Rating: 
Summary: Not so good
Review: I bought the movie thinking it was going to be a great action movie, YEP, it isn't. The wolfmen are ridiculous, it's always night in the movie, it's claustophobic. And the plot is involved. The script it's very weak and Kate Beckinsale doesn't look like a vampire, in fact, the vampires are the less resemblance to a vampire.
Rating: 
Summary: Shooting Shakespeare
Review: A woman in paramilitary garb stands over a kneeling male prisoner. She's a soldier whose nation is threatened by the prisoner's allies. He has information about an attack his people are planning against her more technologically and economically advanced society. The soldier's commander needs her to "soften up" the prisoner so they can find out the details of the attack. The prisoner knows he is going to die in this interrogation cell, but he doesn't mind, because his people's uprising will bring down the "superpower" of his supposedly more civilized captors. The prisoner refuses to talk. So this soldier, who has always thought of herself as the protector of her people, tortures him. Without a moment's hesitation. She repeatedly twists the prisoner's wounded shoulder until the pain makes him talk. This isn't a digital movie from a prison in Iraq, it's the horror film Underworld. The soldier is Selene, a vampiric "death-dealer" torturing a Lycan (werewolf) prisoner. The vampires and Lycans have been fighting for centuries and now use guns that shoot deadly silver and ultraviolet light (sunlight) at each other. Watching Underworld proves one thing - - what's going on in the world at the time you see a movie determines what you see in it. Underworld is more interesting than I thought it would be. For one thing, the special effects and makeup are more believable than the cartoonish CGI in movies like The Hulk, Spider-Man, and Van Helsing. (Speaking of Van Helsing, Kate Beckinsale should take a break from vampire movies. She's a very good actor. See Laurel Canyon and Cold Comfort Farm.) After the vampires' equivalent of James Bond's Q designs the gun that shoots molten silver to use against the werewolves, Selene practices with it by shooting busts of William Shakespeare at the firing range. As the liquid silver flows down Shakespeare's cheek, it looks like he's crying. The film might be saying that this decadent vampire society, which sees itself as more intellectual, more cultured, more "human" than the sewer-dwelling Lycans, has rejected everything that makes civilization (and therefore themselves) worth preserving. Or the film might be saying "Old Europe" and its culture aren't relevant any more - - bring on the guns and Armageddon. Or it might be that the screenwriter was forced to take a boring Shakespeare class in high school and this is his revenge. It doesn't matter what the makers of Underworld and a lot of other movies in the last decade meant to say. What they have said to a generation is that previously accepted rules of behavior are "inoperative" if they inconvenience us. Individuals have always tortured and committed atrocities. But if atrocity is condoned by our leaders, supposedly in a good cause, the world will turn (as Anthony Burgess warned us) quite horrorshow.
Rating: 
Summary: Great visuals, and keeps you guessing until the end
Review: The basic plotline of Underworld is a centuries-old war waging between vampires and Lycans, that is, werewolves, that has once and for all come to a head. The main character is Selene (Kate Beckinsale) one of the vampiric death dealers (vampire soldiers dedicated to the hunting of the Lycans), who, during an encounter with werewolves realizes they seem to have an unusual interest in a specific human, Michael (Scott Speedman), and she wants to know why. Kraven (Shane Brolly), the leader of the local vampire coven, however, dismisses her fascination with the human as he is more focused on an upcoming mystic transfer of power between two of the vampire elders, but Selene worries that the Lycans plan may have something to do with its timing coinciding with the power transfer. Her concerns become even greater when she realizes that Lucian (Michael Sheen), a legendary Lycan leader long thought dead at the hand of Kraven, may actually be alive and amassing the Lycans for an organized assault on the vampires. Selene has never liked Kraven, but she becomes suspicious that if Lucian does live, then Kraven's own rise to power may have been on false pretenses. So sets the stage for a very stylish cross between Blade and The Matrix. The visuals are very intense throughout the movie, although they are never expected to carry the story. Neither does the handful of gory scenes that dot throughout the film and give it it's R-rating get in the way of the story. This is one of those great sorts of films that doesn't give away any of its secrets too early; it's even hard to figure out who the good guys and the bad guys are, at least definitively, until the credits roll at the end. There is a lot of action throughout this movie, but for the most part it's more of a cerebral film, with a very intelligent plotline that doesn't ever give itself away before its time. If you like a taught thriller with fantastic visual imagery, a dark and moody edge, and a story that will keep you guessing about nearly everything all the way up until the very end, then you will love Underworld. One note though - Underworld isn't afraid to rewrite the lore about vampires and werewolves. Werewolves can change their form at will (rather than changing form involuntarily and only during a full moon), and vampires cast reflections in mirrors and can enter the home of a living person without an invitation, for example. But don't let details like this get in the way of enjoying a good movie - nearly every time a monster movie is made or novel is written, some form of the lore is re-drafted to suit the storyteller's whim.
Rating: 
Summary: Kate Beckinsale!!!
Review: It's Romeo And Juliet with vampires and werewolves. It's a fangy / hairy version of West Side Story without the cheesy musical numbers! UNDERWORLD is a modern, slick monster movie. Kate Beckinsale is seductive and tough-as-coffin-nails in her role as a vampiric Lycan (werewolf) slayer, who uncovers a sinister plot among her own people, that she cannot ignore. Along the way, she helps and falls for a man who just might hold the key to everything. He also gets turned into a werewolf, her sworn, mortal enemy! What's a vampire gal to do? Ms. Beckinsale gives off a lot of heat in her role, even through her cold, undead skin! I could watch an entire movie of her just walking around in that cool leather outfit! Anyway, lycans and vampires have been feuding for centuries, due to an ufortunate incident. Now, the lycans are being exterminated in a genocidal free-for-all. Yes, there are elements of The Crow, Matrix, Blade, etc. However, UNDERWORLD has enough unusual / original tricks up it's blood-drenched sleeve to stand on it's own merit. Besides, did I mention the fact that Kate Beckinsale is in it?? Oh my! ...
Rating:
Summary: Where's the 24 minutes of additional footage? I count only 8
Review: *UNDERWORLD: Uncut Extended Cut(2-disc version)*
I spent $25 more dollars expecting all kinds of additional footage that would give more story line and more plot twists and more action...AT LEAST 24 MINUTES OF EXTRA MOVIE, according to a sticker on the front cover. To quote the back cover, "...the battle for supremacy never before seen by human eyes, until now!". WELL, I'VE PUT BOTH MOVIES IN AND CONCLUDED THERE'S ROUGHLY 8 MINUTES OF ADDITIONAL FOOTAGE, NEVER BEFORE SEEN BY HUMANS EYES, NOT 24 MINUTES OF THE BATTLE FOR SUPREMACY NEVER BEFORE SEEN BEFORE HUMAN EYES!!! Where's the missing 16 minutes? What a rip-off!!! I believe an explination is in order. However, I love the extras on the uncut 2 disc version, there is much more of that. Great job there. The case has a very neat 2 cover artwork trick. The 2 booklets are pretty cool, too, but none of that is the main reason I forked over $25 more bucks.
In final...I guess my main complaint is the FALSE ADVERTISMENT of the additional 24 minutes! I still give it 5 stars, but I'm writing this review as a heads up for those who are looking for alot more in the actual movie itself, it's just not there.
Rating:
Summary: Underworld
Review: Underworld was alot better than I thought it would be.The plot is that there has been a 1,000 year old war against the Vampires and the Lichens (Werewolfs).Now it as reached a peek!The plot is thought out and extremely understandible.Some of it was confusing but for the most part it wasn't.The characters were likeable and had you rooting for the certain character.The dialogue was okay and the setting was really cool.The gothic background was real neat.There is alot of noise and guns so if you don't like that don't see this one.I thought the bullets that they specially made was really interesting.One part I did not like was the head splitting scene it was so fake.I also enjoyed the ending necause it opened it up for a second one.Make sure to check this one out if your into vamps but not if your the average viewer.
Rating:
Summary: This should have been the theatrical release!
Review: When I first viewed "Underworld" I very much enjoyed it.
It's been one of the most impressive Vampire and Werewolf movies to come out in recent years, and despite it's meager budget easily puts the more recently released "Van Helsing" to shame.
But there were problems and I made full note of them. Kate Beckinsale(Selene)'s performance is nearly withought flaw and almost carries the entire film, and along with being a talented actress she puts nearly ever other female action star to shame with how she handles herself. Michael Sheen(Lucian) and Bill Nigh(Viktor) also make their characters very believable. And the majority of the supporting cast is actually quite good, however, certain actors like Shane Brolly(Kraven) and Scott Speedman(Michael Corvin) delivered less than satisfactory performances. Brolly, do to the fact that he didn't play an extremely large part isn't such an annoyance, or rather he's a good anoyance since he plays the jerk off you love to hate. So he could be overlooked. Speedman However was one of the flaws which I maleciously attacked during my first review. Although this movie is certainly action packed, with a dark and gothic setting, it also has the undertones of a love story. But in the original release I just couldn't see any real chemistry between Selene and Michael. As much as I tried I just couldn't see any reason why Selene, a warrior with a vendetta against the entire werewolf race, would fall for him! But in this Extended Cut all that is different. Speedman's best scene was completely cut from the film. In it he gives his back story and for the first time I actually started to like his character, and more importantly I actually found myself understanding their relationship! Trust me, if you were a critic of the love plot like I was this is for you. It still doesn't get five stars because I still didn't like how it ended. I won't spoil it for those who haven't seen it, but the film really just looses it's focus in the last fifteen minutes or so. It's still a definate buy though and I'm eagerly awaiting the sequal.
Rating:
Summary: Anemic, but interesting.
Review: Most action films have absurd stories that are poorly plotted, and are redeemed only by charismatic stars and exceptional visual kinetics (Jet Li in Kiss Of The Dragon, Jason Statham in The Transporter). It's somewhat ironic then that Len Wiseman's directorial debut, Underworld, suffers from the exactly the opposite syndrome. Underworld is visually stunning, especially considering its meager $23 million dollar budget. Sharp, stark contrasts, a dark blue filter and some really pale leads create a neat "eternal night" look. The city itself (Budapest, I believe) offers immense potential for breath-taking noir-esque cinematography, and director Wiseman and photographer Tony Pierce-Roberts take full advantage of it. It's a gorgeous piece to look at. It's also quite gruesome, and Patrick Tatopoulos' creature effects shop does a bang-up job. The film definitely looks better than its budget. Funnily enough, it even has a little bit of soul. Storywriters Kevin Grevioux, Wiseman, and scriptwriter Danny McBride put a lot of thought and care into the lore and history of the feud between the vampires and the werewolves. It's surprising deep, with much more going on than one might expect from an action-horror flick. I don't want to give away anything, but the story is probably the strongest aspect of the film, and the plotting is remarkably solid (particularly the love aspect), though it still feels as though more hit the editing room floor than should have. What hurts the film are its actors and its action. While Kate Beckinsale, Michael Sheen and Bill Nighy, forgive the pun, bite into their roles wonderfully (especially Sheen, who builds his character Lucian into quite something), Scott Speedman and Shane Brolly both disappoint. Speedman, well, seems comatose for most of the movie, and Brolly does nothing but yell in an inconsistent and unconvincing accent. Fortunately the supporting actors fare better, despite being given smaller, less detailed roles. The action, however, is what really brings the film down. By giving the vampires and the werewolves guns, the creators remove nearly all of the supernatural, superhuman appeal. This makes them, well, boring. If the gunplay had been given the grace or creativity of Kurt Wimmer's Equilibrium, it might have been more interesting. However, the gun battles are decidedly bland, and the film is decidedly lacking in hand-to-hand combat. While there is some use of whips and some brief moments of fisticuffs, none are particularly memorable. Also lacking in the film is real score. Paul Haslinger's music seems to build and fade endlessly, but never really takes off with any themes. It's more ambient than anything else, and while fitting to the visual style, lacks aural punch. Underworld is an ambitious film. It borrows from many different styles and concepts, and does a good job of meshing them into something of its own. While it never achieves all of its aspirations, it never embarrasses itself too gravely. I've heard an extended version has been released on DVD, and while I have yet to see, look forward to. I also believe Underworld to be a film worthy of a quality sequel, because I have the feeling there is much more the creators wanted to do, but were unable to. It's a rather anemic entry into both the horror and action genres, but something of a rough-around-the-edges gem with raw energy and some raw talent.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent!
Review: I love "Underworld"! I saw it in the movie theater when it first came out, then bought the dvd and novelization and just recently purchased the new unrated extended cut dvd. The extended cut has some new added/recut scenes and, although I would've loved for it to be longer, I felt that it did add more dimension to some of the characters. Some of the new scenes include more backstory on Michael Corvin, a love scene between Kraven and Erika and an extended battle at the finale. The scene after Selene's car fell in the river has been recut and there are some minor additions that are barely noticeable (unless you've seen the theatrical cut a few times). The new special features are also a big plus. I enjoyed "Fang vs. Fiction" and the entertaining commentary by director Len Wiseman, Kate Beckinsale and Scott Speedman, to name a few. I have already posted a longer review on the theatrical cut dvd and it goes without saying that I enjoy this film immensely. It's simply the kind of action film that you could watch over and over again. Kate Beckinsale as Selene is simply mesmerizing. Who would've thought that the young British actress who started out in costume dramas/comedies like the BBC's "Emma" and "Cold Comfort Farm" could successfully transform herself into a credible action heroine. The rest of the cast is also outstanding and the story is completely engrossing. I would recommend this extended cut dvd to fans of "Underworld" particularly if they already do not have the original theatrical cut. I can't wait for the sequel to come out......
Rating:
Summary: eye candy for the vampire fan
Review: I know the title might be a bit redundant, most vampire movies inolve a little bit of eye candy. Even both of the Vampires movies had attractive characters even if only a few. But the makers of this film make it their primary focus. The acting is for the most part cheesy or bad, the actors are good looking, the plot has truck sized holes, and the it all has a slick and stylized look. But I am not saying that it is bad, it is a fun action flick. It is all based off an age old war between the werewolves and the vampires. Years ago the werewolves were slaves to the vampires, but by their legends they broke free and a war started. Now they are both out for the extinction of their enemy. The Lycans(werewolves), are losing the war, the werewolves are getting desperate because they know they are losing and face being wiped out by their former masters. so they are looking for a solution in the form of an individual, the decendent of some special individual. Kate Beckinsale is a vampire assasin(death dealer), who is caught up in the political machinations of her family. The movie has some good if improbable action sequences. I often wondered how many bullets her gun was capable of holding. The costumes and the sets were spectacular. The characters were pretty and looked the roles that they were assigned. The bad was primarily the acting. A few of the actors were flat out terrible. Beckinsale looks right for the role, but that is where it ends. She seems unenthusiastic in her delivery, making her character wooden. The plot might make sense to hardcore sci fi fans or gamers, but a lot is left either poorly explained or not explained at all. I remember there being a lot of debate over it on the message boards. Three stars for the production quality but lopsided final project. To my understanding there is a sequel planned, hopefully they will work on the acting and writing. Either way, I'll be there for the spectacle alone.
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