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VAN HELSING (2006)
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Re: VAN HELSING (2006)
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Uncle Bingo
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Feb 22 10 10:23 PM
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David,
This is a very well written and insightful review. I particular liked the line, "Instead, we're left with Burger King monsters vs. Hasbro heroes." Nailed the head on that one!
Like you, I use "hate" sparingly in regards to movies. There are only a select few I actually "hated." My biggest gripe is with the Haunting remake for similar reasons I hate Van Helsing. They completely missed the boat with what the audience wants. In the case of the Haunting, the movie was all about subtly...which is the the remake lacked in every instance!
As for the Mummy remake...good call on crediting actors Brendan Frasier/Rachel Weiss/ Arnold Vosloo. You are very right that they added the human touch that could withstand the CGI mis-mash that proliferated the screen. The chemistry between Brendan and Rachel worked for a movie and a half! I thought Vosloo was great and gave the part of the Mummy the slice of dignity it needed. If Vosloo wasn't as good in that, that movie would have been a full fledged joke.
That being said, I cannot bring myself to consider the Mummy remake a "Universal Horror" picture. It stands to me as a "Universal ACTION" picture. Essentially, it is "Raiders of the Lost Mummy" with a couple of added laughs thrown in.
Van Helsing SCREAMS of a director playing with the "new toy" that is CGI. Jackman (excellent as Wolverine) fails here completely. This Clint Eastwood monster killer becomes the thick spectacled Dr. Van Helsing?
What amazes me is that the studios actually fund these turkeys! Don't they watch the dailies? Maybe that is the problem, you can't do that with CGI I suppose.
A favorite light moment (and there are many) in the Mummy was the following lines:
Beni: Hey, O'Connell! It looks to me like I've got all the horses!
Rick: Hey, Beni! Looks to me like you're on the wrong side of the river!
I think the folks that think CGI can "make" a movie are equally on the "wrong side of the river." It takes characters that we can care about, relate to, or at least laugh with, to win an audience over.
I clearly remember going to see the Mummy and feeling that while it wasn't a bit what I expected, it was a very enjoyable movie for what it was.
Van Helsing seems ready made to sell happy meals and adorn cereal boxes (no offense to Count Chocula). They could have saved a bundle and just made a grandiose cartoon and accomplished the same thing. It probably would have been almost enjoyable that way.
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Welcome to the CHFB
Forum Guidelines
CHFB TURNS 20!
Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards
Universal Horrors
The Universal Monsters Blu-Ray Collection
Golden Age Horror
Kong - 8th Wonder of the World
Silent Horror
Poverty Row
The World of Sherlock Holmes
Murder and Mystery
Thrills and Chills
'50s Horror and Sci-Fi
'60s Horror and Sci-Fi
'70s Horror and Sci-Fi
Hammer Horror
The Psycho Ward
Foreign Horror
Japanese Giants
Horror and Sci-Fi of Recent Decades
Current Films
Second Takes on Films of the 2000s
Independent Films and Documentaries
Coming Soon
TV Terrors
Classic Horror on DVD, Blu-Ray and Streaming
Stream and Stream Again
Horror Film Books and Magazines
Horror by Candlelight
Horror Comics and Fantasy Art
Monster Toys and Collectibles
Classic Horror Movie Memorabilia
Horror Music
Old Time Radio and Audio Horror
Classic Horror Online
CHFB Member Reviews
Our Favorite Horror Hosts
Classic Disney Scares
Horror Film Stars
Men Behind the Monsters
Monster Kid Memories
General Horror and Sci-Fi
Horror Tech
Movie of the Day
Off Topic Discussions
Classic Horror News and Events
Birthdays and Holidays
DVR / TiVo Alert
Final Farewells
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Monster Kids Helping Monster Kids
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