Underworld Year: 2003 Director: Len Wiseman Written by: Danny McBride Threat: Werewolves Weapon of Choice: Pistol Based upon: none IMDb page:

Other movies in this series:
Underworld Evolution

Rish Outfield's reviews
When my good friend tyranist mentioned this film to me months ago, I was not impressed. I didn't think I had to see it then, and as the film's release date approached, I didn't think I'd have to see it now either. To me, it looked like half a ripoff of Blade, half a ripoff of The Matrix, and half a ripoff of Blade II (with a five percent ripoff of Highlander thrown in for good measure). It came out last Friday, did very well, and a couple of coworkers insisted I see it with them. So I did. I've said it before, and will say it again (I hope), that going into a movie with low expectations is the best thing you can do. I REALLY enjoyed Underworld, perhaps even against my better judgment.
So, a war has been raging between the vampyres (the elegant, plentiful, and attractive immortals) and the lycans (the less plentiful, much more bestial werewolf species) for centuries, when we meet Selene (Kate Beckinsale), a lovely, tough, vampire assassin in an unnamed European city. She discovers an attempt by the lycans to abduct Michael Corvin, a human being (Scott Speedman), which may bring the war to an end . . . but not in the way she wants it. She gets more than she bargains for when she discovers she has feelings for Michael, and that he has been bitten by a lycan.
An English/German/Hungarian/American production (hmmm), this film was actually quite good, with moments that were actually great. As the film progressed, and we saw more and more of the vampyre/lycan backstory, I was more and more impressed. There was an actually TALE being told here, not just action sequence after needless action sequence. And the story was quite fascinating.
Besides being as pretty as a honeymoon sunset, Beckinsale appears to be legitimately able to act. Viktor was a truly fascinating character, and his makeup really impressed me. The German guy was pretty cool. Lucian was the most interesting of them all, surprising me with his character's development. There's a nice reversal toward the end that I really enjoyed. Am I the only one who thinks the name Scott Speedman is insanely funny?
The weaponry was really cool, with silver blades and bullets loaded with ultraviolet light or silver nitrate, depending on their target. They used a lot of costume and animatronic werewolves, and the computer effects seemed more sparing, which was successful with rare exception. Also, since it was a fairly cheap film, there were a couple of creative stunts and effects you wouldn't have gotten with an unlimited special effects budget. It wasn't filled to overflowing with crappy synth-pop tunes either. And I don't believe we had any rappers in it.
On the negative side, when the film tried to be The Matrix, it largely didn't work. Was there no day in their world? A couple of the characters spoke embarrassingly phony American accents, which distracted the hell out of me. I wish they had let people speak how they normally speak (it worked for the German guy). The romance seemed underdeveloped. Also, Beckinsale has a vulnerability and femininity that kept nearing the surface but never breaking through. I think they were trying to make her a centuries' old warrior whose once-fragile heart has become callous, so I guess that worked.
Tyranist and I both love Kate Beckinsale. I don't think I am overstating things when I say that she's one of the ten most beautiful women in the world, and even though in Underworld she's pasty white with stringy hair dressed in a black leather catsuit and corset, she's still way hot. I think it's the accent, I don't know.
The story seemed to be the most important aspect of the film, though some might argue otherwise, and I don't feel you can go wrong if you make a movie with that in mind. They didn't go wrong and I heartily recommend Underworld. And yes, I liked Pearl Harbor. What you gonna do about it?

The tyranist's thoughts
On the basis of Rish's recommendation and how hot Kate Beckinsale is alone, I bought this movie the day it came out on DVD. Call me impulsive. But I don't regret it. I don't regret it at all now that I've seen it.
At moments this movie could have taken place in the Blade universe. At other times I was reminded of the American Werwolf universe. I suppose on more than one level, that is what they were going for. The story is fantastically put together and well executed on the screen.
Kate Beckinsale is as good as ever even bringing a hardness to the role sometimes that I thought her uncapable of. The way I view her, there is an inherent softness and innocence to everything she touches, but she certainly managed to sell her Death Dealer persona. I also was really happy to see Robbie Gee, an actor I don't think we see enough.
I don't see how any good horror fan could pass this one up. The monster movies are getting so much more complex. Does anyone remember when the vampires used to be the bad guys? Not that, with a movie like this, we care anymore.

Total Skulls: 15

Sequel
Sequel setup
Rips off earlier film
Horror film showing on TV/in theater in movie
Future celebrity appears
Former celebrity appears
Bad title
Bad premise
Bad acting
Bad dialogue
Bad execution
MTV Editing
OTS
Girl unnecessarily gets naked
Wanton sex
Death associated with sex
Unfulfilled promise of nudity
Characters forget about threat
Secluded location
Power is cut
Phone lines are cut
Someone investigates a strange noise
Someone runs up stairs instead of going out front door
Camera is the killer
Victims cower in front of a window/door
Victim locks self in with killer
Victim running from killer inexplicably falls
Toilet stall scene
Shower/bath scene
Car stalls or won't start
Cat jumps out
Fake scare
Laughable scare
Stupid discovery of corpse
Dream sequence
Hallucination/Vision
No one believes only witness
Crazy, drunk, old man knows the truth
Warning goes unheeded
Music detracts from scene
Death in first five minutes
x years before/later
Flashback sequence
Dark and stormy night
Killer doesn't stay dead
Killer wears a mask
Killer is in closet
Killer is in car with victim
Villain is more sympathetic than heroes
Unscary villain/monster
Beheading
Blood fountain
Blood spatters - camera, wall, etc.
Poor death effect
Excessive gore
No one dies at all
Virgin survives
Geek/Nerd survives
Little kid lamely survives
Dog/Pet miraculously survives
Unresolved subplots
"It was all a dream" ending
Unbelievably happy ending
Unbelievably crappy ending
What the hell?