing
The famed monster hunter is sent to Transylvania to stop Count Dracula, who is using Dr. Frankenstein’s research and a werewolf for nefarious purposes.
‘Van Helsing’ Goes Beyond Dracula Stories of the Past
Right off the bat, Sommers makes it clear that the Van Helsing of this movie is not the same one we remember fromBram Stroker’s iconic novel or any of theDraculafilms that came after. Rather,this is Gabriel Van Helsing, a man who has seemingly lived throughout time, cursed to fight the powers of darkness for eternity with no memory of his past.WhileDracula’s Dr. Abraham Van Helsing is a scientist and expert vampire hunter, Gabriel Van Helsing is an immortal(?) action hero who takes down vampires, werewolves, and other monstrous creatures with a mechanized crossbow. When compared to other character updates of years past, this Van Helsing manages to be pretty badass – aided no doubt by the fact that Wolverine of all people is playing him.
While theDraculanovel detailsthe good Roman Catholic professorwho leads the charge against the master vampire,Van Helsing’s interpretation explains very little about the hero’s past. He’s a bit more agile than previous Van Helsings, engaging effortlessly in combat against various supernatural adversaries. Also, the fact that it’s a younger Hugh Jackman — fresh offX2: X-Men United—underneath that black hat rather than, say,Anthony Hopkins, makes this seemingly younger, and more charming, vampire slayer all the more appealing. With Jackman’s return to Wolverine in the upcomingDeadpool & Wolverine, is it too much to ask that he returns for anotherVan Helsingtoo?
By introducing an updated version of the traditional character, the film takes ownership of its own story, no longer limited to the originalDraculanovel. This givesVan Helsingthe freedom to take our hero in a completely new direction, one of self-discovery that leads to a battle with the infamous Count. It turns out the two have ancient history, and it’s the question of what that might be that keeps our hero (and the audience) pushing forward in the narrative. It’s even speculated that Van Helsing might be the archangel Gabriel bound in human flesh. If we’ve learned anything from Jackman’s other work asan action hero with amnesia, it’s that this is the kind of backstory that could easily have carried a few more blockbusters.
‘Van Helsing’ Opens the Door to a Unique and Exciting World of Possibilities
But this flick’s titular adventurer isn’t the only thing that this movie has going for it — not by a long shot. The magnificent set pieces and various characters, towns, and organizations withinthe world ofVan Helsinggive the film much more charm and intrigue than many have previously given it credit for. One such addition is the Holy Order, a secret society based out of the Vatican whose sole purpose is to protect the world from supernatural forces of darkness (likely inspired by the conspiracies surrounding the Vatican’s own intelligence apparatus, the Entity). While shadow organizations are all the rage nowadays — just look at SHIELD, ARGUS, Checkmate, Prodigium, The Kingsmen, etc. — the idea that the 19th-century world would have one to protect itself from vampires and demons is a pretty interesting take.
But the Holy Order isn’t the only thing developed for theVan Helsingmythos; the film also introduces us to pre-established characters like Dr. Victor Frankenstein (Samuel West) and his monster (Shuler Hensley), as well as completely original additions such as the ancient werewolf-fighting Valerious family (led byUnderworldlegendKate Beckinsale). Watching the old (Frankenstein’s monster) and the new (Beckinsale’s Anna Valerious) interact brings a sort of uncertainty to the film, which only raises the stakes (especially those wooden ones),reminding us that the world ofVan Helsingis full of countless possibilities. Even in the familiar, there’s always a new twist hiding beneath, such as Dracula’s castle, which reveals itself to be an icy fortress in another dimension. Certainly a far cry from the classical interpretation.
Hugh Jackman Gives His Best Performance in This Haunting Crime Thriller
Wolverine is surprisingly not Hugh Jackman’s most intense character.
To explore the world further,Van Helsingspawned a tie-in video game, an anime prequel (Van Helsing: The London Assignment), and a one-shot comic book (Van Helsing: From Beneath the Rue Morgue) where our hero faces off against an invisible monster and the mad scientist Dr. Moreau fromH.G. Wells' original novel.Forget about Universal’s failed attempt at aDark Universe,Van Helsinghad it all figured out 20 years ago, working to include just about every Classic Monster property into this new universe. Had the film been more successful, there’s no doubt that a crossover betweenVan HelsingandThe Mummymight have even been in the cards, especially since director Stephen Sommers was behind them both.
The Monsters of ‘Van Helsing’ Are Fascinating Creatures
Speaking of the monsters,the best kind aren’t the ones that just scare you and move on, but the ones that fight against their own ravenous nature, hoping to live a life beyond their creature status. Of course, that’s the pointMary Shelleydrives home in the originalFrankensteinnovel, which is echoed in this film’s interpretation of Frankenstein’s monster, who simply desires to live. But beyond the mad doctor’s creation,Van Helsingalso makes sure to give our werewolves a heartfelt story too, with not one but two characters in the filmstruggling against their Lycan curse, including our titular hero after he is bitten.
But it’s not just the “good monsters” who yearn for a life beyond their monstrosity,the entire plot of the film revolves around Dracula (Richard Roxburgh) and his brides hoping to create a family, bringing their stillborn offspring to life through the use of Dr. Frankenstein’s scientific genius. Even in their villainy, the heartbreak of these monsters is felt when their first attempts fail, killing thousands of their children. While we may not want Dracula to succeed (and certainly don’t want him to win), his motives are those of a father protecting his children, and it makes things a bit more complicated — and compelling — to work through on screen. Of course, Van Helsing sees it differently, which is fair given that Dracula is basically the son of the Devil.
Naturally, not all monster movies need a sympathetic villain. There’s an argument to be made that Count Dracula isn’t sympathetic at all in the original novel (or in many adaptations since). He’s the villain, no matter which way you slice it. Even movies likeDracula Untoldcan’t rid him of his villainy. At the same time, Frankenstein’s monster is often our misunderstood hero and has beensince Hollywood first brought him to the screen in the 1930s. Yet,there’s no denying that the extra weight thatVan Helsing’s monsters bring to the story makes them a bit more interesting to watch on screen, especially when we consider the young friar Carl’s (played byThe Lord of the RingsstarDavid Wenham) moral dilemma with letting Frankenstein’s monster live or die.
‘Van Helsing’ Is a Fresh Interpretation of Some Pretty Old Material
While other blockbuster failures likeTerminator GenisysorJoss Whedon’s inferior version ofJustice Leagueattempted to do something new compared to previous franchise installments, they did so hoping to cash in on the “action-comedy blockbuster” model perfected by Marvel Studios (and thus with less integrity to the source material). While there’s nothing wrong with doing something new or different with pre-established characters (who doesn’t loveRobert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man?), there are right ways to rework a narrative and there are wrong ways. Despite trading in the traditional horrors for an action-packed adventure story,Van Helsingmanages to do it right and honors theUniversal Classic Monstersfranchise while doing so.
Rather than being another strict adaptation ofDracula,Frankenstein, orThe Wolf Man, the film opted to become something different while still paying rightful homage to what came before. This means that Stephen Sommers and his crew didn’t shoe-horn in constant references to other monster films or copy what had been done by other filmmakers. Rather,they used the basic tools that the Universal Classic Monsters had to offer and refined them for their own original story. In a world full of bad remakes, sequels, reboots, and “more of the same,“Van Helsingdared to do something fun and different. Sadly, it paid the price for it,and we never got a sequel.
But by combining these legendary creatures and their stories into one film, with new characters, twists, and even entirely new plots,the film sets aside the old monster narratives to tell an original tale that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Whether it’s watching Van Helsing and Frankenstein’s monster choosing to work together or uncovering the dark truth behind Dracula’s hatred for our favorite vampire hunter,Van Helsingconstantly proves itself to be a fresh take on some of the greatest literary classics out there. It’s slightly too long, and parts of it may be clunky, but there’s enough good material here to keep you entertained. At the very least, you get to watch early action stars Hugh Jackman and Kate Beckinsale work side-by-side, and that’s pretty cool.
Van Helsingis available to stream on Peacock in the U.S.
Watch on Peacock
