Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

Van Helsing 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Universal's September 2017 "dark wave" of UHD catalogue releases largely focused on visually gloomy and bleak films. The Purge trilogy, Dracula Untold, and Van Helsing all test the format's ability to produce the necessary shadow detail and challenge UHD to display visual improvements even in visually unforgiving films. Generally speaking, tests passed. While none of these discs have been out-and-out reference quality, they're well done and show a general command of the format's capabilities.

Van Helsing 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The included screenshots are sourced from a 1080p Blu-ray disc. Watch for 4K screenshots at a later date.

Van Helsing was shot on film and finished at 2K, and its UHD offers a 2160p 4K upscale image with HDR-enhanced colors. The film is dark, and overwhelmingly so at times, with only sporadic opportunity to open up to greater, more intense, and more widely diffuse lighting conditions. The film opens with a throwback black-and-white sequence that yields satisfyingly complex textures around the lab and on character faces. Blacks are very deep and grayscale gradations are crisp and pleasing. As the image reveals its first color sequence, with Van Helsing battling Mr. Hyde in a musty attic, the image maintains a firm grasp on its darkness. The UHD presents blacks with intense depth but also a mild soupiness and detail-devouring crush in a few corners. Additionally, blacks push mildly purple in a few spots. But generally, blacks are a strength with this transfer, whether pure black or degrees of shadowy low-light scenes. The HDR-enhancedd color palette can push a little extreme in a few instances, though such extremes are often at least partially a result of increased contrast between a showy color and an otherwise drab, lifeless background. An early sequence inside the Vatican features a character wearing intensely colored red attire that's very deeply saturated, standing out against shadowy, low-light backgrounds where darkly clad characters go about their work. The movie's inherent contrast and favoritism towards darkness offers a somewhat more unique take on HDR where color punch may seem more obvious in any given scene. Flesh tones do push a little more rosy here as well. Detailing is stout. Even through the darkness, viewers will note intimately complex facial features and clothes, of course more pronounced in better-lit scenes, but even dark elements reveal a tangible boost in detail. The image is sharp and finely grainy, reflecting its film roots and offering an overall pleasing UHD image.

Van Helsing 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

In the audio department, Van Helsing has been upgraded to DTS:X Master Audio, and the results are striking, to say the least. For anyone who wants a track that epitomizes the term "sonic insanity," this is the one. The film opens with an insanely aggressive musical number, spilling with equal vigor from every speaker, yielding a humongous, thunderous, far-reaching presentation supported prodigious bass. To be honest, it borders on excess, toeing the line between "rip-roaring" and "obnoxiously bellicose." Regardless of what one wants to call it, though, it engages the listener, big time, and sets a precedent for sonic chaos to come. And come it does. An angry mob wielding torches and pitchforks storms the gates, creating a frenetic din of humanity. Moments later, fires engulf the stage, torches are flung overhead, flames roar out of every speaker. It's a fantastic example of total stage saturation, including, here, overhead channels. And the track is just warming up. Not too much later during a large action sequence, arrows swoosh overhead, creatures fly around and above with a tangible overhead presence, with every speaker working in harmony to draw a pinpoint sonic map of movement and mayhem. Crashes, thuds, and other deep effects are defined by a prodigiously intensive amount of bass, the foundation-rattling kind that might even register on the Richter scale. Up, down, left, right, every angle and direction and nook and cranny is filled. Even atmospheric effects are finely integrated and never timid about making their presence known, such as all sorts of clanks and clatter in the movie's "Q" sequence early on or booming and lingering thunder and light winds that roll through the stage with, again, a tangible overhead presence. There might not be another Atmos or DTS:X track that engages the top end more frequently, discretely, and aggressively as this one. It's certainly fun, if the speakers can handle it and the ears can withstand it. Fans of intense audio that borders on obscene aggression but still maintains clarity are going to love it. Others will want to dial it back a few notches.

Van Helsing 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Universal's UHD release of Van Helsing contains no new bonus content. The UHD disc does contain the pair of previously released audio commentary tracks. All supplements can be found on the included Blu-ray, which is identical to the disc Universal released back in 2009. Below is a list of what extras are included. Please click here for more. A UV digital copy code is also included with purchase.

• Audio Commentary: Stephen Sommers and Editor/Producer Bob Ducsay.
• Audio Commentary: Richard Roxburgh, Shuler Hensley, and Will Kemp.
• Van Helsing: The Story, The Life, The Legend
• Track the Adventure
• Bringing the Monsters to Life
• You Are in the Movie!
• The Music of Van Helsing
• Bloopers
• Dracula's Lair Is Transformed
• The Masquerade Ball Scene "Unmasked"
• The Art of Van Helsing
• Monster Eggs

Van Helsing 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Van Helsing doesn't exactly rate out as classic cinema. That's not to say the film doesn't have value. For audiences who enjoy classic Universal monsters and literary characters and don't mind cheesy, overcooked Action, Van Helsing offers enough mix-and-match mayhem to eek out a serviceably entertaining, brain-off sort of watch. Universal's UHD delivers a pleasing upscaled 4K/HDR-enhanced image and a prodigious, foundation-rattling DTS:X soundtrack. No new extras are included, but the Blu-ray carries over everything from the last release. Recommended.