Search - Van Helsing [Widescreen] [The Ultimate Collector's Edition] on DVD

MPAA Rating: PG-13 Content Advisory: Violence, Adult Situations, Questionable for Children, Scary Moments Movie Release: 2004 DVD Release: 10/19/2004 Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV - Closed Captioned Audio Tracks: English, French, Spanish Subtitles: French, Spanish SwapaDVD Credits: 3 Number of Discs: 3 Run Time: 2 hrs 12 mins Studio: Universal Studios Members Wishing: 4 Genres: Action, Horror, Creature Film, Costume Horror See Also: Van Helsing [Fullscreen], Van Helsing [Widescreen], Van Helsing [UMD for PSP], Van Helsing [HD DVD], Van Helsing [Widescreen] [Collector's Edition] [With Free Movie Ticket], Van Helsing [Fullscreen], Van Helsing [Widescreen] [Collector's Edition] [$5 Halloween Candy Cash Offer], Van Helsing [Blu-ray], Van Helsing [Widescreen] [$5 Halloween Candy Cash Offer], Van Helsing [Fullscreen], Van Helsing [Blu-ray], Van Helsing [Collector's Edition]

The greatest monster hunter of them all has his work cut out for him as he tracks down three deadly foes in this action-adventure saga. Gabriel Van Helsing (Hugh Jackman) is a man who has dedicated his life to battling evil forces who exist outside the bounds of nature; Van Helsing's work has not always made him friends, and a false accusation of murder still trails him. But when he's summoned to Transylvania at the behest of Anna Valerious (Kate Beckinsale), whose family has been fighting supernatural beings for generations, Van Helsing wastes no time answering her call. There, Van Helsing discovers that the undying vampire Count Dracula (Richard Roxburgh) has put a misshapen creature named Igor (Kevin J. O'Connor) under his spell, and, in turn, has forged an alliance with a hideous monster (Shuler Hensley) who was created by the misguided Dr. Victor Frankenstein (Samuel West). Adding to Anna's burden is her brother, Velkan (Will Kemp), a lycanthrope who becomes a bloodthirsty wolf under the light of the full moon. Van Helsing also co-stars Elena Anaya, Silvia Colloca, and Josie Maran as Dracula's vampire brides. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Hugh Jackman - Gabriel Van Helsing
Kate Beckinsale - Anna Valerious
Richard Roxburgh - Count Vladislaus Dracula
David Wenham - Carl
Shuler Hensley - Frankenstein's Monster
Elena Anaya - Aleera
Will Kemp - Velkan Valerious/Wolf Man
Kevin J. O'Connor - Igor
Alun Armstrong - Cardinal Jinette

Stephen Sommers' summer movie extravaganza Van Helsing comes to DVD in this =Ultimate Collector's Edition thanks to Universal Studios. This release is packed to the gills with three discs of monster madness. The first disc presents the film in an anamorphic 1.85:1 widescreen picture with both 5.1 and 2.0 tracks for your home theater to sink its teeth into. Disc one's multitude of extras includes an interactive tour of Dracula's castle, where the viewer is given the option to listen to Dracula (Richard Roxburgh) ramble on about the different sections of his homely abode. Other features include a ten-minute "Bringing the Monsters to Life" making-of that introduces the audience to the master effects technicians who brought the film's many pixels to life, while "You Are in the Movie" presents a look behind the scenes by an unprecedented amount of hidden cameras on the set. A blooper reel has also been included, as has a ten-minute "Legend of Van Helsing" special that delves into the character's lore from books to the big screen. Two commentaries are available for your listening enjoyment -- the first with director Stephen Sommers and producer/editor Bob Ducsay, and the second featuring actors Richard Roxburgh, Shuler Hensley, and Will Kemp. Finally, a playable version of the Van Helsing game can be accessed through an Xbox game console that allows you to play through the first exciting level of the game.

Disc two of the set features even more extras, including a "Track the Adventure: Van Helsing's Map" interactive feature that allows you to select different sections of Transylvania's map to access various behind-the-scenes featurettes from each of the film's main sets. Additional features include the "Explore Frankenstein's Lab" interactive tour, which is set up exactly the same as Dracula's from the previous disc (except with a voice-over by Dr. Frankenstein). "Dracula's Lair Is Transformed" is a time-lapse section that allows the viewers to see the massive set being built and taken apart in front of their eyes. For audiophiles, there's "The Music of Van Helsing" interview with Alan Silvestri, where the acclaimed composer discusses this score as compared with his other collaborations with Sommers. The last section, "Van Helsing: The Myth, The Story, The Legend" is made up of four separate featurettes on each monster as they've been recreated for the film. The final disc features three of the founding Universal monster films with the inclusion of Dracula, Frankenstein, and The Wolf Man. Of the films, only Dracula's extras have been carried over from the stellar reissue released during Van Helsing's theatrical run. If you've got the dough and are a pushover for Sommers' brand of over-the-top adventure antics, then this set is most definitely for you. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide