Rating: 
Summary: Could be better, but not unenjoyable.
Review: As an introductory film to hopefully a larger, more epic and expansive series, Underworld fulfills its requirements adequately. There's enough action, blood, and tight latex outfits to satisfy a genre fan's thirst and the execution is decent enough that I look forward to the sequels, but there's the unmistakable sense of promise left unfulfilled. Set in an unnamed city, the gorgeous Kate Beckinsale stars as Selene, a "Death Dealer," a vampire whose job is to hunt down the remaining Lycans, aka Werewolves. According to vampire history, most of the werewolves should have been wiped out in past wars, but a subway venture reveals there is still a formidable-sized population of werewolves. Against the wishes of her master, Kraven (Shane Brolly), Selene investigates further and discovers that the werewolves are particularly interested in a human named Michael (Scott Speedman). After an encounter with head werewolf Lucian (Michael Sheen), Michael is bitten but saved by Selene, who grows infatuated with this human. Why, is never made clear, other than the fact that he prevents her from drowning. As Selene pries deeper into the mystery surrounding Michael, she uncovers a conspiracy involving both vampires and werewolves that could tip the balance of the war. As most people have already said, by far the movie's most memorable image is the sight of Kate Beckinsale in tight latex. For those who find her a hot babe (like me), Underworld might just be worth watching for her alone. Hell, if she'd shown some nudity, I would have even bumped my rating up 1/2. Alas, she's still great eye-candy. The picture itself is a bit of a mixed bag. On the one hand, there's lots of shootouts and fight scenes that are well-staged and filmed and reasonably exciting. The werewolf effects are excellent and the transformation scenes are some of the slickest, most convincing I've seen on-screen, certainly better than anything seen in The Howling or An American Werewolf in London. Beckinsale, in addition to being a delectable hottie, makes for a kick-ass, first-rate female action hero. But on the other hand, Underworld is a grim, joyless picture, accentuated by its deadly serious performances and occasionally laughably earnest dialogue. Much like the Blade films, a lot of what the characters have to say is hard to take seriously, the mythology hampered by the fact that it's being juxtaposed with CGI-infested action scenes (though, admittedly, any five minutes of Blade has a much worse problem with this than all of Underworld). Underworld is neither scary nor suspenseful. Selene never really gets herself into any combative situation she can't get herself out of, usually because most of the opponents she fights aren't nearly as skilled as her. Though there are plentiful werewolf effects, I think I would have preferred more scenes of Lycans skulking around in their hulking bodies rather than watching them in human form. Undoubtedly, Scott Speedman must be one of the worst examples of a romantic leading man I've seen. He and Beckinsale have no chemistry, and considering it's her affection for him that spurs her to "betray" her own kind, this is a pretty damning flaw. It's also during her scenes with Speedman that Beckinsale is at her least convincing; she won me over as a kick-ass vampiress, but I had a hard time believing she was in love with this bland nobody named Michael. Directed by first-timer Len Wiseman (who apparently stole Beckinsale's heart on-set, enough that she left Michael Sheen for him), Underworld is slickly-crafted and boasts a strong, pervasive atmosphere. Maybe with more passionate performances, more well-orchestrated thrills, and some bare skin from Kate, the sequel will be an unqualified success.
** 1/2 out of *****
Rating: 
Summary: Incredible Movie!
Review: I had been looking forward to the release of this movie all summer long, and it was a great movie! I anxiously await the release of this DVD. The movie, as most of you probably know, is about a war that has been going on between werewolves and vampires. And it is THIS that is the primary focus of the plot (as opposed to the vampire and werewolf lore itself). The werewolves have been researching their bloodlines and discovered a human who shares a common ancestor with both the werewolves and the vampires. The werewolves seek out this human, and this is noted by Selene (Kate Beckinsale), who decides to make it her mission to discover the importance of this particular human. Unfortunately, the writers decided not to delve too deeply into vampire and werewolf lore. I was pretty disappointed by the fact that the supernatural abilities of these supernatural beings were not really emphasized. Instead, the writers chose to merely stick guns in the hands of the vampires and werewolves. In addition, the mythology was slightly different from what I've read and seen before in previous vampire and werewolf books and movies. I don't necessarily have a problem with that, but if you are going to change things from what people are used to, then it should be explained in slightly more detail. This aside, the movie was still pretty incredible. The plot was exceptional, which is not necessarily always the case with most action movies, and the action kept me entertained throughout the movie's entirety. The effects were great, and the creepy lighting added to the atmosphere of the film. The make-up and costumes were also outstanding, as was the acting. I anxiously await the sequel (and based on how the movie ended, there WILL be a sequel)! The extras on this DVD look awesome! I am really interested in checking out the stunts, make-up, and effects featurettes. I am also intrigued to listen to the writer's commentary. Over all, I highly recommend this DVD to anyone interested in vampires, werewolves, and pretty much anything occult or gothic. I know I plan on pre-ordering this DVD!
Rating: 
Summary: Very Dissapointed
Review: I had high expectations for this movie, I mean come on, the eternal war between werewolves and vampires with a hot chick starring in it. However I found the movie to be unoriginal, poorly constucted and written, with some of the worst special effects this side of 1990. The filmmakers were too ambitious in my opinion, if they had worked with about $20 million more in the budget it might have been worth seeing. The only good thing about this movie was the cinematography, which was very cool, including some very nice use of filters creating a dark but polished look---think matrix. Otherwise the use of stop-motion was ugly and uninspired, and I found the dialogue to, rather than generate compassion or hatred for the characters, leave me unsimpathetic and uninterested. DON'T SEE THIS MOVIE.
Rating:
Summary: Best of the best
Review: This is the BEST(action)movie made of vampires & werewolf, a lot of action & battles, if you like action movies, vampire movies, this is for you, IS NOT that much of A HORROR movie. My favorite character is Lucian, the actors are excelent and the story too. I don't know how are people that doesn't like it, I think they're crazy! SEE IT NOW!!!!YOU WILL LOVE IT!, dont forget about the full edition and the extended uncut edition (I cant wait to see it) I hope they make a second part of this movie.
Rating:
Summary: AMAZING
Review: I don't understand the many poor reviews I've been reading about
this movie. It is the best horror flick I've seen come along in
a long time. Like a mob war between two rival families, the
vampires and werewolves are at each others throats. Twists,
betrayals, and double dealings, lay around every corner.
Alliances are forged, alliances are broken. Pity and revulsion
intertwine with each other for these two sects as new revelations
come to pass. I thought the special effects were outstanding, and
the sound quality excellent. I had to turn the subwoofers down
to avoid blowing out the windows during the opening storm
sequence.(o.k., maybe I exaggerate just a little there, I think
the windows would probably have held, but I really did have to
turn the subs down.) I'm going to keep this review very general,
unlike so many other reviewers, I see no point in giving away
the entire adventure. I'll let you discover all the surprises
for yourself. Just let me say that London or Paris would not
survive these werewolves, and the vampires here are in no mood
to give an interview! This is an action packed, fun movie, and
I hope you enjoy it. Oh, and yes, it does have a good plot.
Thanks,
Tom
Rating:
Summary: Best Movie this year! A+++++
Review: Kate Beckinsale stars as the Lycan hunting vampire Seline. When Seline notices a gang of Lycan's hunting a lone human, she becomes intrigued, little realizing that the group is part of a centuries old conspiracy, thus inevitably drawing her into a world of mystery, murder, and betrayal. What can I say? I LOVED underworld. I loved the costuming, the plot, and the fantastic cinematography. The vampires looked exceptionally cool with their white skin, cerulean eyes and black gothic clothing. I appreciated the fact that the lead character was female, and no 'wilting flower waiting for the hero to rescue her,' in fact, it was quite the reverse! The love story was cute, and filled with romantic tension. I thought the vampires were well portrayed, and the motivation complex. If you are a fan of vampire/werewolf movies you'll like Underworld. My only complaint, was I thought the werewolves were a bit TOO easy for the vampires to overpower, and looked a bit 'stumpy.' Also I saw no real advantage to have them running along the walls. Otherwise, Excellent! Excellent! I really hope for a sequel!
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......
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