Van Helsing: When You Can't Decide If It's A Parody

Van Helsing is an unusual steampunk adaptation of Shelley’s Frankenstein and Stoker’s Dracula. If this weren’t enough, Van Helsing is also hesitant to decide whether it wants to be a serious flip on the stories or a parody of them.

At first blink, the movie is meant to be a light-hearted comedy with many generic tropes subversed or reflected on. It’s in the very first 15 minutes when we get the essential scene of buddy cop movies subversed: Van Helsing is told that “his results are unquestionable, but his methods attract far too much attention.” Then we also get an ironical remark on the grandiose villain’s monologue: “I think if you’re going to kill someone, kill them; don’t just stand there talking about it!”

Sure, sure. But at the same time, we have a hero and a heroine in all seriousness with their token romance as a must-have, counterpointed by a buffoon monk. And the good old fighting scene with Van Helsing as a fierce werewolf and Count Dracula as, well, the super-vampire with a mimicry of an accent. Lugosi, I guess? (No, not him.)

So which one is it? You tell me. I had a good time, though.