Underworld

In every decade, you can find vampire films. Famous horror director Bela Lugosi was one of first director to make these films with his 1931 Dracula and countless inspirations and type of sequels followed it. In the 70's, Blacula fells into what the 70's were and that trend contented with Lost Boys in the 80's and Buffy the Vampire Slayer in the 90's which later turned into a popular tv show. Even though it was met with fair amount of criticism, the Twilight series was a recent film adaptation of a vampire story from 2008 to 2014.

In the world of this film, Lycans are a type of werewolf and have been at war for years with a group of vampires who call themselves "Death Dealers". Michael (Scott Speedman), is a medical student and a normal human who eventually the Lycans show interest in and in a mysterious way. Selene (Kate Beckinsale) is a member of the Death Dealers who also shows an attraction to Michael, and investigates the reasons as to why the Lycans are interested in Michael. This is a Romeo and Juilet love story in the middle of a horror-war in a dark world. The story is frankly all over the place.

Underworld does have some ideas it seems but it is very low on substance. To say that lead actress Kate Beckinsale had a career after Underworld would be correct but before this, she was just coming into her own. She brings an edge to the lead character and it helps of course that she is very attractive but this love story the film conveys is very light on substance and ideas. The supporting characters are also over the place and it's hard to figure out who who's. Underworld  is a movie that ends on a note that comes with very serious question mark as to even how another story could come out of it.

Maybe the most interesting thing here but still not done right is the depiction of this future world. It is always dark with daily thunderstorms and it has a feel of Britain. There are flaws here and one is that it is always nighttime in this world because no sunlight is shown throughout the movie. Why? The film does have some nice sets but then the film gives us a lot of action scenes in sewers which is interesting but maybe not the best scenes.

Underworld feels like kind of like a direct-to-dvd film or like a potential blockbuster that really lost it's way. It  would work ok for a rainy day but I question how and why this has a sort of a cult following and a series that followed. I can only guess.

2.5/5