Recently, Hollywood films and television shows have faced backlash for their poor visual effects. She-Hulk and The Flash are the prime offenders of the same, with fans heavily criticizing the two superhero entries for their poorly crafted VFX. Moreover, the subpar quality of their VFX becomes even more evident when compared to Hugh Jackman’s Van Helsing from 20 years ago.
On social media, users discussed the 2004 action-horror movie, Van Helsing, starring Jackman in the titular role. Some netizens felt that the film had considerably better visual effects compared to She-Hulk and The Flash despite having been released almost twenty years later. Here is why fans think Van Helsing had some of the best VFX for its time.
Fans Praise the VFX of Hugh Jackman’s Van Helsing Even After Two Decades
Starring Hugh Jackman, Van Helsing was released in 2004, with generally negative reviews. However, the film fared fairly decent at the box office, grossing roughly $300.2 million globally against a production budget of a reported $170 million.
On Instagram, one user pointed out how the visual effects of the movie were better than The Flash and She-Hulk, despite being almost two decades old. One user commented the following on the post, praising the film’s visual effects, especially during Jackman’s werewolf transformation scene:
This is by far the most powerful werewolf that’s ever graced the big screen.
Similarly, other users also praised the VFX of Van Helsing, with one stating, “The best werewolf transformation ever.” Meanwhile, another user commented, “The VFX is evolving, just backward(s).“
As a result, it is evident that netizens feel the visual effects of Van Helsing were ahead of their time. Furthermore, the film also had a considerably smaller budget compared to She-Hulk and The Flash, which both had reported budgets of $225 million and $200 million respectively.
Van Helsing Director Reveals the Challenges of the Werewolf Transformation Scene
According to director Stephen Sommers, the werewolf transformation scene in Van Helsing was particularly challenging to film because of the visual effects involved in it. During an interview with Syfy.com, Sommers broke down how the scene was created using a mix of practical effects and CGI.
Despite having a pretty good mental image of the visuals he wanted for the transformation scene, Sommers admitted that he did not have the necessary technical knowledge of visual effects. As a result, he had to rely on his team to execute the scene.
From the model makers all the way through the computer graphics guys. It’s very collaborative.
Sommers made the above statement, explaining how the crew worked in tandem with him to create the stunning VFX that is remembered even after almost two decades.
Aside from the werewolf transformation, the film’s VFX team also brought to life several other mythical beasts and monsters who form the core story. However, Sommers admitted that some of the monsters he planned to include had to be cut out due to budgetary concerns.
Van Helsing is streaming on Peacock.
