*** Official VAN HELSING Discussion Thread (1 Viewer)

[Nick Sievers]

They actually do refer it correctly in the film, but the monster is beyond ridiculous. Seeing it swing down 500ft on a cable like a freakin Tarzan is just to much to bear.

Did anyone else who saw it think 'Lord of the Rings' when they were following the map during the Coach ride?

 

[Scott Weinberg]

Here's my review.

I hope you guys like it more than I did.

 

[Adam_S]

I gotta say that this film was written at a flash gordon serial level with a completely straight face. And therin lies the problem. Even Lucas, with Star Wars (later titled Ep IV) didn't write at a Flash Gordon. Later, Lawrence Kasden would show what was possible (with Raiders of the Lost Ark and Empire Strikes back) when there is GREAT writing involved. Genius is possible when you combine the very high and very low, it's hard, but possible. Van helsing took the route of low aesthetics and low writing. Visually it took the high road, but that doesn't help the ludicrous plot and story. Wow, it took them almost a month to ride to Budapest for no purpose and then they get back to translyvania in half a day? Jeez.

you can't just write like a nine year old on a sugar high, they can have great ideas (I know personally from being in that same position knowles talks about), but they don't have the vocabularly of world experience to make it relevant or meaningful to a wider demographic.

Adam

 

[Stevan Lay]

I took my 9, 11 and 16 year-old cousins to watch Van Helsing and their reaction wasn't as glowing as it was for LXG

Predictable was the consensus amongst us all.

 

[JonZ]

Man, this is a bad review

http://movie-reviews.colossus.net/mo...n_helsing.html

 

[John Doran]

sounds like the review is more entertaining than the movie.

what an awesome line.

 

[Jordan_E]

Well, with these reviews coming in, and gas prices where they are, this isn't even worth it for me to drive to the local theater for the matinee. $6.25 + the prices of gas to get there = DVD.

 

[Craig S]

It must be an awesome line, considering that's the third time it's been quoted in this thread...

Roger Ebert is bucking the trend - he liked it:

http://www.suntimes.com/output/ebert...elsing07f.html

 

[Patrick Sun]

I'm going into this film with my expectation ratcheted down severely...

 

[Chuck Mayer]

[Newt]It won't make any difference.[/Newt]

 

[Aaron Garman]

Let's face it, what could we really expect out of this movie based on the trailers and the fact that it is coming from Sommers? For what it was, this film was great. I had so much fun watching, and it reminded me why going to the movies can be fun. It's campy, cheesy cinema at its best. It was also really really loud! I can't wait to this one again.

AJG

 

[Nick Sievers]

I noticed this as well, but I wouldn't say it as a good thing.

 

[RobertR]

So does that mean that when the movie comes out on DVD, we'll see posts from guys going goo-gaw over the surround and subwoofer effects while saying they couldn't care less about the story, acting, etc.?

 

[Nick Sievers]

I had the same thoughts after I got out of the cinema, Robert.

 

[Norm]

I liked DR alot! But VH was the same Charlie's Angels over the top crap! I really thought Sommers had promise after seeing DR, the Mummy was ok, M2 was a mistep but VH was a waste!

 

[Steve_Tk]

What has happened to ILM? LOTR raised the bar and ILM just said screw that and continue to make terrible looking CGI.

 

[Nick Sievers]

I noticed in the credits that WETA Digital did some of the work as well.

 

[Neil S. Bulk]

Rent it. Don't give in to the studios. This film is 100% pure junk. It's not scary, it's not exciting, it's not entertaining. It is really loud, really dumb and really piss poor and the less money it makes, the more the studios may realize that audiences may not be as dumb as they think.

As for the whole "if you're 12 you'll like it" argument, what about films like The Adventures of Robin Hood, Star Wars or Raiders of the Lost Ark? They never talked down to there audience and that's why they are such beloved classics. Kids enjoy them as much as adults do. They are genuine crowd pleasers. I'm not saying every film has to be as good as those classics, but you'd think with everything being released nowadays there might be one or two. But no, all we seem to get now is this video game inspired crap designed for every teen with an attention span of 2 minutes or less. I expect better than this crap. I will not be pandered to.

Thankfully my viewing was free and only one other person was there. We could yell at the screen and laugh at this movie as much as possible. Paying money and then having to watch it siliently with a crowd must make this movie even more intolerable.

Neil

 

[Norm]

I sure wish I didn't pay for it! I'm so tired of supporting this kind of crap! I have been skipping these type of movies over the past year, I just wish I had followed my instinct this time.

 

[Citizen87645]

Maybe this will be better?

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS...702979-0971307