Van Helsing : Mission à Londres

It occurs to me that Universal missed a trick with "Van Helsing: The London Assignment" - this animated featurette may as well have been released with "Van Helsing" as a supporting feature. On the other hand, that might not have been the best idea, since this is considerably easier to get through than the overblown and underinteresting movie... if only because there's less of it.

Essentially setting up the Parisian showdown between Van Helsing and Mr. Hyde that kicks off the live-action extravaganza, the short subject indulges in the same advantage-taking of famed fictional characters as the movie - like the appalling Anthony Perkins vehicle "Edge Of Sanity," writers Judith Reeves-Stevens and Garfield Reeves-Stevens take the characters of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and add a bit of Jack the Ripper to the mix - and the same over-the-top action, only with plenty of Asian-flavoured animation in its scenes of violence and murder.

Having Hugh Jackman, David Wenham and Robbie Coltrane repeating their roles from the movie (our hero, his assistant Carl and Mr. Hyde respectively) helps, and it's dramatically done, but the movie's biggest plus is that it's more straightforward and less determined to throw everything into the mix than the movie. It passes the time, but with the necessarily abrupt ending and the feeling that this is little more than a(nother) tie-in, it's hard not to be relieved that there won't be a sequel or a followup TV series. Then again, there's a sequel to "Baby Geniuses"...

This over all prequel to the motion picture is just an overblown fluff piece that could have been saved or perhaps will show up on the eventual DVD release of Van Helsing.

The animated feature is nicely done and the sound is great. The supliments are more or less a kind of press junket for the feature film follow-up.

At only a half-hour running time, you wish is was at least 80 mins. Hugh Jackman and the cast provide voice talent to bring this 'teaser' to life.

3 1/2 stars out of 5

Hi I'm Katie and I live in Hull. All I wanted to say was that I totally love van Hesling the film especially with Hugh Jackman in it. He is so fit and it just wouldn't be right without him in it. I have rated this film a ten because I just love it I have the film the book and the ps2 game. My bedroom is full of Hugh Jackman and van Helsing posters. You can't even see my walls. I am one of Hugh's best fan. And Anna out of the film is also great. I think she's really pretty and I wish I could meet them all. That would be fantastic. I can't go see them because I am only 13 and if I were an adult I would go all over just to see them. I love the film van Helsing I cant stop talking about it at school my friends get sick of me. My computer is full of it all u can see when you open my file is Hugh Jackman or Anna or sometimes both of them. At school on my computer as well I have loads of photos of him. I get more and more of them when I go on the Internet at school. That's only when we are allowed on it. I am totally mad about Hugh and I think nearly everybody in my family and my mates know as well. They say I am mad. Because they don't like him but then I just say that it's my life and nobody can change it. But they still go on about it at me saying that he's ugly and stuff so I just ignore them and say that I love him and it doesn't matter if they don't love him I do. But they say I'm mad and I am mad...about him. Nobody can change my feelings for him and nobody can put me off him either so it's going to be like this forever. But I am stopping talking about my self and talking about the film. I love it when he and Anna are together and he kisses her and she kisses him. And I like his voice in it too I think it makes him sound even sexier than he is now and he looks fit in long hair and leather suits and jackets. I just love the film if I named all the parts I like in the story a person who is reading this would be there all day and all night. But I love this film because of the man and the women but I also love this film because I love action romance horror and I love the people who are in it. But I also love the film because when things happen in the film when I want them to that is great too. But the ending is very sad and I will always remember that to. But she should have stayed alive I think then there could have been a van Helsing 2 out but with a different monster in it like the screaming women who's scream is so loud they kill a human. That would be good but if it did come out again it would have had to have Anna in it and the same person otherwise it wouldn't be right. Instead of Dracula. But all of the film is really good overall that is.but this is the bets film I ever saw because normally horrors are scary but I don't think this is a scary horror but that's OK because most girls like me like horrors like this.i think Hugh is a great man and actor in this but he is great anyway so it doesn't matter. He cant do anything wrong he just the best. And the same goes to Kate (Anna) she is beautiful and the best and a great actress Hugh and Kate make a good acting couple in the film. I am looking at Hugh on the computer now at his pictures on the internet and Anna they both look good in the film together it is just a great film with them to in. if they were not in it would really not be a film. If I have already said that just ignore I am saying stuff weird today for some strange reason. But I think the film is absolutely great when i was talking about how my friends go on at me my family does to they get on my nerves to my mum and dad do anyway saying take your posters off the walls you cant see them but I don't so I think my mum and dad have given up. But my sis goes on at me saying how could you love him he's a right ugly, Katie but I just ignore her she worse than my mates. But I do not listen to them when they talk to me in that subject like that. But the person that got me on to the film van Helsing is my English teacher because we watched the film loads of times in the class and I just started loving it the first time I saw it. Sir doesn't know about me liking him but he most probably gets to know tomorrow my friends cant keep secrets at all especially when its about love and girl stuff like that but if it s really private they wont say out. But they will this time.but when I was talking about the van Helsing 2 about how I make it up is because I write stories about things I imagine but when I go to bed that's what gives me ideas because when I sleep I dream and I get my ideas from my dreams and I have started writing a story about van Helsing 2 I think its going to be great. So I am giving it the rate of 10 which is Excellent!

There's this so called one word review: awesome!

This is a good model by how short animes should be made. Lots of action, very nice scenes featuring some more interactive combat action. Hugh Jackman made a good choice by lending his voice to the main character, Van Helsing and as I'm seeing this the day after I saw the full movie piece at the cinema, it just feels incredibly well done, Carl, Gabriel, all it's characters are in shape, just as I would imagine them myself animated.

Just see this, I did love it, but perhaps it might be because I saw the full piece yesterday, I don't know. Anyhow, this is a remarkable piece in the short anime category section, well worth it's 30 minutes!

The character of Abraham Van Helsing is quite common among horror enthusiasts. Being that he has been portrayed in several live-action films along side his arch foe Count Dracula; he was bound to be focused on at some point. As for animation, this is probably one of the very few he's been seen in. As for why this particular production was made, remains to be understood. In some ways it runs along the same lines as Hellboy Animated: Sword of Storms (2006) and Hellboy Animated: Blood and Iron (2007); they have continuity with their live-action counterparts but aren't clear in their target audience. There's enough to enjoy on this little feature for 30 minutes but as for setting up a universe for itself is a totally different problem.

The plot starts with mysterious bloody off screen deaths of young women walking around the streets of London at the wrong hours of the night. Turns out that Dr. Jekyll (Dwight Schultz) and his alter ego Mr. Hyde (Robbie Coltrane) are up to no good. During the day Dr. Jekyll plays doctor to an ill and elderly Queen Victoria (Tara Strong) and secretly loves her. However in order to cure the Queen of her sickness, the likes of Mr. Hyde is needed to harvest the youth of other women. Enter Van Helsing (Hugh Jackman) and his partner Carl (David Wenham) to search and find out all that has happened. For what it's worth, this half an hour feature gets to the point quickly. It literally feels like a Saturday morning cartoon. In some ways this is good and others not. The pro of it being 30 minutes is that the plot, written by Garfield Reeves-Stevens and Judith Reeves-Stevens is clean cut and gets to the point. The con to this is that the introduction to Van Helsing and his partner come out of nowhere. Plus, the side character of Carl feels even less familiar because he just feels like some nobody.

Direction was headed by Sharon Bridgeman (her first time) who normally works in the animation department and has been apart of projects like Shark Tale (2004) and How to Train Your Dragon (2010). With those kinds of projects in mind, Bridgeman probably had a good idea of what she wanted to have in this short. Combine that with Jeff Starling as the visual development artist and there is something unique to see. The overall animation is all right for the most part. There are some areas that look somewhat choppy but that's mostly on the scenes that do not involve as much movement. When it comes to action the animation becomes much better. This is not only in fluidity but also in 3D rendering effects. For these key scenes the blending isn't the strongest, but it is that uneasy blending that makes it interesting to see because it is 2D on top of 3D. Most of the time this really wouldn't be a thing to praise but it's intriguing enough to look at so there must be something to benefit from it. It's not distracting at all.

Along with the animation, the actual action sequences entertain. Helsing has his weapons and can maneuver around with ease. There's a nicely paced scene that involves a chase between Helsing and Hyde on an old subway (which also includes that 3D rendering mentioned before). That looked like fun. Surprisingly for action, there are also some pretty graphic images. If this were a live-action film it would've been rated R. The way the women are killed by Hyde are not clean and there is blood shown. See how it parallels the Hellboy animated films? Who exactly is this animated film made for again? Obviously not all animated films are made for kids but if the live-action sequel has a rating of PG-13 what's going on here then? Why is Universal Studios not budging their nose in on this production but can do it for the story that comes after this? Let's be consistent guys.

The voice acting is well casted. Hugh Jackman has his moments of some funny one liners as Helsing and has acceptable chemistry with his lesser skilled companion Carl who also has moments of quirkiness. Tara Strong as Queen Victoria appropriately plays the role like any actress would. Dwight Schultz as Dr. Jekyll is an excellent choice considering Schultz has a lot of experience in voice work and has voiced numerous characters ages old and new. Robbie Coltrane as Mr. Hyde was another suitable casting decision. Taking into account the actual size of Coltrane seems like the only legitimate actor to take on Hyde due to his brute strength and deep voice. Even John DiMaggio has a small role although I'm curious if DiMaggio could've topped Coltrane as Mr. Hyde. The music composed by John Van Tongeren was okay but anonymous. It had all the sounds of orchestra but lacked a main theme or any cues that were memorable.

It's music and writing is a little above average only because of the amount of time given for this whole feature being a half-hour. There isn't much for background to the main characters and the violence is questionable when it comes to audience viewing. However, the digital renderings mixed with animation is unique, the voice-over work is good and the action is fun.