Van Helsing: The London Assignment
An animated prequel to the 2004 film Van Helsing.
Van Helsing: The London Assignment is an adult-oriented action horror animated short from 2004, blending American production with anime influences. It was released by Universal Studios Home Video and animated by Universal Cartoon Studios, Production I.G, and Sunwoo Entertainment. The film is a prequel to the live-action *Van Helsing* movie that came out the same year, and it features Hugh Jackman, Tress MacNeille, Robbie Coltrane, and David Wenham in voice roles. Jackman, Wenham, and Alun Armstrong reprise their film characters—Gabriel Van Helsing, Friar Carl, and Cardinal Jinette, respectively. Critical reception was mostly positive, with several reviewers calling it a notable improvement over the original film.
In the story, monster hunter Van Helsing and Friar Carl head to London to probe a string of gruesome, supernatural murders. The culprit is Dr. Jekyll, who commits the crimes as his evil alter ego, Mr. Hyde. Following Hyde to an underground lair, the pair encounters a woman claiming to be Queen Victoria. They learn Jekyll is in love with her and has given her a potion that temporarily restores her youth. To brew this potion, Jekyll drains the souls of his freshly killed victims, ensuring the killings never cease. Jekyll kidnaps Victoria and escapes via the Golden Jubilee Balloon, but Van Helsing uses a grappling gun to board it. Jekyll transforms into Hyde to attack, causing the balloon to crash. The fight continues on the unfinished Tower Bridge, where Hyde is shot in the arm but flees. Van Helsing returns Victoria to Buckingham Palace, explaining that daybreak will break the spell and revert her to her true age. As thanks, she kisses him at sunrise, but the enchantment ends, and her older self slaps him and calls for guards. Van Helsing and Carl flee, and Van Helsing reports to Vatican City before tracking Jekyll to Paris.
The voice cast includes Hugh Jackman as Gabriel Van Helsing, Tress MacNeille as Queen Victoria, Tara Strong as Young Victoria, Dwight Schultz as Dr. Henry Jekyll / Jack the Ripper, Robbie Coltrane as Mr. Edward Hyde / Jack the Ripper, David Wenham as Friar Carl, Grey DeLisle as the First Victim, Tress MacNeille as the Second Victim, John DiMaggio as Coachman, Scott Mosenson as Palace Guard, Alun Armstrong as Cardinal Jinette, Roger Jackson as Drunken Gentleman, and Julia Fletcher as Lady-in-Waiting.
Quick Facts
- Director
- Sharon Bridgeman
- Producer
- John Kafka
- Writer
- Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens
- Starring
- Hugh Jackman / Tress MacNeille / Tara Strong / Robbie Coltrane / David Wenham / Dwight Schultz
- Music
- John Van Tongeren
- Based On
- Dracula / by Bram Stoker
- Editing
- Ken Solomon
- Studio
- Universal Cartoon Studios / Production I.G / Sunwoo Entertainment
- Distributor
- Universal Studios Home Video
- Released
- 17 April 2004 · Amsterdam Fantastic Film Festival · 2004 · 05 · 11 · United States
- Runtime
- 33 minutes
- Country
- United States
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The short film follows monster hunter Gabriel Van Helsing and friar Carl as they travel to London to investigate a series of horrific, supernatural murders committed by the mad scientist Dr. Jekyll in the form of his evil alter-ego, Mr. Hyde. Tracing Hyde to his underground fortress, they find a young woman claiming to be Queen Victoria and discover that Dr. Jekyll is in love with her, giving her a potion to keep her young and immortal. The potion requires the drained souls of freshly killed victims, so the killings will never stop.
Dr. Jekyll kidnaps Victoria using the Golden Jubilee Balloon, and Van Helsing follows with a grappling gun. In the balloon, Dr. Jekyll becomes Mr. Hyde to kill Van Helsing, causing a crash. They fight on the in-construction Tower Bridge, where Mr. Hyde is shot through the arm but escapes. Van Helsing returns Victoria to Buckingham Palace, noting that daybreak will break the enchantment and return her to her real age. Victoria kisses him at daybreak, causing her old self to slap him and call for guards, forcing Van Helsing and Carl to flee. Van Helsing sends word to Vatican City and tracks Jekyll to Paris.
Reader's Guide
The short film received mostly positive reviews, with some noting it to be a significant improvement over the original 2004 motion picture. It features the voices of Hugh Jackman, Tress MacNeille, Robbie Coltrane, and David Wenham, with Jackman, Wenham, and Alun Armstrong reprising their roles from the film as Gabriel Van Helsing, Friar Carl, and Cardinal Jinette respectively. The anime-influenced animation style and adult action horror tone distinguish it as a direct-to-video release that expands the Van Helsing universe. Its legacy lies in being a prequel that was generally considered better received than its live-action counterpart, though it remains a niche entry in the fantasy animation genre.
Did You Know?
- The short film is an animated prequel to the 2004 motion picture Van Helsing.
- Hugh Jackman, David Wenham, and Alun Armstrong reprised their roles from the live-action film.
- The plot involves Dr. Jekyll using a potion to keep Queen Victoria young by draining souls from victims.
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