Dracula: Dead and Loving It aka the Most Accurate Van Helsing in Cinema

[Winter]

The final film directed bu Mel Brooks Dracula: Dead and Loving It is often seen as one of Brooks lesser films which is a point I overall agree with. The jokes aren't as funny as in other Brooks films, the characters are kinda forgettable and it kinda poorly paced. Of all the movies I've talked about this month this isn't as fun as the others I've mentioned.

Both Hocus Pocus and Van Helsing are pretty over the top and the fun comes from how goofy they are and the fact that both films seem to be aware of how silly they are but are not embraced by that. DDALI just doesn't have that charm which is said because this is the only time we see comedy legends Mel Brooks and Leslie Nielsen onscreen together.

At the same time this film does have a lot that I like about it. I can't think of any bad jokes and one or two did get me the laugh (the most notable being the stake scene and Dracula hypnotizing Mina and her maid) and the cast do seem to be having fun. I don't love this film but I do enjoy it but one thing I find so funny is that this film has the most accurate portrayal of Van Helsing in any media.

Most adaptations often paint Van Helsing as this serious minded badass who actually does have first hand experience with the supernatural in general and Dracula in particular. This got to the point of the previous mentioned Van Helsing movie made the title character a full on Superhero/James Bond/Indiana Jones Expy which again I love but that's not the character from the original book.

Van Helsing in the original novel of Dracula is, well, kind of a dork. He's a pretty average looking guy, who has a funny accent and who is just more open to the idea of a Vampire being involved and it should be noted that Mina actually outdoes Van Helsing at one point in figuring out what Dracula's next move will be.

Thus we come to Van Helsing in DDALI where the character is played by Mel Brooks himself and while he's a bit more of a jerk here he's pretty accurate to how the character was in the book. He remains the most competent person, is more open to the idea of Vampires being involved but there's no indication that he has first or even second hand experience with the supernatural.

So on the whole not as fun as the other films I've mentioned and not as great as Brooks' other films but still a fun watch and I honestly do think this is the overall most faithful incarnation of Van Helsing.

[hammerofglass]

I've always liked that movie. A lot of really stupid jokes that land anyway because great comic actors are delivering them.

[MithrandirOlorin]

I love this movie and found refreshing after Men in Tights, in that film it was clear Fourth Wall Breaking had become a crutch, so actually holding off on it here was a breath of fresh air.