Van Helsing - 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital

In 1999 director Steven Sommers presented the hit movie THE MUMMY to movie audiences (which opened to an amazing weekend take of $43 million May 7th). With so much success a sequel THE MUMMY RETURNS (2001) was inevitable. Sommers, a big fan of the classic Universal monster/horror movies made the movie as a homage to the earlier Universal movies and in 2004 he paid tribute to the other staples of the genre -Wolfman, Dracula and Frankenstein's monster - all in one movie. The movie VAN HELSING even had Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde in a cameo role at the outset of the movie fighting famed monster hunter Van Helsing - portrayed by Hollywood star Hugh Jackman. Ignore what you may have read or heard about the movie, it's a thrill ride of a rollercoaster of a movie that owes more than a tip of the hat to both the Indiana Jones and James Bond franchises. The movie never lets up, traveling along at breakneck speed right to its tumultuous, suspenseful, wrist-clenching climax. The movie opens in 1887 and follows legendary vampire hunter Gabriel Van Helsing as he travels to the mysterious land of Transylvannia - home to his most famed opponent Count Dracula and a land that has been overrun by werewolves and vampires. Prior to his departure we have a scene unabashedly influenced by the Q-scenes from the James Bond series. Equipped with such `futuristic' weaponry and gadgets as an automatic `machine gun' style crossbow, Van Helsing, with comic relief Carl (played by David Wenham) as his bumbling assistant in tow, heads to investigate the reports coming out of eastern Europe. Upon arrival Van Helsing meets Anna Valerious (played by the impossibly gorgeous Kate Beckinsale). Valerious is the last member of a family that is under a curse that can only be broken by the death of Dracula. After some initial mistrust Valerious realizes that Van Helsing shares her goal of defeating the evil count and the two enter into an alliance. I admit that my initial interest in the movie was sparked by the involvement of Beckinsale. A fan of the British actress since I noticed her alongside Clare Danes in BROKEDOWN PALACE, I have enjoyed a number of her movies (SEREDIPITY and UNDERWORLD) and had to endure some terrible movies (PEARL HARBOR and TIPTOES). Thankfully VAN HELSING falls squarely in the positive column and ranks unquestionably as my favorite Beckinsale movie to date. She gives an excellent and stirring performance as a determined fighter of the monsters that inhabit her land. Opposing Van Helsing, Carl and Valerious is one of the all-time best screen portrayals of Dracula in Richard Roxburgh. Roxburgh is simply superb and steals every scene he is in with his deliciously evil rockstar take on the character. Aiding Dracula are his three vampire brides (Josie Maran, Silvia Colloca and Elena Anaya) who fly around the country doing his bidding - the interplay between the three I found to be constantly entertaining. Also under the spell of the count is Wolf man (Will Kemp), a character Van Helsing has sworn to kill, but one which causes some emotional drama for Valerious and an interesting subplot for the movie. With a budget of $148 million, Universal really threw a lot of effort into this movie and it shows. A total of 980 special effects accompanies some well honed action scenes, amazing stunts and sumptious costume design in a movie that really delivers the goods. It's an incredible trip that will leave you breathless until the end credits roll. This movie was criticized widely for its improbable script. Yes, it's a B-movie script but then it is supposed to be. It's a homage to the black and white Universal classics. That's what you go expecting to see, only with updated special effects and a larger budget. In those respects this movie is a triumph. Sit back and enjoy and remember those wonderful Lon chaney and Bela Lugosi movies of yesteryear. This movie isn't one that works if you try to overthink it. It's fun and played to be fun. Delivering possibly two of their best performances is Jackman and Beckinsale and I really felt a chemistry between the stars, easily more so than Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz in the two MUMMY movies. Sommers sets his story against a spectacular scenic backdrop that worked for me as far more breathtaking than the desert vistas of Sommers most famous earlier work. VAN HELSING is an achievement and my favorite movie of 2004. I am eagerly awaiting the release of the widescreen anamorphic DVD on Oct. 19 in a release that Universal has understandably seen fit to shower with special features. Including two audio commentaries, a 360-degree tour of Dracula's castle, You are in the Movie, the tantalizingly titled `The Legend of Van Helsing' and (perhaps most enticing) some deleted scenes, October cannot come soon enough. I'm hoping for a VAN HELSING 2, but even if one doesn't get made at least I will have this immensely entertaining movie to enjoy. Well recommended. Be aware that the studio will also be releasing an Ultimate Edition DVD on the same day. This three-disc set will also include the classic horror movies DRACULA (1931), FRANKENSTEIN (1931) and THE WOLF MAN (1941). Other special features included on the Ultimate Edition are: 'VAN HELSING, THE STORY, THE LIFE THE LEGEND'; 'TRACK THE ADVENTURE: VAN HELSING'S MAP'; 'THE MUSIC OF VAN HELSING' and 'DARKNESS FALLS: DRACULA'S LAIR IS TTRANSFORMED.' Which ever version you pick up, the regular edition or the Ultimate Edition be assured that you will be well pleased with the movie itself - a must-own!

I got a sneak preview of the new 4K version of the film and watched it alongside the standard Blu-ray version which I had purchased previously. The 4K is definitely an improvement: much more detail is visible, the contrasts are sharper (it is an HDR release), colors are more vivid, and I found the sound to be better as well (the 4K release is DTS-X and DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1). Of course you would expect the newer 4K version to be better than the 1080HD and it definitely is. I didn't spend as much time scrutinizing the new regular Blu-ray disc in comparison to the earlier release, but it too looked better and sounded better than the earlier regular Blu-ray release. Even though the 4K version is superior to the earlier Blu-ray version, it is not as stunning as I found Close Encounters of the Third Kind in 4K or The Bridge on the River Kwai in 4K. Instead it is more comparable to Blade Runner in 4K. That's because Van Helsing and Blade Runner were very atmospheric films and filmed with intentional graininess and dark indoor scenes. Close Encounters and The Bridge had very vivid outdoor scenes where 4K looks more dramatic, like the jungle in then-Burma in The Bridge film, or Devil's Tower in Wyoming in Close Encounters. Once again, this is what you would expect, and even though the colors are more vivid, and the contrasts are more sharp, and the details more apparent in 4K than the earlier release of Van Helsing, it is still an atmospheric film with some graininess in it as the Director and others intended. Just trying to prepare you for what you will see as some are buying 4K to stun friends and relatives. For that I'd recommend Flight of the Butterflies or The Bridge or Close Encounters. But if you like Van Helsing and I do, you will like it even more in 4K. There are two discs in this set: the 4K version and the standard re-mastered regular 1080 HD version. Disc 2 also includes bonus material on it such as the following: Van Helsing: The Story and The Legend Bringing the Monsters to Life Dracula's Lair Transformed Bloopers The usual trailers, still photos, and a couple of other featurettes And of course you get Frankenstein, Dracula and the Wolf Man all in the same film. And Van Helsing is there too. Very intriguing and well filmed and well acted. Not sure what the final pricing will be but it is good to see that 4K films are being released with more attractive pricing than the 2016 sets which were typically in the $40 range.

I picked up the Van Helsing 4K disc mainly to test the rumors about its incredible DTS:X soundtrack — and I can confidently say, this one lives up to the hype. The video transfer is excellent as well, with sharp detail and rich contrast, but it’s the audio that truly sets this disc apart. To get the full experience, I highly recommend listening “above reference level” (+5.0 dB for example). This is where the mix comes alive. The DTS:X track flexes every bit of what a properly tuned 7.2.4 (or equivalent) Atmos setup can deliver. The sound engineers clearly went far beyond a simple upmix of the original audio — this is a true immersive remix from the ground up. You can tell the team meticulously rebuilt the soundstage to take full advantage of height and overhead channels. Flying creatures sweep convincingly across the ceiling, thunder rumbles deep in the LFE channel, and ambient environmental cues fill the entire room with precise spatial detail. The transitions from front to rear and floor to ceiling are seamless, creating a genuinely three-dimensional bubble of sound. Unlike some older catalog titles that merely expand stereo or 5.1 tracks, this DTS:X mix sounds purpose-built. Dialogue stays perfectly anchored while effects have incredible directionality and weight. The result is both cinematic and visceral — exactly what a monster-hunting adventure like Van Helsing deserves. If you want to flex your surround system and remind yourself why physical media still matters, this is the disc to do it with. The sound design is spectacular, immersive, and absolutely reference-worthy. Highly recommended for anyone with a full Atmos/DTS:X setup — crank it up and enjoy the ride.

Great detail and sound quality on my Denon Atmos system and 75" Samsung TV.

Some people may have been thinking that this was supposed to be a serious horror genre film, and that it actually came off as a little bubblegummy. I think that was what the movie about, more a fun, playful way of integrating these characters. While Stephen Sommers did forego any gore or gruesome horror (or realism: Kate Beckinsale gets thrown fifty feet a hundred times and she lands on her feet every time), he did bring together a plot that is fun. The plot was coherent (made sense), and aside from some occasional goofy parts (like Kate's invincibility), was presentable. Sommers managed to write something that had a need and motive for all its characters, and that was the magic of the movie. The plot wasn't so much ingenious at face value as it was clever when you think about all the work that went into a fairly simple plot to get it out there. This movie had everything you could want visually (heh). While Dracula's brides were eyecandy with bad accents, the werewolves (my favorite mythological creature) and the Dracula Beast (a good point of originality here) were AWESOME (not to mention Mr. Hyde, who is my monster man although he was [purposefully?] CGI-looking). The sets and scenery was enormous and breathtaking, "Sommers-sizing". Probably the best sets (at least in creating a world) I've ever seen and has ever been. The overall look and feel was the movie's strongest point. Hugh Jackman was, I guess, adequate as Van Helsing (he didn't have much to do). Kate Beckinsale was, shall we say, audibly hilarious, but I think she was a good character. Velkan was done well by Will Kemp. Now we're onto vampires, my most and least favorite characters contained in this sphere. Dracula's brides were just a bunch of cleavage, and parents will probably want to think about whether to let their children see this movie on that note. The head vampire, none other than Count Vladislus Dracula, was so cool. Richard Roxborough (I can't spell his last name! I think) as Dracula come off as the only truly creepy character in the whole thing. Quite a performance, in my humble opinion, and definitely the best acting job of the movie. Other than the enormous amount of cleavage and sensuality (normal vampire fare), Van Helsing is okay for kids. Not any blood or anything particularly scary in terms of graphic detail or violence. Overall, I would buy this movie (if I was allowed to) because it is thoroughly enjoyable and worth watching over and over again. Worth a rental to see what you think! Good movie!

Great film thumbs up

Very scary ting you watch Vampire werewolf Igor frackenshtein wherewolf moon folks forks Torches bats wife of draculas

Todo en perfecto estado,tal cual la descripcion,el envio rapido y en buen estado. Lo unico que deberian de poner es la procedencia o en donde fue hecho el blu-ray.

Amazing picture and sound on this 4k version of the film

I love the cover

Very good movie how to become a vampire and drink an American blood

Wow. Genial. Viene con disco Blu-ray y otro 4k. Excelente calidad.

Great movie has aged well.