Van Helsing: 2 Disc Collector's Edition DVD Review

As you would expect for such a new movie the transfer here is very good indeed, the 1.85:1 anamorphic image is crisp and clear with good detail on show. Colours are muted yet look good and skin tones are natural looking. Compression artefacts are not obvious and edge enhancement is very slight in brighter scenes. The quality of the image seems to undermine the quality of the special effects, with CGI looking like CGI and standing out. The movie is quite dark in places but blacks are solid with good shadow detail on show. Just a shame the movie is so bad.

The Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack is aggressive and wide, creating a truly stunning action soundmix. Mr Hyde's footsteps are deep and powerful creating a sense of his huge bulk and stature and the fight sequence sounds excellent with split effects and LFE surrounding the action. The same can be said of the horse carriage chase through the forrest with hoofs hitting the hard ground with excellent realism and weight. Dialogue is also intelligible at all times and the music score (which is actually very engaging) sounds dynamic and fills the sound stage. Overall this is action movie gold and should be played at reference volume (if you are unfortunate enough to have bought this disc).

Kicking off the extras are two commentaries which cover differing aspects of the filming, but at times there are long periods of silence, neither are worthy of any real effort on listening too. Explore Dracula and Frankenstein's lairs, a feature where you use the remote to explore the sets and are given details on what you are looking at, very dull indeed. Blooper reel is exactly that, a five minute feature which shows the actors goofing about and fluffing their lines. You are in the Movie is a multi angle feature which cover four scenes, Track the adventure is an interactive map showing where different events happen. Rounding off are a few features on the CGI effects and a documentary Van Helsing: The Story, The Life, The Legend which at about 50 minutes is a look at the movie legends and where the character came from, before we see Sommer's ruin the character in his Vision. Finally we get an assortment of trailers.
I could say, Leave your brain at the door, but I have a feeling that even in that state you will be bored ridged, unless you are aged 17 or under. The disc presentation on the other hand is superb.