Underworld (Superbit Collection)

Rating:
Summary: Dreadful waste of potentially wonderful idea
Review: 'Underworld' tells the tale of Selene, a huntress involved with the dynastic struggle for power that exists between the Vampire and the Werewolf. She uncovers dastardly plots and Vampiric civil unrest as she strives to protect mortal Michael from the biological machinations of the Werewolves.

Directed by Len Wiseman, 'Underworld' is an excellent idea for a movie, and strong performances come from Kate Beckinsale as Selene, Michael Sheen as Lucien and Bill Nighy as Viktor. It's also a hugely visual film, with gothic interiors and neo-noir direction beautifully capturing the feel of two ancient races locked in a modern struggle for supremacy. Excellent special effects and some truly gorgeous fight sequences (and thankfully, no matrix-esque posturing here!) all add to the excellent visual impression made by this picture.

So where does it go wrong?

Well, first of all it takes some wonderful ideas (like UV bullets, cross-breeding and technologically-advanced settings) and totally negates them with ridiculous plotlines about Vampires being able to fall pregnant and Werewolves being able to expel silver bullets. Surely the first rule of authenticity is not to rewrite the rules? When such huge changes are wrought on some of our most beloved myths we will reject them, but when they are done with such a crude, offhand manner it's unacceptable. It totally negates any credibility the film could have had. Similarly, the explanation behind why Vampires and Werewolves could cross-breed is presented to us in such a cliched, hackneyed way that it's just not inkeeping with the aesthetics of the movie.

And unfortunately, for this reviewer, that;s the overall and lasting impression left on me by 'Underworld'. A truly wonderful idea with decent performances and gorgeous settings, totally overshadowed by its own foolish script and legend-tinkering. A horrible waste of essentially a fantastic idea.

One to avoid.

Rating:
Summary: What a STUPID, STUPID, STUPID movie!
Review: And I'll say it again:

What a STUPID movie!

At first it looks rather good when you look at the dvdbox. You would expect something like Batman mixed with the Matrix. But it's not! The storyline is horrible, everything rolls out of the closet, storyelements are taken for granted, and don't get me started about the actors and especially actresses.... what a bunch of losers! Where did they get them!? A mental institution?
The only good parts are the settings and some of the special effects, for the rest I would say.....

TO BE MAKING FUN OF THIS MOVIE IS LIKE POOPING ON POOP!

Rating:
Summary: Cool, fun and one heck of a wild ride!
Review: I wanted to see 'Underworld' since I heard that Kate Beckinsale was attached to it. I admire her as an actress and its premise of a Romeo-and-Juliet-meets-vampire-vs.-werewolf movie intrigued me. As a fan of genre films like 'The Matrix,' 'The Crow,' 'Blade' and 'Equilibrium', I was keen on watching this film. My expectations were high and I'm glad to report that I came out of the theater wanting to see the movie again. From the first few seconds when Selene (Kate Beckinsale) is introduced, I was hooked. This was one heck of an exciting and immersive ride indeed!

Highlights for me include:

- Main characters (with a couple of exceptions) did a great job - particularly Selene (Kate Beckinsale), Michael (Scott Speedman), Erika (Sophia Myles), Raze (Kevin Grevioux) and Lucian (Michael Sheen) ' and were well cast. The vampires are elegant and sophisticated while the lycans are husky, rough and brooding.
- Scott Speedman ' I never watched 'Felicity' but I didn't realize he could be such a hunk!
??Very cool costumes ' I just love those vampires in their sleek black skintight leather outfits, which bring to mind Trinity from 'The Matrix.'
- The storyline ' this is really much more than a vampire vs. lycan, Romeo and Juliet type film. It goes deeper than just the themes of love and hate. Themes of oppression, tolerance, deception, revenge and survival are also explored. And there is even a history which goes back to the Dark Ages (which we will see more of in the sequels) and is briefly explored in this film.
- The action sequences truly rock. I hate to sound like an MTV commercial but this really is the best way to describe it. Every time the lycans and vampire clash is just sooo cool. 'Equilibrium,' 'Blade' and 'The Matrix' come to mind but it is particularly awesome to watch Raze, Lucian and Selene fight. The last 20 minutes alone are worth the price of the movie ticket. It is one heck of ride!
- Contrary to other reviews, the special effects are quite good. CGI/stop motion effects has come a long way with portraying werewolf transformations since 'American Werewolf in London,' "The Howling" and 'Silver Bullet.'
- The brooding, dark backgrounds remind me of 'The Crow.' Very atmospheric and works well with the somewhat gothic mood.
- The ending is satisfying but also leaves room for a sequel. And for those who wonder why there are a couple of loose ends; well, the filmmakers intended this to be a trilogy. It still doesn't do away with the fact that it has a very exciting and satisfactory conclusion. I'm looking forward to revisiting this story again and again on DVD.

Low points:

- I wasn't crazy about Shane Brolly (Kraven) and Bill Nighy (Viktor) - they looked the part but played off too much to the camera. They could use acting lessons on subtlety. Michael Sheen, who gave a poignant performance as Lucian, could give them a few pointers.

- There was a small bit towards the end was a bit 'cringe-inducing.' It reminded me too much of the end of 'Equilibrium.' This particular one involved Viktor and Selene.

A couple of things to remember before going to see 'Underworld': 1) This is not a scare-fest. Just because it features vampires and werewolves does not mean that this is your typical jump-off-your-seat thriller. Go watch or rent '28 Days Later' or 'The Howling' if you want a scary film. 2) This is not a 'The Matrix'-type film. Even though some of the action sequences and costume design are borrowed from 'The Matrix,' this is not a sci-fi film. There are very strong comic book / graphic novel influences but this is probably closer to 'Blade' and 'The Crow' than it is 'The Matrix.' If you can get over these 2 main preconceptions, then you are set to have a good time. And if you enjoyed any of the films that I have compared it to in this review, then don't waste any more time and go see it for yourself!!

Rating:
Summary: Underworld in Superbit
Review: I'm sure there are many reviews about this movie under the regular release. I'll comment a bit specifically about the superbit version that costs more for higher quality video and audio (without the extras on the disk). To really get any advantage here you need to have a digital TV (preferably HD but ED will probably work too), a DVD player that puts out a progressive signal (vs. interlaced), and a component or digital connection between your DVD player and TV. IMO if you don't have all three of these you won't get the benefit of Superbit and should save your money.

This was my first Superbit disk, so I had high expectations. I'd say there's good news and bad news here. The good news is that I do think the picture is visibly better. There is definitely more detail and you can seem more subtle features (texture, reflections, etc.) in the picture. This also helps some of the dark scenes (many in this movie) with more visible detail. The bad news is that there's so much more detail that you can see the grain of the film. I know that's normal for a movie shot on film and it doesn't really bother me (unless I'm looking for it). However, I do think it detracts slightly from the perceived quality of the picture. Compare this, for example, to a movie shot in digital and you'll see what I mean. I'm sure there's some debate over what defines good picture quality so YMMV here. Finally, the sound is excellent on this DVD, but I can't say that it's significantly better than on the original release over a Dolby Digital system.

So, in the end I'd say that Superbit is great if you really love a movie and want the best PQ you can get for it. I think that Superbit is probably better for older movies that they can clean up for DVD transfer than for newer movies with a decent original DVD transfer.

Remember that if you want all the extras you won't get them on Superbit. My one complaint about this specific DVD is that they used the theatrical release rather than the (now available) director's cut.

Hope this is helpful!

Rating:
Summary: Still A Bite That Has No Teeth
Review: The first time I saw Underworld on DVD, I thought it was rather "ho-hum", filled with potential and promise, but ending up somewhere else. When I heard about the unrated extended cut though, curiousity got the better of me, and I wanted to see if this version was any better.

The film ties together two of horror's most popular mythologies, and tries to put a new spin on what we've come to expect from the genre at the same time. The story is set in the secret nocturnal and supernatural world of vampires and werewolves. These are two groups that have been at war for centuries, vampires are a secret clan of modern aristocratic sophisticates, while werewolves are a cunning gang of street thugs who prowl the city's underside. A romance develops between a female vampire warrior and her sworn enemy. Selene (Kate Beckinsale) is known for her strength and werewolf-hunting prowess. While Michael (Scott Speedman) is a peace-loving human who's recently been bitten by a werewolf, and wants to end the war.

First time director Len Wiseman, has inserted 12 minutes of additional footage, as well as 11 minutes of replacement footage for this cut. The movie is still a very stylish and good looking film, that is a bit better with the other footage. But, unfortunately still misses the mark As I said, the film is visually striking with great sets, a cast that tries its best with the material, and some cool stunts and special effects. All of these positives cannot save the story which is burried by just more convoluted doublespeak. The new cut can't erase the fact that the story "borrows" too much, from films like The Matrix, Blade, and The Crow. As I stated elsewhere, a little imitatation is flattering...but it seems as though someone decided to mix successfull elements from the past--and hoped enough of it would work. The "Romeo & Juliet" plotline is given more screen time, still, only to go so far and then, fall apart.

The DVD extras on the 2 disc set, are a mix of stuff released on the previous edition, and "new" bonus material. Gone are the two audio commentaries, in their place is a commentary with director Wiseman, cast members Kate Beckinsale and Scott Speedman. It's kind of strange track, knowing Wiseman and Beckinsale are an item, and the fact that Speedman leaves midway through for an audition! There are 4 making of featurettes from the other disc. There's the fairly generic "The Making of Underworld", one on creature effects, stunts, and "sights and sound". Take your pick. The all new "Fang vs. Fiction", a 45-minute documentary examining the history of vampires and werewolves is worth your time. Three new featurettes, designing Underworld, the visual effects of Underworld, and the look of Underworld, have information basicaly repeated elsewhere. An outtake reel storyboard comparision, the Finch music video for the song "Worms of the Earth", from the soundtrack, theatrical trailers, and TV spots top off the set. But that's not all... you also get a collectible production sketch notebook and a suprisingly meaty 48-page mini comic book as part of the package.

Despite the additions, changes, and deletions to the film and otherwise, I stand by my original assessment of the film. Underworld is worth a look for genre faithfuls who are curious. Too bad its borrowed ingredients overshadow its potential...no matter what form it's in.

Rating:
Summary: EXCELLENT MOVIE
Review: This movie was awesome. I could watch it 100 more times and still find it fun and enjoyable. I would highly recommend this movie for everyone's collection. You will not be disappointment.

Rating:
Summary: A flawed but fun action horror pic!
Review: This story tells about werewolves and vampires at war with each other and always had for a thousand years. A lovely young vampiress ( Kate Beckinsale) is in love with a new man ( Scott Speedman) who is a new werewolf but what they don't know is that they are natural enemies.
An exciting, fun but kind of flawed action horror fantasy with nice atmosphere, fine acting, some gore, cool Dark City-esque sets, nice music but some major plot holes. You can ignore the plot holes and just enjoy the movie for entertainment.
Also recommended: " Blade", " The Howling", " An American Werewolf in London", " Evil Dead 2", " The Crow", " Blade 2", " Dark City", " Vamp", " Freddy Vs. Jason", " Daredevil", " Fright Night", " Vampire Hunter D", " Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust", " Ninja Scroll", " Riki-Oh The Story of ricky", " Versus", " Bad Moon", " Silver Bullet", "From Dusk Till Dawn", " Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom", " The Matrix Trilogy", " Resident Evil" and " From Hell".

Rating:
Summary: A So-So Vampire Thriller
Review: To tell the truth I haven't seen very many vampire movies...and Underworld with Kate Beckinsale doesn't do much to inspire me to continue with the genre. The plot was confusing where it shouldn't be...with background information. In other words, this movie left me feeling like I might have missed some crucial piece of information in the first half when that piece of information was never actually given. Not revealing the climax of the movie in the first 45 minutes is one thing, but a little more background would have been nice early on. Also, there were just too many hard to follow "shoot 'em up" scenes...with the exception of the main characters I found it difficult to determine who was on whose side during many of the action sequences. The main redeeming quality of the movie is the special effects...the morphing scenes from human to werewolf are pretty cool. But that fact aside, the overall storyline was extremely thin...with several minor plotlines seemingly vanishing in midstream (primarily a plotline about a wannabe vampire queen) and a very unfleshed-out, spartan romantic connection between the main female and male protagonists. Overall, if you're not into vampire movies this one is probably not a must-see.

Rating:
Summary: Not the best, but worth the watch
Review: Underworld is definintely dark, definitely a vampire vs. werewolf movie, definitely gothic. It is definitely not the best effort that could have been made either, but in the end, all's well that ends bloody.

In true line with the gothic film vein, this one is set in a nameless city, where it seems like the rain never stops. Seriously, if it's not raining, it looks like it just finished (London perhaps?). Nice setting to an interesting film. The backstory, different as it sounds, is nicely creative. Vampires have been battling werewolves (Lycans) for the better part of the past 1400 years. What happens to that stalemate when one of each race begin a romance? It's not quite that simple, actually.

What could have been an interesting take on the Romeo and Juliet syndrome turns into a tale of slaughter and deep-seated hatreds, new species, and downright bloody action. Not necessarily a bad idea, though, but it had potential for so much more. Kate Beckinsale and Scott Speedman portray their parts quite nicely, though, decent acting all around. The writing was surprisingly good, though not great, but certainly keeping it out of the basement otherwise known as the B-movie category. The plot twists and turns many a time in this tale, keeping you on your toes and bringing in new elements every step of the way. In the end, you know what's going to happen most likely, it's how you get there that makes it worthwhile.

Overall, sure I'll give it 4 out of 5 stars. It's never really boring, the acting and writing were not bad at all, and the cinematography was well done, too. Really, nothing to complain about, except maybe the lack of that big punch or shot of adrenaline that would have really made this movie a huge hit.