I enjoyed this movie, but I found several flaws which some people have posted about.
1. Incorrect vampire lore:
1a. Van Helsing able to lift the Vampire curse through branding the bite and washing it with Holy water.
1b. Moonshadow windmill (somehow missing the windmill building) able to completely kill Baron Meinster. I can see sunlight doing it, but the Baron is a creature of the night and moonlight should be in his realm.
1c. Baron Meinster entering the school teacher's bedroom without being invited -- which maybe possible if entering the whole school per se was enabled through being invited by the school administrators.
1d. Shacking the Baron. I'm not sure the shackles really works, even if it was silver with holy markings. If so, it might burn the Baron (for Werewolves definitely, Vampires normally not) in addition to holding him. If it doesn't burn him, then what prevents him from tearing it out of the wall or turning into a bat (or mist form) and escaping. From what I can tell, the Baron isn't supernaturally strong as in later Dracula movies.
2. Bad coincidences:
2a. Van Helsing somehow finds Marrianne in the middle of the forest while driving by in a coach. Very unlikely. If she was on the road, I would have bought it.
2b. Running into the con artist doctor who tells Van Helsing about the death at the Girls School.
2c. Greta escapes the priest easily and off screen.
Things unsaid: The Baroness is feeding young ladies to her son. We'll unless she is staking or burning the bodies of his victims, there should be a lot of Brides in the area. So, I assume she or Greta must be disposing of their bodies properly.
Here's what I loved about the movie:
0. Peter Cushing as Van Helsing.
1. Baroness Meinster though creepy wound up being sympathetic. But why wait until sunrise until dispatching her? Unless Van Helsing thinks that it would spare her pain, but he was wrong as she made a sound when he dispatched her. So, that makes me believe that Van Helsing isn't as experienced in Vampire lore as he says he is.
2. The Nurse Greta was sufficiently creepy especially in the scene where she wakes up one of the Baron's Brides from the grave. A very iconic and nice scene. But from Van Helsing's view point, he seems surprised and scared which tells me he's not as experienced as we've seen him in other Dracula movies.
3. Marianne actually being the instrument of her own peril by freeing the Baron. I loved how she tied the key to a handkerchief and threw it to the Baron vs just tossing it.
4. Con artist doctor. I loved how this guy is scamming everyone and is a man of science. The Anti- Van Helsing.
5. The locks dropping off Gina's coffin during the wake and the horse in distress. That was a great scene and extended sequence.
6. Van Helsing being bitten and then using the brand and holy water to un-vampire himself was a cool scene though incorrect vampire lore. Van Helsing rarely gets bitten in the Dracula movies.
7. Using the hot coals by both Van Helsing (to cure himself) and by the Baron to create a fire barrier for his escape and also inadvertently setting the windmill on fire and burning his brides.
8. The windmill shadow was also a cool scene, but I wished it only stopped the Baron long enough for Van Helsing to stake him vs killing the Baron outright.
Overall there was much more to like than to dislike with iconic scenes and a very robust 47 year old Peter Cushing doing stunts.
1. Incorrect vampire lore:
1a. Van Helsing able to lift the Vampire curse through branding the bite and washing it with Holy water.
1b. Moonshadow windmill (somehow missing the windmill building) able to completely kill Baron Meinster. I can see sunlight doing it, but the Baron is a creature of the night and moonlight should be in his realm.
1c. Baron Meinster entering the school teacher's bedroom without being invited -- which maybe possible if entering the whole school per se was enabled through being invited by the school administrators.
1d. Shacking the Baron. I'm not sure the shackles really works, even if it was silver with holy markings. If so, it might burn the Baron (for Werewolves definitely, Vampires normally not) in addition to holding him. If it doesn't burn him, then what prevents him from tearing it out of the wall or turning into a bat (or mist form) and escaping. From what I can tell, the Baron isn't supernaturally strong as in later Dracula movies.
2. Bad coincidences:
2a. Van Helsing somehow finds Marrianne in the middle of the forest while driving by in a coach. Very unlikely. If she was on the road, I would have bought it.
2b. Running into the con artist doctor who tells Van Helsing about the death at the Girls School.
2c. Greta escapes the priest easily and off screen.
Things unsaid: The Baroness is feeding young ladies to her son. We'll unless she is staking or burning the bodies of his victims, there should be a lot of Brides in the area. So, I assume she or Greta must be disposing of their bodies properly.
Here's what I loved about the movie:
0. Peter Cushing as Van Helsing.
1. Baroness Meinster though creepy wound up being sympathetic. But why wait until sunrise until dispatching her? Unless Van Helsing thinks that it would spare her pain, but he was wrong as she made a sound when he dispatched her. So, that makes me believe that Van Helsing isn't as experienced in Vampire lore as he says he is.
2. The Nurse Greta was sufficiently creepy especially in the scene where she wakes up one of the Baron's Brides from the grave. A very iconic and nice scene. But from Van Helsing's view point, he seems surprised and scared which tells me he's not as experienced as we've seen him in other Dracula movies.
3. Marianne actually being the instrument of her own peril by freeing the Baron. I loved how she tied the key to a handkerchief and threw it to the Baron vs just tossing it.
4. Con artist doctor. I loved how this guy is scamming everyone and is a man of science. The Anti- Van Helsing.
5. The locks dropping off Gina's coffin during the wake and the horse in distress. That was a great scene and extended sequence.
6. Van Helsing being bitten and then using the brand and holy water to un-vampire himself was a cool scene though incorrect vampire lore. Van Helsing rarely gets bitten in the Dracula movies.
7. Using the hot coals by both Van Helsing (to cure himself) and by the Baron to create a fire barrier for his escape and also inadvertently setting the windmill on fire and burning his brides.
8. The windmill shadow was also a cool scene, but I wished it only stopped the Baron long enough for Van Helsing to stake him vs killing the Baron outright.
Overall there was much more to like than to dislike with iconic scenes and a very robust 47 year old Peter Cushing doing stunts.