Gabriel Van Helsing is a Vatican-sponsored monster hunter sent to Transylvania to aid the Valerios family’s quest to destroy the evil Count Dracula. Once there, Van Helsing discovers Dracula’s nefarious plot to take over the world. The question is, can he save the world and get the girl when he has vampires, werewolves and Frankenstein’s monster to deal with too?

The film begins like a traditional Universal creature feature in atmospheric black and white, with Frankenstein trying to bring his creature to life while the villagers advance on the castle with pitchforks and blazing torches. There’s even the cry of “It’s alive!” and plenty of Van der Graaf generators humming away in the background. It’s a nice back story for one of the star monsters that segues into the film’s present where we walk in on Van Helsing finishing off an assignment (à la Indiana Jones) and Dr Jekyll’s other half. It’s a worthy introduction to the man in the hat, with Hugh Jackman proving himself a rugged and convincing hero with fuzzy morals. We’re treated to a far more impressive Mr Hyde than the rubbish rubber-suited affair from “The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen” and the fact that it’s voiced by Robbie Coltrane adds to the quality feel of the film. It’s a great introduction to world of the characters and a possible franchise. But it doesn’t stop there. There is the multi-faith order hidden beneath the Vatican who help Van Helsing in his quest to capture or kill all of the monsters the world has to offer. So there are tons of innovative gadgets and gizmos Bond would be envious of. There are the Dracula’s brides; the winged harpies who delight in taunting Anna Valerios and her clan. There is the spectacle of Dracula’s castle and plenty of sweeping vistas to please the eye, not to mention carriage chases and the odd flying cow. There’s hardly a dull moment. So if you like your blockbusters big and loud with plenty of stunts and CGI, this will be right up your alley.

Kate Beckinsale is usually box office poison; look at “Pearl Harbour”, “Underworld” and “The Haunting”. Thankfully this film isn’t reliant on her character. Anna Valerios is the last of a clan that’s been fighting Dracula for centuries and she’s not scared of getting her hands dirty, as her werewolf hunt shows. The character is feisty and likeable enough but she’s too much like the Rachel Weisz character in the Mummy films and it feels like Van Helsing has one sidekick too many most of the time. That’s not to say Beckinsale does a bad job; she’s entirely suited to the role, looks like she relishes the action sequences and manages to pout in all the right places. It’s a little unbelievable that she’d go out looking for trouble in an unfeasibly tight corset and leather trousers. I can only imagine how much they’d chafe. It seems a bit odd that her hair and make-up are always perfect, but that’s one of the perks of being a star. But I can’t complain that Sommers has left the women to sit on the sidelines batting their eyelashes and screaming for help. Let me put it this way – if I was up against hordes of vampires, I’d want Valerios on my side.

Richard Roxburgh does a good line in hammy bad guys; you only have to look at “Moulin Rouge” and “The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen” to see that, so he was the clear choice to play Dracula. He cuts a dash as an evil New Romantic tragic anti-hero, who’s got a way with the ladies. Roxburgh is a good actor, but here he seems too reined in to be a great Dracula. There isn’t enough whimsy and caprice to carry the character, but that might be down to the script more than the casting. He also lacks chemistry with Kate Beckinsale, which is a shame because it would have added a certain frisson to their encounters. But it is a good performance nonetheless.

Stephen Sommers collects supporting actors wherever he goes. Kevin J O’Connor (the weasely Beni from “The Mummy”) is virtually unrecognisable as Igor. He looks like a melted Ted Danson and puts in a scene-stealing, scenery chewing turn. When torturing the Wolfman he is asked, “Igor, why do you torment that thing so?” He deadpans “It’s what I do.” Alun Armstrong (the priest from “The Mummy Returns”) tips up as Van Helsing’s Cardinal boss. Even Tom Fisher (another “Mummy” alumnus) appears as Top Hat, the long-lost offspring of Riff-Raff and local undertaker. But the ugly men are counter-pointed by Dracula’s beautiful and deadly brides, Verona, Marishka and Eleera. They are all stunning, alluring and revelling in their Hammer House of Horror roles. Where else could you hiss and wail with such freedom and not be considered over-the-top?

The film is jam-packed with special effects of variable quality. Some of the CGI was provided by Weta, who created the effects for “The Lord of the Rings” and their class shines through. It is hardly coincidence that Dracula’s castle resembles Orthanc and Barad-Dur. Dracula’s brides look excellent when they change from their human to vampire forms and attack the local village. We are shown a new take on werewolves, where a man literally tears his skin off. And the millions of slimy batfinks that appear are a sight to behold. It is the animation of the other CGI characters that sometimes lets the production down. In the final battle, not only has Sommers decided to dispense with human actors with whom we have already formed a bond as an audience, but he also serves up two shonky CG monstoids that look as bad as the Scorpion King in “The Mummy Returns”. Honestly, it’s like watching a game on a Sega Megadrive. The beasts aren’t that scary and they lack a sense of physical weight. If only he could put the “Big Book of CGI” down for a minute and either let technology catch up with his imagination or invest in better make-up effects…