In what has to be one of the quickest turnaround times in movie history, the creators behind the live-action Van Helsing (2004) have found a way to tide fans over until the film's eventual release. The London Assignment is basically an animated prequel to the live-action film, and nothing more. Clocking in at a scant 33 minutes (including the credits), it's hard to categorize this story in a typical fashion. Naturally, it's too short to be considered a stand-alone film. On the other hand, it's a tad long to be considered a TV special (or pilot episode), but the non-stop action of this story is already lean enough not to warrant any more trimming.

Featuring the voice of Hugh Jackman (the star of the live-action film), The London Assignment tells the brief tale of Helsing's first adventures in London as he faces the deadly Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Although the format of the animated film is much different than the live-action counterpart, it does a decent job of re-creating the dark and brooding atmostphere of its big-screen brother. Additionally, the wise decision of having Jackman voice the character is a welcome move, as it lends itself to an ever stronger likeness. Although a few supporting characters are new to this story, we also get to see a few familiar faces (the aforementioned Jekyll/Hyde and Van Helsing's "sidekick" Carl, for example).

As mentioned before, this short film runs for just 33 minutes, but features more action than most feature-length films! Of course, this leaves the character development a bit lacking, but the film does a decent job of rolling along at top speed. I can't say I was bored at any point during the show, and that's where the film could be considered most successful. Plain and simple, if you liked the live-action Van Helsing, this animated film will be right up your alley. On a basic level, it's a short and simple story that does its job well, and tries pretty darn hard to keep things moving.

Or course, what review would be complete without mentioning a few glaring drawbacks?

For starters, the most attention-getting aspect of this film is the artwork itself, but that's not always a good thing. Besides for the obvious notion that this production seemed like a rush job, there are several styles of animation here...and they don't blend together as well as you'd expect. Part CGI, part hand-drawn animaion, this is a film that definitely could have used an additional round of polish. The characters are somewhat crudely drawn, and basic animation is a mixed bag: while some scenes are fluid and kinetic, others stick out like a sore thumb. All in all, it's not up to par with most modern animation releases, either American or Japanese (of which this film shares equal influence). It's not terrible animation by any stretch, but it won't blow you away from start to finish.

Of course, there may be other nitpicks, but they're standards for films of the popcorn variety. This is a production that relies much more of style than substance, and almost requires viewers to check their brains at the door. At the same time, it also builds well on the strengths of the genre (atmosphere and action), and thankfully doesn't take itself too seriously. It's a short but entertaining ride that keeps the spirit of the live-action film going, and will be of much interest to fans of the supernatural branch of animation. While it's not a perfectly-crafted production, it's entertaining enough to see at least once. The DVD comes to us courtesy of Universal, and makes for an interesting appetizer for the live-action release due later this year. But is this disc worth the money? Rean on for the complete scoop:

These menus are dark and brooding, and capture the feel of this production perfectly. Although the menus themselves are essentially static, a quick animated intro is featured, as well as appropriate background music. The "movie" itself is surprisingly not given any chapter stops, which is still a disappointment despite its brief running time. Packaging for this DVD release was somewhat generic, and dresses up the sparse amount of content quite nicely (which is good from a marketing point of view, but bad for impulsive buyers). An insert advertisement also plugs Universal's Monster Legacy Collections and the already-released Van Helsing video game.

Even though the animated film itself wasn't a bad effort, the overall DVD package left me a little cold. Sure, the technical presentation was quite good (despite the previously-mentioned lack of anamorphic enhancement) and the broadly-themed extras were decent, but this seemed much more like a marketing tool than a stand-alone release. All things considered, The London Assignment really seems like part of a second disc for the live-action Van Helsing DVD, and can't really stay above water on its own. If you loved the movie in theaters, chances are you'll want to check this disc out, as it stays fairly close to the spirit and atmosphere of the movie. The price is reasonable, but there still isn't enough content on this disc to justify an purchase for anyone other than die-hard fans. Rent It.