From Universal comes the straight-to-DVD animated feature, Van Helsing: The London Assignment. Presented in a 1.85:1 widescreen picture that not only boasts a lush color palette and sharp image quality, but, when accompanied by the kicking 5.1 Dolby Surround track, the flick looks, feels, and sounds as big as the Hollywood production that it precedes. Sadly, since it's only 33 minutes long, there are no scene selections on the disc, but the size of the extras should please those looking for a little meat to their DVDs. Bonus features are split into four different sections, the first being a spoiler-filled look at Stephen Sommers' summer blockbuster Van Helsing in the "Behind the Screams" documentary hosted by cast member Josie Maran. Basically a shill when it comes down to it, the clip features many juicy moments from the film, littered with raving comments from everyone involved. A jaded viewer might think that it's a little too much (the product placement of the Universal box sets at the end are certainly an eye-roller), but that's the nature of the movie tie-in beast -- put the product out there to sell the bigger fish. The "Animatic to Animation" storyboard comparison is next, followed by an interview with star Hugh Jackman that shows the actor recording dialogue and discussing the differences between film acting and voice work. The final extra is...you guessed it, another movie tie-in! This time it's for the Vivendi Universal Van Helsing game for the Playstation 2 and Xbox systems, featuring a few more tidbits from Jackman, along with additional interviews with the game's creators. Fans of the film will enjoy diving into this disc, with others most likely buying it for their kids to watch time and again. (Warning: the film features numerous violent scenes which might be too extreme for younger viewers.)