History Film / VanHelsing

** Van Helsing's outfit is reminiscent of ''LightNovel/VampireHunterD'' and ''Film/SolomonKane''.

* ScarilyCompetentTracker: Van Helsing is this as a hunter. He notes several aspects of Frankenstein's Monster just from a set of footprints. He can even tell that he has copper teeth [[spoiler:but that's because the Monster was spotted hiding in the shadows right behind Anna.]]

** Mr. Hyde's depiction as an Comicbook/IncredibleHulk-sized brute is taken from the comic series ''ComicBook/TheLeagueOfExtraordinaryGentlemen'', which got [[Film/TheLeagueOfExtraordinaryGentlemen a movie version]] a year before this. In the [[Literature/TheStrangeCaseOfDrJekyllAndMrHyde original novel]], Mr. Hyde was ''smaller'' than Dr. Jekyll (explained in the comic).

* NiceHat: Van Helsing sports a very fine wide-brimmed hat through the movie and the masquerade ball has many hats as part of its CostumePorn.

* SpiritualSuccessor: To ''Bram Stoker's Dracula''. Both movies state that Dracula became a vampire in 1462, Dracula turning into a giant humanoid bat first came from that ([[Franchise/{{Castlevania}} as movies go]]) and the brides were given an AdaptationDyeJob similar to those in ''Dracula''. What's more is that Silvia Collocca has often been compared to Monica Bellucci, fellow Italians who both played Dracula's queen bride. The blonde bride dies first in both films too.

* TheDreaded: It is revealed that [[spoiler:Werewolves]] are this to Dracula because [[spoiler: They are the only creatures on earth that can kill him, which comes to play into the climax when Van Helsing becomes one and has Dracula cornered.]]

''Van Helsing'' is a 2004 Supernatural {{Action|Genre}}-{{Adventure}} movie released by Creator/UniversalPictures and directed by Creator/StephenSommers, who did the first two films of ''Film/TheMummyTrilogy''. It stars Creator/HughJackman as the eponymous VampireHunter, loosely based on the character from Creator/BramStoker's ''Literature/{{Dracula}}''. In this incarnation, he works as an agent of the Knights of the Holy Order in the Vatican to hunt down monsters and other abominations. Aiding him is Friar Carl, a slightly irreverent tinkerer and inventor that supplies him with the speciality equipment he needs to take down the creatures of the night.

* ActionGirl: Anna ''wants'' to be one, right from the get-go. She spends so much time trying to get into fights that at one point Van Helsing actually has to gas her into unconsciousness. Unfortunately, she's still a human fighting supernatural monsters. She's not a complete disappointment, given how she performs some impressive feats of agility and acrobatics throughout the film that make up for her [[OvershadowedByAwesome comparative]] weakness.

** Creator/KateBeckinsale's character hunts [[Film/{{Underworld}} vampires]]. This was originally what was preventing her from being cast; as she had just done ''Underworld'', Stephen Sommers feared she wouldn't want to do another vampire film. However her agent convinced him to send her the script - and she immediately signed on.

''Van Helsing'' is a 2004 Supernatural {{Action|Genre}}-{{Adventure}} movie released by Creator/UniversalPictures and directed by Creator/StephenSommers, who did the first two films of ''Film/TheMummyTrilogy''. It stars Creator/HughJackman as the eponymous VampireHunter, loosely based on the character from Creator/BramStoker's ''Literature/{{Dracula}}''. In this incarnation, he works as an agent of the Knights of the Holy Order in the Vatican to hunt down monsters and other abominations. Aiding him is Friar Carl, a slightly irreverent tinkerer and inventor that supplies him with the speciality equipment and comic relief he needs to take down the creatures of the night.

Yeah. [[MST3kMantra It's just that kind of movie]].

Van Helsing and Friar Carl are sent to Transylvania to help the last of the Valerious family, Anna and her brother Velkan, destroy {{Dracula}} -- because if they don't, several generations of the family will never get to heaven, because God is apparently a big believer in holding kids to their great-great-great-great-grandparents' oaths. Who knows; maybe He is?

* HorrifyingTheHorror: Once Dracula realises that Van Helsing (a veteran HunterOfMonsters who wants him dead) is transforming into ''the only creature on earth that can kill him (a '''werewolf''').

** Guess how Universal killed off Dracula in ''Film/AbbottAndCostelloMeetFrankenstein''.

* TruerToTheText: The character of Frankenstein's Monster is surprisingly close to the original novel rather than the Hammer Horror version; he's highly intelligent, eloquent and spiritual.

* CurbStompBattle: [[spoiler:Werewolf!]]Van Helsing vs Dracula. The good count spends the majority of the battle begging for his life.

* AdaptationalNameChange: The real-world Wallachian nobleman whom Dracula character was based on was Vlad III, also known as Vlad the Impaler, Vlad Tepes or -- surpise, surprise -- Dracula, son of Vlad Dracul. However, in the movie, Dracula introduces himself as "Vladislaus Dragulia

* ThisWasHisTrueForm: Why Van Helsing is considered a murderer by the {{Muggles}}. When he defeats the monstrous Mr. Hyde, for example, Hyde changes back to the measly Dr. Jekyll as he falls to his doom, and the French authorities don't see this transformation...

* AdaptationalNameChange: The real-world Wallachian nobleman whom Dracula character was based on was Vlad III, also known as Vlad the Impaler, Vlad Tepes or -- surpise, surprise -- Dracula, son of Vlad Dracul. However, in the movie, Dracula introduces himself as "Vladislaus Dragulia".

* HorrifyingTheHorror: Once Dracula realises that Van Helsing (a veteran HunterOfMonsters who wants him dead) is transforming into ''the only creature on earth that can kill him'' (a werewolf).

''Van Helsing'' is a 2004 Supernatural {{Action}}-{{Adventure}} movie released by Creator/UniversalPictures and directed by Creator/StephenSommers, who did the first two films of ''Film/TheMummyTrilogy''. It stars Creator/HughJackman as the eponymous VampireHunter, loosely based on the character from Creator/BramStoker's ''Literature/{{Dracula}}''. In this incarnation, he works as an agent of the Knights of the Holy Order in the Vatican to hunt down monsters and other abominations. Aiding him is Friar Carl, a slightly irreverent tinkerer and inventor that supplies him with the speciality equipment and comic relief he needs to take down the creatures of the night.

** In the climax, there's [[spoiler:Dracula asking Van Helsing "Did I mention that it was you who murdered me?" Making Helsing the one responsible for partially kickstarting the curse which the Valerious family has been fighting for generations.]]

''Van Helsing'' is a 2004 Supernatural action movie released by Creator/UniversalPictures and directed by Creator/StephenSommers, who did the first two films of ''Film/TheMummyTrilogy''. It stars Creator/HughJackman as the eponymous VampireHunter, loosely based on the character from Creator/BramStoker's ''Literature/{{Dracula}}''. In this incarnation, he works as an agent of the Knights of the Holy Order in the Vatican to hunt down monsters and other abominations. Aiding him is Friar Carl, a slightly irreverent tinkerer and inventor that supplies him with the speciality equipment and comic relief he needs to take down the creatures of the night.

''Van Helsing'' is a 2004 action movie released by Creator/UniversalPictures and directed by Creator/StephenSommers, who did the first two films of ''Film/TheMummyTrilogy''. It stars Creator/HughJackman as the eponymous VampireHunter, loosely based on the character from Creator/BramStoker's ''Literature/{{Dracula}}''. In this incarnation, he works as an agent of the Knights of the Holy Order in the Vatican to hunt down monsters and other abominations. Aiding him is Friar Carl, a slightly irreverent tinkerer and inventor that supplies him with the speciality equipment and comic relief he needs to take down the creatures of the night.