Reviews & Previews - Underworld: Evolution

Posted on Tuesday, January 24, 2006 at 05:00 PM

Underworld: Evolution

By: S. Tran

Starring: Kate Beckinsale, Scott Speedman, Tony Curran
Directed by: Len Wiseman
Running Time: 105 Minutes
Rated: Rated R for pervasive strong violence and gore, some sexuality/nudity and language

Twice Bitten

You like vampires? We got vampires! You like werewolves? We got werewolves! You like blood? We got your blood in buckets!! You like great stories? . Did I say we got vampires?

Ok so if you were at all interested in seeing Underworld: Evolution you probably already knew that this isn't Shakespeare. Admittedly once in a while these action/monster movies do have a terrific story to back them up, think Alien, but this isn't one of those movies.

For the unaware, Underworld: Evolutions is a sequel to the original Underworld released in 2003. The premise is that vampires and werewolves have been involved in a feud for thousands of years and are trying to wipe each other out. Selene (Kate Beckinsale) is vampire "Death Dealer" who works on a werewolf elimination squad, kind of like an exterminator but a really hot one, in leather. The story picks up where the last one left off with Selene on the run after killing one of the ruling vampires. In tow with her is Michael, a vampire/werewolf half-breed who was the cause of all the fuss in the first movie.

Hot on her heels is Marcus, the very first vampire, who for some reason wants to release hi brother who was the very first werewolf so they can rule the world we are told. This despite the fact that his brother is pretty much stuck in wolf shape and can barely register a thought. Ah well, a boy and his dog I guess.

So we get the usual running and chasing and biting and breaking. It's all handled with a deft hand and edited nicely. The scenes move along at a good clip and the ending comes when it should. One bonus is that unlike some monster movies the director managed to make things dark and scary without making everything so dark the action was lost, a neat feat.

Even though its subtitled Evolution there hasn't been much evolving since the first film. The special effects are all good but nothing amazing. The story is actually a little worse and the acting is competent. This movie was certainly made to cash in on the popularity of the first one and not for any sort of artistic merit, but the product entertains and isn't that really the goal of films? The writers knew the product they had and didn't try to force us to believe it is something more than it is. From the reaction of the sold out audience I would say they hit their mark.

This is a good movie to pick up on a slow night at home on DVD unless you are a big fan of the first in which case get to the theatre.

2.5 out of 5 stars.