Rating: 
Summary: A Sleek and Stylish ActionThriller
Review: I anticipated 'Underworld' ever since I saw its preview trailer, and the movie turned out to be everything (and then some) I expected it to be. This dark and brooding gothic thriller offered nothing new in concept and background for fans familiar with Masquerade and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, yet for all that it is no less enjoyable.The anti-hero of this darkly stylish thriller is the vampire warrior Selene, played by the lovely Kate Beckinsale, whose sole purpose in life (or undeath) is to hunt down and kill lycans (aka werewolves). Underlying this centuries-old conflict is a web of Machiavellian intrigue and questioned loyaties that transformed her in a fundamental way. The climactic battle of the film, while not perfect, was more than satisfying, and left me yearning for more. I can only hope that director Len Wiseman (who was also lucky enough to marry his leading lady) has a sequel in the works.
Rating: 
Summary: Not enough action
Review: Movie was definitely not what it was built up to be. I thought is was a decent movie worth watching, but there was not near enough action scenes. I think there are like 3 through the whole movie and only 1 of them is of any length. The action scenes and the special effects were good when they actual happened but the movie left alot to be desired. The ending leaves the story ready for a sequel, lets just hope if it is made they action put some action scenes in.
Rating: 
Summary: a beginning
Review: Underworld is an ambitious movie, but to appreciate it one needs to understand that it is the first installment in a trilogy. Also, and this is important, Underworld tells a story. I suspect that this will be a better story when all three parts of the trilogy are filmed and can be viewed in one sitting. Perhaps a third of Underworld's two hours is no-holds-barred battle between Lycans and vampires, waged sometimes with stylish modern weaponry, sometimes with tooth and claw. The remainder is exposition, back-story, character interaction and plot movement. As a storytelling vehicle, conflicts rage on many levels through the film: a conflict between elder and younger vampires in the Covens; a conflict between Lycans and vampires; Selene's inner conflict as she reconciles her ages-old hatred of Lycans with her feelings for an innocent newly introduced to the Lycan-vampire blood feud and her unquestioning loyalty to a vampire Elder who had been like a father to her for centuries... As a stand-alone film, Underworld is not perfect, but it is trying to do a lot in two hours: give us the back-story of the ancient feud between Lycans and Vampires; introduce us to the vampire Covens and the Elders <Michael, Amelia, Viktor>; introduce Selene and the Death-dealers, give us a glimpse into the Lycan culture; introduce us to Michael Corvin and Selene and Kraven and other notables; illustrate their strengths and weaknesses... It succeeds in several interesting ways. There is a point in the film where our understanding of who and what the principals are, our understanding of what motivates them, shifts. This is the sort of thing that many who went to see the film will hate. It's time spent away from the flash of claws and baring of teeth. It is, though, very satisfying from a storytelling and character perspective. It enhances Underworld's replay value, makes a second or third watching of the movie more interesting because characters we know from the first hour are more fully developed by the end of the film, and more interesting for it. Underworld doesn't throw one side at another until one side 'wins'. Underworld is several stories: a love story, yes, but more than that it is several characters' efforts to resolve an ancient conflict between Lycans and vampires, each in their own way. We begin the film with Selene and her Death Dealer comrades looking down on their prey, each single-mindedly dedicated to hunting the Lycans down, one by one, until the last. By the end of the film, Underworld has given us a glimpse into the true nature of the conflict and the true character of its principals. In sum, what weakens the first film is what may make the trilogy interesting. If Underworld had been non-stop battle, a second and third movie would feel more like installments in a franchise and less like what I think they will be: the middle and end-point in a six or seven hour story. Final note: Casting was quite good with each character (Beckinsale's Selene, Speedman's Michael, Viktor, Lucian, et. al.) delivering a performance that matched their character nicely. Special effects were also quite good. The sound track tried a little too hard at points to give the film an edge, didn't always sync up. Overall though, high marks.
Rating:
Summary: pretty good
Review: Blended in the formats of Blade and The Matrix comes "Underworld". The movie suprized me as I had no idea of what it was about. Basically Vamps and Werewolves(Lycans) have been fighting each other since time began but, never were the stakes as High as in this final attack. A beautiful vampire belonging to the "Death Dealers" squad kills werewolves. She fights her way through the movie in a skin tight black rubber suit which hugs her curves like a second skin. Time and time again the camera pans her beautiful body as she stares at us with eyes that would mesmerize any man. Alomg the way falls in love with a special human the lycans want very badly. So the romance and war are on. The action scenes and story are relatively good and I thought the movie on the whole was good. There is more story to the movie than you might think while there is also action aplently.
Rating:
Summary: Not great, but worth watching
Review: I watched this movie with a friend and had no foreknowledge of what the movie was about or how great the movie was. I found the movie watchable especially for the special effects and the costuming. For example, it was quite cool when the elder vampire gradually became more human looking as the blood regenerated. If you're expecting a great storyline or surprising twists, you'll be disappointed, but vampire and lycanthropy efficiandos will enjoy the film. Maybe a tad overdramatic and inexpicably long (only 2 hours but seemingly longer), the movie is still worth watching.
Rating: 
Summary: Deceiving Trailer = Boring Film
Review: I saw the previews for this film and it looked awesome. I couldn't wait to see it, but could never find anyone interested enough to go with me. I finally rented it and was fairly disappointed. The storyline sounds incredible. Werewolves (called "Lycans" in the film to make them sound cooler) vs Vampires? How much cooler can you get? Unfortunately, the coolness factor doesn't expand beyond the concept. Yes, the film does feature Lycans battling Vampires. Unfortunately, the only way you'd know this is by the occasional glimpse of teeth and shot of a full moon. They fight the entire movie with guns. I felt like I was watching a bad splice of The Matrix and Blade. What is the purpose of showing these two historical enemies fighting if they're going to be running behind each other with Uzis? Almost no typical vamp/wolf lore was explored. The ONLY thing the vampires do to show they're vampires if bare their fanged teeth and can jump from big heights. They don't shy away from the sun, turn into bats, suck blood, or anything else which makes vampires cool. The film even refers to them at one point as "bats" yet you never see it. Scott Speedman provides a forgettable performance for all of his 15-20 lines in the movie. The ending is VERY anticlimactic and is just a very watered down gun fight that would have been too boring to make it's way into The Matrix. I had to watch this film over 4 days because I kept falling asleep. What's more, the lycans looked absolutely ridiculous when they changed. The werewolves from "The Howling" 20 years ago had better make up. In regards to the DVD, I had a few problems with it. The film is very dark, mostly shot at night, in tunnels, or in the rain. The sound was also poorly reproduced on the DVD. I was constantly having to change the volume. I would raise it for speech, and as soon as the action started, the sound would jump and I would have to lower it. I realize something blowing up should sound louder, but not this loud, and the differences shouldn't be so high where I have to keep my finger on the volume button the whole film. The extras on the DVD were fairly boring. Some throwaways like trailers, teasers for other films, and a storyboard comparison, which no one ever cares about. It also featured a montage of scenes from the movie set to music called "Sights and Sounds." I don't know what this was or if it was supposed to be entertaining. The featurettes contain a fairly poor "Making Of" special, a commentary with the director, and a special on the visual effects. Overall, Underworld is a great concept, but the addition of guns and high tech weapons, as well as the idea to turn this into an action film instead of horror, ultimately cause it to fail. The relationship between Beckinsale and Speedman is never explored beyond a single kiss, even though the film leads you to believe this is another "Romeo and Juliet" story...
Rating: 
Summary: Vampires Vs. Werewolves - In a battle of Accents.
Review: In two words: moronic & pretentious. If I had to waste more words I'd say there was never a story here. The amount of time spent viewing this was excruciating - I stayed because of a friend. The plot isn't worth mentioning. The actors do nothing. My favorite scene was when some vampire jumps on top of a car and sticks a knife inbetween the driver and passenger side seats, like he thought someone might be there. This isn't Horror, this isn't smart, this isn't gothic, this doesn't deserve a sequel. I hated when 'Viktor' is revealed to be the badguy behind Selene's parents death, like it's a big revelation and we're all supposed to feel betrayed by this character or like anyone gave a damn.
Rating:
Summary: Definitely belongs out of the horror underworld
Review: UNDERWORLD is being horridly underrated. Those who were looking for "Romeo and Juliet" are furious. I myself found the film to be better than I expected. UNDERWORLD is an extraodinary BLADE-esque horror/thriller with similarities to both BLADE and THE MATRIX. Kate Beckinsale plays Selene, a vampire "Death Dealer". Her job is to eleminate any and all Lycans (werewolves), who have been at war with the vampires for a millenia. But her determination wavers when she meets a newly-made Lycan (Scott Speedman) who has been unsuspectingly drawn into this ages-old battle. Things aren't as they seem, or so Selene soon discovers; and thus begins one of the greatest battles of all history. UNDERWORLD belongs in the rows of horror wonders. It is outstanding. The direction is terrific and occasionally artful; the soundtrack is good; the acting is great; and the effects are terrific. The story is also an awesome idea and is brought out well. There's also a very cool Lycan transformation scene reminiscent of AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON. The only way to know how good the film is is to watch it. I strongly recommend that you rent this horror wonder as soon as possible; believe me, it's worth it. UNDERWORLD is one delicious bite of horror cinema that you'll be howling about for days on end.
Rating:
Summary: Underrated Slick Thriller
Review: This film was fairly heavily panned by the critics when it opened in September 2003 and I feel undeservedly so, for it is a highly watchable, if uninventive piece of cinema.
Kate Beckinsale plays a Vampire whose job is to hunt and kill Lychens (Werewolves) the sworn enemy of her coven, and her kind. The film has a distinctly European feel, not only in the locations, but also direction but moves at a good pace, keeping the viewer awake and for the most part enthralled. A little heavy on the Matrix style fight sequences, with the usual ammunition flying in all directions, it is however, more than a reworked vampire tale of good vs evil, or eveil vs evil (whichever you take) - with a reasonably original storyline in what one has to say, is a highly competetive, and previously visited genre. Without giving too much away, the art direction is gothic but modern and the new Sfx meets old world macabre well, even if there aren't too many suprises along the way. A major plus is the non cliched and well defined beginning middle and end, and the very well handled "human touch" portrayed by the main characters in their fantasy roles. Highly enjoyable romp, with some nice extra's on the DVD, and certainly worth a second look.
Rating:
Summary: Boreing and Not very scary
Review: I thought this would be as good as the Blade movies, but it definitly is NOT. The acting made me sleepy and it was not scary at all. THIS IS A BRITISH MOVIE. So if you didn't like the Tomb Radier movies, then you sure won't like Underworld.
| 
