No one knows exactly how or why the war started, but for centuries the vampires and the lycans have been fighting each other constantly, neither side is willing to relent or desist. On a particular mission, Selene, a vampire belonging to an elite group of fighters called the Death Dealers, stumbles upon something out of the ordinary. The pack of werewolves they have been tracking are showing an interest in a normal human. Not sure what to make of this discovery, she is determined to get to the bottom of the mystery, with or without the support of her coven.
Like other movies that came before it which deal with the same subjects, Underworld has created its own mythologies about these creatures that roam in the night. Unfortunately, many of them have to be accepted at face value because the film is not interested in explaining them beyond what is convinent to the plot. It would not have been a big deal if not for the inconsistencies that pop up as the movie progressed. For example, one would expect werewolves to be much more agile and faster than in their human form after they shapeshfit, but that is not the case here. Instead, they are these huge, lumbering monsters whose bark is worse than their bite.
That is not the only injustice Underworld has done to its otherworldly residents. The vampires are unimpressive as well. Other than Selene and a small number of individuals, the vampires in the movie do nothing else except to sit around and look lifeless. The sensuality and animalistic attributes often portrayed in vampires are nowhere to be found.
The action in Underworld is fairly mediocre. Consisting mostly of gun fights, they are boring, badly edited and completely devoid of energy. A lot of shots have the combatants standing around snarling at each other as if they are establishing some sort of male dominance or territorial claim. The choreography for the hand-to-hand combat is the only watchable part, but those scenes are few and far in between.
Kate Beckinsale and Scott Speedman are passable in the leading roles as Selene and Michael respectively. She seems convincing enough as a warrior fighting for a cause she believes in, and looking good in the leather outfit is always a plus. Speedman (of Felicity fame), on the other hand, did not appear quite as comfortable as his co-star. The impassionate delivery of lines as well as him looking like he is about to collapse at any moment did nothing to make his character interesting. Then there is the Romeo and Juliet angle writer Danny McBride had gushed about at the San Diego Comic-Con. The attraction between Selene and Michael is definitely there, as unbelievable as it was, but luckily it is only hinted at instead of a full blown romance.
Despite of all the gripes about Underworld, there is one redeeming quality for the movie, and that is the beautiful cinematography. The dark and dank atmosphere is a perfect fit for the mood of the story. The only problem is that this alone does not make a film exciting. Disappointing and sorely unoriginal, there were untapped potentials that could have been explored, but Underworld chose instead to take the easy way out and copy the elements in popular franchises such as The Matrix and Blade. Oh well, there is always Van Helsing to look forward to next year for another go at the vampire and werewolf genre.
- This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
