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   An
                            immortal human being named Matthew Van
                            Helsing (Christopher Plummer) who keeps
                            himself alive with these objects that
                            look like leeches has battled Dracula
                            (Gerard Butler) down in London, England
                            almost two centuries ago and thought that
                            he has put an end to him. He kept him
                            safe in coffin at a chamber.  During
                            the year 2000 a group of thieves from New
                            Orleans steal the coffin but end up being
                            killed by Dracula during their plane
                            flight back to New Orleans as their plane
                            crashes in a lake.  Then
                            Dracula wrecks havoc with the locals
                            their killing people by drinking their
                            blood as well as turning them into
                            vampires to work for him in order to
                            search for Van Helsing's daughter Mary
                            Heller (Justine Waddell) so he can turn
                            her into one of his people. Van Helsing and a vampire hunter named
                            Simon Sheppard (Jonny Lee Miller) travel
                            from London to New Orleans to try and
                            rescue her before it's too late.
 Mary has a bad feeling about Dracula
                            being able to trap her with no escape.
 
   During the
                            beginning the story seems quite rushed
                            but then it starts to make sense while
                            watching through it. There's the good ole
                            traditional burglar break in getting a
                            coffin with deadly booby traps around it
                            which makes it necessary that this coffin
                            is definetely nothing you want to mess
                            with.There's good shots on an old ship during
                            a prologue in the sea with some corpses.
 Cool shots on Matthew Van Helsing using a needle to get blood
                              from a leech as well as his reactions
                              whne he injects it acting like he is
                              really getting high along with nice close
                              up shots on his eyes changing.
 Of course there's a perfect traiditional
                                  airplane moment with the vampire
                                  resurrected which can make you jump at
                                  times and the whole surrounding on it
                                  looked creepy enough and this isn't your
                                  average vampire so to make it necessary
                                  for the millenium there's great looking
                                  effects to make this creature look even
                                  more deadly which should attract any
                                  viewers who love vampire flicks since you
                                  won't be disappointed. There's of course
                                  the typical non reflective moments where
                                  dracula isn't seen on camera or in a
                                  mirror reflection as well as good
                                  hypnotic moments. Yet he doesn't turn
                                  into a bat which has been overly used in
                                  old fashioned dracula movies and it
                                  wouldn't fit into this story at all.
 A good surrounding with some of the characters  around Dracula's coffin
                            plus great moments with some boobytraps
                            when they try to remove the coffin too.
 There's a great jumping moment with Dracula suddenly jumping
                            up from his coffin and grabbing  Nightshade by the throat as well as a great close up
                            shot on  his  fangs.
 The story sometimes didn't take itself
                                seriously with many humorous moments like
                                someone trying to do the news and there's
                                many bloopers, plus dracula is searching
                                for a female virgin he hunts down who
                                works at Virgin Megastore and the people
                                who turn into vampires act goofy at times
                                which uplifts the movie a bit.
 A nice surprise shot on  Dracula  standing upside down revealing his fangs
                            as well ready to attack.
 A good close up eye to eye shots on  Dracula and  Solina as well as a
                            good shot on him reaching his
                            hand to her and suddenly biting her on
                            the neck.
 A nice hallucination sequence with Mary Heller  and  Draculal trying to
                              shake off from what she's seeing and
                              telling herself to wake up while Dracula himself   stares at her mysteriously and
                              slowly walks towards her. There is also a
                              close up camera shot on them face to
                              face.
 A nice peaceful discussion between Mary   and Father David  when she tries to confess to him at a
                              cathedral.
 A nice battle scene with both  Abraham   and  Simon Sheppard  against mainly Solina as she
                              shows some nice vampire like attitude.
 Perfect  discussion
                              between Abraham  by
                              telling Simon   about his past
                              with Dracula a century ago as there's a
                              good narration by him showing a flashback that involved him and Dracula.
 A nice shot on Dracula sitting on
                              top of a ledge of a house.
 There's also an even at Mardi Gras with a
                              big screen of music videos which totally
                              looks great for the film and making it
                              different in every aspect than any other
                              vampire movie (Well except for The Lost Boys). To top it
                              off there's good flashback sequences
                              during the beginning of Dracula which
                              looked nice and solid too.
 A nice shot on Dracula  walking by
                              in a music store with some 
                              girls browsing some Cd's and him looking
                              like Mr Charming. Good shots on the
                              these girls noticing him.
 A nice setting between Dracula holding Lucy Wesserman's hand in a music store showing that
                              vampire like charm.
 Dracula does well slickly coming
                              up to Lucy on a staircase
                              face to face as well as great camera
                              shots on a lustful scene between the two
                              of them with good effects.
 Great fighting sequences between Marcus  and Simon Sheppard  with some
                              good kicking and body slamming in a
                              parking lot.
 A nice shot on Dracula cornering Abraham  and speaking silently to him.
 A nice angle shot in the hallway of the
                              house with Mary  Waddell being trapped
                              between Valerie  standing and
                              speaking to her along with Solina and Lucy crawling on the
                              sides of the walls which looked quite
                              suspenseful.
 There's also a good camera shot panning
                              in on Dracula  in the hallway
                              about to charge towards Mary. There's also a cool
                              shot on a wolf running to attack when
                              this happens.
 Perfect shots on Mary running
                              through a cemetary with fog rolling in.
 A good and brief moment on Simon  
                              being pitted against Valerie, Solina and Lucy.
 Good camera shots on him near a ledge.
 A good setting with with Mary biting Simon on the neck as well as
                              him reacting in pain to it. Both Solina and Lucy do well reacting
                              to this showing their fangs and breathing
                              out loud.
 A great battling sequence between Dracula  and Mary along with Simon battling Solina which were the
                              best fighting sequences.
 It's a nice look at a Dracula film of the
                              millenium and it's terrifically paced and
                              lots of vampire action fighting as
                              sometimes their attacking moments will
                              take you by surprise.
 Bottom line is this film is very well
                              done with alot of good humouress
                              dialogues which works quite well with the
                              storyline and good CGI effects too. It's
                              a nice beginning for a Dracula flick of a
                              new decade in the film industry followed
                              by two sequels.
 
 The acting is in
                            good taste. Gerard Butler (Dracula)  is
                            believeably scary as Dracula with his
                            menacing looks and dynamic performance as
                            well as his cold like speaking. He has
                            the right creepy looks to him which is
                            another bonus for this film and totally
                            studied his role incredibl well proving
                            her can amuse the audience with his
                            devilish charm but he isn't one of those
                            average vampire's who pretends to be nice
                            and comes across as really nasty and
                            coldblooded. Does well with his quiet
                            speech in front of an electric crucifix
                            hanging from the top of a building.Christopher Plummer (Abraham /
                            Matthew Van Helsing) brings the
                            charm to his role as an immortal Van
                            Helsing trying to hunt down Dracula as he
                            is great with his character and speech.
                            He has the nice older gruff looks too and
                            a nice serious attitude too. He brought
                            alot to the set and knew his stuff very
                            well. This guy is the man for sure.
 Justine Waddell (Mary Heller) was also great
                            with her role too as Van Helsing's
                            troubled daughter. She shows a nice
                            accent as well as a good sensitive
                            attitude to her role with someone who is
                            believeably troubled and frightened too.
                            She also had the beautiful virgin type
                            looks too. She's impressive holding a
                            bat and walking around the house by being
                            cautious in case Dracula is near. Does well looking frightened and
                            trying to escape when someone is ready to attack her.
 Jonny Lee Miller  (Simon Sheppard) shows terrific
                            energy as a vampire slayer as he shows
                            nice aggressions and a good uplifting
                            attitude without being too serious even
                            if he is on a serious mission really
                            bringing out the fun in his performance.
 Jennifer Esposito (Solina) seemed to grab
                            alot of viwers attention as a lustful
                            vampiress who knew her stuff inside out. Does well acting
                            very crazy and lustful in certain scene's.
 A nice and witty performance wit  Jeri Ryan (Valerie Sharpe) screwing up doing some
                            takes on the news near a swamp as well as
                            a great painful reaction on her when she
                            is scratched on the throat.
 Danny Masterson (Nightshade) does well trying
                            to open the coffin acting frusterated by
                            it as well as  him trying
                            to remove a leech from his nose as he
                            reacts well to the pain.
 
 There is a brief
                            breast shot of a woman that dracula is
                            making love to while floating. 
 A couple people
                            are stabbed with spikes. Peoples necks are chewed off and lots of
                            blood splattering too.
 Bloodied bullet shots. A sliced off head
                            of a black vampire and two vampiress'
                            beheaded as well.
 Van Helsing has a bloody stabbing of a
                            sword through his neck.
 A sharp piece of wood is stabbed through
                            a vampiress' heart.
 
 The music is also terrific
                            compsed by horror film composer Marco
                              Beltrami as his music is very
                            mainstream sounding by having strong
                            classical music with the horn playing
                            along with some drumming sounds and the
                            odd chanting. Some good screeching sounds
                            too to top it all off. We have a
                            bitchin soundtrack which is a similar
                            style to the Spawn soundtrack
                            with artists like Powerman 5000,
                              Disturbed, Slayer, System of a Down,
                              Monster Magnet, Godhead, Linkin Park,
                              Pantera, Static-X, (Hed)P.E., Taproot,
                              Endo, Flybanger, Half Cocked and Saliva. 
 Simon
                            Sheppard: What the hell happened in
                            there? Abraham Van Helsing: I told you to
                            kill her!
 Abraham Van Helsing: They can be
                            killed by silver, by sunlight or by
                            stakes. you must pierce their heart or
                            behead them. they are nosfaratu,
                            vampires.
 Simon Sheppard: And you knew about
                            this? And your alright with this?
 Abraham Van Helsing: I had them
                            destroyed irradicated. All but one. My
                            secret in the abbey. He is what they
                            stole
 Simon Sheppard: Who?
 Abraham Van Helsing: Dracula.
                            Dracula, not myth, no ravings of a mad
                            irish novelist, oh no. He is real I
                            assure you
 Simon Sheppard: This is the
                            fucking twighlight zone
 Solina:
                            You don't build this kind of security
                            without a gold mine to hide.  Dracula:
                            We are so much more complicated than our
                            names.  Simon
                            Sheppard: NEVER... ever FUCK with an
                            antiques dealer!  Dracula:
                            I don't drink... coffee.  Marcus:
                            [Simon produces a cross] Sorry
                            sport. I'm an atheist. Simon Sheppard: [a dagger pops
                                out of the cross' base] God loves you
                            anyway.
 Solina:
                            [to Simon] You Brits like to
                            sweet-talk. You Brits like to romance,
                            and all I wanna do is suck.  Lucy:
                            You had him every night in your dreams
                            and you didn't even share! 
 
 Dracula:
                            You made the world in your image. Now I
                            make it in mine. 
 
 Lucy:
                            It's even better than chocolate. 
 
 Lucy:
                            I was named after the "Peanuts"
                            character. 
 
 Dracula:
                            I will show you what I have never shown
                            another. 
 
 Nightshade:
                            I said I was sorry... 
 
 Dracula:
                            Mary, you're afraid. Don't be. 
 
 Valerie
                            Sharp: Can you see my face? Camera Man: Yeah.
 Valerie Sharp: Okay. Can you see
                            my tits?
 
 
 Solina:
                            Well, Mr Van Helsing, haven't you been
                            selfish? 
 
 Marcus:
                            Better than money! 
 
 Dracula:
                            Dignity, doctor. 
 
 Solina:
                            Being chosen, it's like being born. 
 
 Valerie
                            Sharp: I don't want to die. Dracula: Then you never will.
 
 Dracula:
                            You cannot imagine what I've had to
                            endure. I have felt the very wrath of
                            God, chosen to suffer like no man before. 
 
 Mary:
                            I am Mary Van Helsing. I am my father's
                            daughter. And none shall take that away. 
 
 [Simon
                            brandishes a Bible before the advancing
                            Dracula] Dracula: Propaganda.
 
 
 Dracula:
                            Everything I am is yours. And all you are
                            is mine. 
 
 Detective
                            Gautreaux: Solina, Dr. Seward tells
                            me you believed to be a vampire. Now how
                            does one become a vampire? Solina: No, how does one become...
                            a lover?
 Detective Gautreaux: Well, I don't
                            know.
 Solina: [Groans] One is
                            chosen.
 Detective Gautreaux: Did you see
                            that?
 Dr. Seward: See what?
 Solina: [sighs; Sultry voice]
                            Would you like to be chosen, Mr.
                            Detective? Are you waiting for a woman to
                            choose you as a lover?
 Detective Gautreaux: Are you
                            getting this on tape?
 Solina: [Yells] Look at me
                            when I talking to you!
 Detective Gautreaux: Um, Solina,
                            you... you can't see me.
 Solina: Of course I can.
 
 
 Abraham
                            Van Helsing: I swear to Jesus
                            Christ... Dracula: [interrupts] He
                            doesn't care!
 
 
 Dracula:
                            You haven't been feeding her. 
 
 Simon
                            Sheppard: [Translating Slavic Text
                              on a Crossbow] All fear he who walks
                            beneath the crown of Eternal Night. Abraham Van Helsing: No, no, no
                            it's not crown ... it's halo, beneath the
                            Halo of Eternal Night
 Simon Sheppard: Oh well, you see
                            why the design never survived, look at
                            how heavy it was compared to what they
                            were using in England at the time.
 Abraham Van Helsing: [talking
                                about the crossbow in his hands] Ah,
                            while the English made them for firing
                            Arrow Shafts of wood, this was made for
                            firing shafts of metal.... Silver
 
 
 Dracula:
                            You think you can teach me about
                            betrayal?        |