Originally posted by Markus Corvinus
Why do you consider it a poor movie (curious)?
Although the black and white opening is a lot of fun, I was really disappointed with the rest of it. I'm sort of a monster movie purist in that when Van Helsing is going after Mr. Hyde, I kept wondering what the hell Mr. Hyde was doing in Notre Dame in the first place. Hugh Jackman is a good actor and the movie does have some clever moments, particularly with Richard Roxburgh and David Wenham. I didn't know Faramir was funny! I was right on board with this movie until...
Kate Beckinsale. What the hell. As soon as she appears she just ruined it for me. Her accent is like nails on a chalkboard and the sequence with the brides would have had me on the edge of my seat except that once they turn from their monstrous forms into beautiful women, they tend to say stupid, overused things like, "too bad, so sad." That's just a little too contemporary for me, too. Anyway, after the bad dialogue and bad acting, Kate Beckinsale continues to do nothing throughout the movie. NOTHING, and yet she's somehow an action girl that is worth Van Helsing's romantic interest along with his protection. But I do like the line, "Why does it smell like wet dog?"
I won't ask why Dracula has Jawas working for him...it is what it is. I won't ask why the brides can give birth at all seeing as how when you become a vampire you're the living dead which would imply your reproductive organs no longer work... I'm more distracted by Van Helsing's mysterious loin cloth that just came out of nowhere, the bad CGI during the climax, the anticlimactic reveal of Van Helsing's past, and who could forget Ms. Kate Beckinsale's face materializing from the multi-colored sky. Can even visions look fake?
I don't know how to do the spoiler thing, but when a major character dies, my mom asked, "are they going to come back as a monster?" She also asked why every single freakin' person in the movie except the friar seems to have super-human strength. I explained that vampires are traditionally very, very strong and it goes without saying werewolves would be too, but she made a good point. "But it just seems like it should be so easy to just eat everybody." She's not up on all the monster lore like I am, but I can see her point. It's what's wrong with the whole movie- emphasis on effects and spectacle rather than scaring anyone, or even leaving anyone in suspense like the old Universal Horror classics used to do.
Heh...the funny thing is is that I agree, mostly, with all of these points and agree that it's a pretty flawed movie. There's just something about it that I think is a ton of fun. A guilty pleasure that, if not taken too too seriously, can be enjoyable.
Again, given that I agree with most of the more level-headed criticisms of the movie I think that it's gotten a bit of a raw deal in the papers. Some people hate it with such a seething passion...and I can't figure out why...other than it was hyped up so much as a "summer blockbuster" so people were let down.
It is probably one of THE worst horror movies ive seen,the day i saw this was the day i realised that CGI isnt always best and i laughed at the ending more than any comedy id seen that year.
I sat with my mouth open and not in a good way.
Just go and buy the Universal box set and watch the originals.
The brunette vampire chick was hot though.