Van Helsing

Veteran monster hunter Gabriel Van Helsing travels to a mist shrouded Transylvanian fortress to aid the last surviving Valerious in stopping Dracula at last. He arrives amid rumors of a curse that has haunted the family for generations. Anna Valerious explains that Dracula has forged an unholy alliance with Frankenstein's monster and intends to torment her bloodline once again. The mission blends quick sword play, gunfire, and spectacular creature confrontations as Van Helsing faces a swarm of threats, from wolves and otherworldly beings to towering relics that demand cunning and nerve. Along the way he weighs faith, duty, and the price of stopping evil when it appears in a familiar guise. His banter with allies lightens the mood between battles.

Directed by Stephen Sommers, Van Helsing is a glossy action horror that draws on Bram Stoker's Dracula and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein while pushing toward a fantasy style. The 2004 Universal Pictures release aimed to reboot the studio's monster mash sensibility.

Box office details aren't provided here. The film opened in 2004 under Universal Pictures and showcased Sommers' trademark fast paced kinetic visuals, practical effects, and large scale battle sequences, as industry watchers speculated about its financial payoff for audiences worldwide.

Van Helsing helped shape the era of big budget monster crossovers with its bold production design and a star powered cast. Its striking visuals, from Gothic lairs to laboratory set pieces and creature face offs, still echo in fan art and multimedia tie ins, shaping later fantasy films and drawing critics.

Critics were divided, praising the energy and scale while questioning tone and coherence. The film wrestles with duty, sacrifice, and the costs of meddling with ancient curses, framing a heroic figure who balances personal cost against a larger battle between good and evil that resonates with audiences beyond the theater.