Van Helsing: Season One [Blu-ray]

This is not for the faint of heartWatched all 13. Dragged a little in middle but over all a fun blend of good action and suspense. It is kind of like walking dead, but way faster thank goodness. The main girl is like part blade part the girl from underworld. And she has a big heart. She's fun to watch.They throw a lot of twists at you like vampires versus ferals, people being turned back people becoming immune.Unfortunately also some really gross stuff too as in people being tortured by vampires.First 5 to 6 episodes they are defending a hospital against vampires trying to get them as they and we learn the special abilities of the girl.Nice twist with psychopath being in their midst and how that eventually weaves into well. Won't spoil that.But nothing super deep here. Mostly action. I do want to know what happens next. But again it's lighter than the strain overall but some dark parts.If u like vampire or zombie movies then this is interesting twist.Dang when is this stupid show coming back!Hurry up I'm sick of waiting.

I took a risk and bought the season on the basis of the trailer. Now, after watching the first two episodes, I'm glad I did. The episodes I watched weren't flawless but the premise is interesting and the acting is solid. The problem? Plot holes.For example, it would help if the screenwriter(s) were more familiar with military culture. At one point in the second episode one of the marines decides (on his own) that he is going to take the remaining marines and attempt to reach a communications center 40 miles away. For one thing, rank is never established between the two senior ranking marines but the assumption--based on context--is they're the same rank; however, even if they're both the same rank, one would have time in grade over the other (regardless of service branch). Only one marine (or soldier or sailor or airman) can be in charge of a given post. Command responsibilities are not shared. The military is not a democracy. So no, a marine would not take it upon himself (or herself) to run a risky mission that would endanger the greater mission, which in this case is to 'protect the package'. It simply wouldn't happen. A smart senior ranking man or woman would listen to advice or gauge team consensus, but they make the call, go or no go. The mission to traverse miles of hostile country to a comm center and...do something sounded foolhardy and foggy headed, made up by the writer(s) as a way to advance the plot.That is one example. There are a few others, such as the mystifying non-reaction of Kelly Overton's Van Helsing character when told of a possible cataclysmic eruption of a FREAKING SUPER VOLCANO in Yellowstone, which we are told is only a few hundred miles away. I mean, ashes are falling from the sky like snowflakes. The sky is ominously darkening. Any parent I know would be watching the news like a hawk, packing bags, grabbing their kid and heading away from near-ground zero of a possible super-eruption as soon as humanly possible.I blame it on sloppy writing. Don't be a sloppy writer. Otherwise, it's all good.

Great series.

I was kinda iffy on this at first but I'm very pleased I bought it. Great show, out of the box thinking which is awesome and pretty good action and fights.

It seems like a good vampire/end of the world movie. However, they lean into the "girl power' too much.

It's getting harder and harder to find decent entertainment these days as liberal infiltration into media bends movies and TV away from basic goals like making money to instead, ram ridiculous propaganda down our throats. Van Helsing is typical of this.Strong, super hero type female.....unlikely, but borderline acceptable. This is fiction after all. However, after it has been done to death, at the very least it is hackneyed. Oh look, another super woman....yaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwn. What is not acceptable is bumbling caricatures of men which go out of their way to be disrespectful and are, quite frankly, borderline delusional. But in episode 11, this crosses the line into outright man hatred where, if the roles were reversed, women would be out protesting in the streets. All this and the series is slow as molasses and boring, boring, boring. After 11 episodes its not even clear what has happened in the world beyond....vampires. Who is the protagonist. What's with all the vampires. Even, what is the source of conflict between the two main factions of vampires. At this point, most people with mild interest in the series have wandered off. Cancellation can't be too far off. Basically, this is Walking Dead all over again without the pretense of doing a good job.

Incredibly predictable and derivative. A series that could have potential is held back by the fact that the vampires are not that strong, or that much of a threat. Instead, they fill in plot holes when required......sometimes acting as credible threats, but most often serving more of a "zombie" role than vampire, and quickly dispatched without issue. You never know when the show is to be taken seriously, or when it's time to turn your brain off and watch the over the top death scenes. Turns out that in a post apocalyptic, Zompire filled universe, humans are more dangerous to each other than anyone else.

I discovered the series on Netflix when I was on a zombie binge and I have to say this is a great tv show. This was the only version of the series on blu ray that’s region A (USA), seasons 2-4 are available on blu ray in region B (UK).