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Underworld (Unrated Extended Cut)

Underworld (Unrated Extended Cut)

List Price: $34.95
Your Price: $27.96
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Rating: 3 stars
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: 2 stars
Summary: Why repackage a horrible film?
Review: This is just another plot to make money. I don't know why they would even bother to repackage such a horrible film. I fell asleep trying to watch this at least three times. It was a huge disappointment for me. The extras on the DVD aren't going to save this. It wasn't worth watching then and it still isn't worth watching now. Don't buy this, there are better films in this category that are actually worth watching.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Hey!......it actually wasn't that bad.
Review: It's obvious that if it wasn't for Blade, this movie would not exist. It's also obvious that if it wasn't for Blade, I'd have a real problem with vampires and werewolves using guns. I surprisingly didn't think it was a big deal seeing gunbattles between mythological creatures. Hell, why not.

So, it's vampires versus werewolves in an ultra-gothic cityscape were a petite Kate Bekinsale plays a 'Death Dealer'; essentially a werewolf hunter. Uncovering a nefarious werewolf plot centered around an oblivious Scott Speedman and an apparent vampire traitor, the Death Dealer attempts to uncover the truth behind her tragic past and the fate of the two species.

The Werewolves: What can I say? The werewolves were the best part of this film. Not only do they live underground (...), but they also have the ability to change into their wolf form at will. No freakin' out at the full moon, here. They also came across like true warriors fighting for their own personal honor. I also liked the twist surrounding the Lycan leader that sort of balanced both sides.

The Vampires: You know, I kind of laugh when I think about the motives behind the filmakers regarding how they handled the vampires. In MY opinion, this movies actually TRIES to make fun of vampires and the whole neo-gothic subculture in general. Think about it. What did you see everytime Beckinsale's character stormed into Vampire HQ? A bunch of guys just lounging around drinking wine and trying to 'out-attitude' everyone else. In fact, most of the vampires came off as total wankers. This theory was further confirmed when Viktor was 'awakened'. This ancient vampire king was a total bad(...). And he just looks around at his descendents like they're the biggest lot of sissies he's ever seen. He didn't seem too happy with the current state of modern vampirism. One of my favorite scenes was when he took on a Lycan bare-handed showing the sissie-vamps how a werewolf is to be dealt with.

Underworld makes a strong attempt at neo-noir but falls short in its reliance on pointless action and an even more pointless love interest. However, there are many redeeming points that beg another viewing. Check it out.

Rating: 1 stars
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: 5 stars
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: 5 stars
Summary: Awesome
Review: I loves this movie it was way better thant Van Helsing and truly was a great film. I was kind of disapointed that the vampires didnt kick enough but. Viktor was the only one that rocked. I just dont see how the almost won the war when the lycans kicked so much but oh well. N e way the sequel Underworl Evolution is coming out later this year its when Marcus becomes half and half and the lycans and vampires become hunted!!!!!

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: More or less decent at best
Review: The whole idea of werewolved versus vampires is a very interesting concept and I had some high expectations for the release of 2003's "Underworld".

In ways it is satisfactory but in other ways it fails to deliver. The special effects are really good and so are a lot of the action sequences.

Unfortunately a lot of the movie caters too much to MTV trends and it really tends to water down the greatness of this movie. The acting is decent though.

An ok film but this could've been a lot better.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Utter shite
Review: It's a boring Romeo and Juliet story only this time the two opposing sides are vampires and werewolves. If you are a dumb goth you will like this movie. Army of Darkness is a cult movie. This movie is pure Hollywood fluff and special effects with a thin plotline tagged on. I saw this movie when it came out. Now I barely remember any of it.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A cult classic
Review: I did not see Underworld in theatres. I was always both wary of it due to scathing reviews, and yet curious about it due to its subject matter. When I purchased the "Unrated Extended Cut" of this film, I was expecting to be disappointed. Instead, I was thoroughly delighted. Read other reviews for a synopsis. I simply want to state that this film is destined to become a cult classic. Some of its many strong points include virtually non-CGI Lycans (even a scene where Lycans are running toward the camera on the walls of a corridor was done with stunt men and digitally erased cables); desaturated color, using digital technology, that provides this film with an amazingly beautiful Gothic look; and some fantastic action sequences that, although occasionally derivative, fit the storyline very well and do not seem forced in the least.

It's a shame that this extended/recut version of Underworld was not shown in theatres, because the edited theatrical release that generated critical trashing almost assuredly hurt the studio financially. Although I cannot compare the two versions, I can tell you that if audiences had seen this "Unrated Extended Cut," Underworld would have been a critical and financial success, and deemed a major milestone in Gothic cinema.

I do not wish to hype this film, but I do believe you will find it to be a valuable addition to your film library.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: West Side (Transylvania) Story
Review: Boiled down to the fine little dish of steak tar-tar that it is, "Underworld" is the answer to the two horror flick questions you had as a kid:

1) If Dracula and the Wolfman went mano a mano and fang-to-claw, which one would do the thrashing?
2) If Dracula and the Wolfman checked into a cheap motel, got roaring drunk on a case of Night Train, and had a baby, what would it look like?

You get the answer to #1 early and often, which is pretty much what this Transylvania Station is all about. And by the end of "Underworld" you get #2 as well---and trust me, when it's hopping about like an ugly green Mini-Hulk (right down to its one-size-fits-all-monster trunks) you'll wish you hadn't.

You want to know what you're getting when you lace up your thigh-high attitude boots and strap on that trenchcoat for a little midnight fun in Len Wiseman's uber-stylish little monster mash "Underworld"?

Think West Side Story: only here, instead of the Jets and the Sharks angling for a rumble on the other side of the tracks, we have Vampires and Werewolves. Oh, and in "Underworld" nobody breaks into song. Both sides just want to rumble, and the girls just wanna have fun. In the meantime, while not the sharpest stake in the vamp-hunter kitbag, "Underworld" finds its groove, and serves up a bloody two hours of unabashed techno-cool that drinks you dry, trashes the apartment and howls at the moon.

We get dropped into the middle of a war that Celine (the impossibly tasty Kate Beckinsdale)---our supple full-body-suit clad vampiric Death Dealer and narrator---tells us has been "raging for centuries."

On one side of the tracks: the sneering, brutally hip Euro-trashy leather-trenchcoat & hip-sunglasses wearing uber-high-maintenance Vampires. They have posh high-rent neo-Victorian digs, drive around the streets in Jaguars and Maseratis, and have managed to switch up the silver bullets in their glocks and MP-5 submachine guns for something more lethal: liquid silver nitrate, which makes it tougher for their hairy buddies to pull the bullets out. Advantage: Vampires.

On the other side of the tracks: the Salvation Army surplus-wearing tear-your-scalp-off-and-wear-it Werewolves---erm, I mean Lycans, short for Lycanthropes. The Lycans are strictly low-rent, hang out together in what looks like an abandoned public lavatory, and take a bath once every full moon whether they need it or not. Whereas their blood-sucking cousins from the East Side look like they'd be hanging at crazy underground raves when they're not boring each other to tears talking like the Merovingian, the Lycans are strictly the mosh-pit set. Oh, and from what I could tell, there's not a single werewolf girl. C'mon guys---haven't ya heard of "Ginger Snaps"? Bummer. Advantage: Vampires.

That said, the boys have been pumping the rent money they've saved up into super-science research, giving them bullets that encase super-photoelectric magnesium charges (perfect for giving that oncoming vamp a little taste of Club Med sunlight). They also have the upper hand in figuring out how they can mix the bloodlines, bringing the war between Vamp and Lycan to an end. Advantage: Lycans.

And finally, mixing it up with our fanged-kissin' cousins, we have perplexed med student Michael Corvin (played by the annoying Scott Speedman who cashes a check) stalked by Lycan heavies and tagged by Selene, who wants to know why the werewolf army is so eager to get their hands on him.

And that, pretty much, is "Underworld": two hours of movie built around jaw-droppingly gorgeous set-pieces and bouts of total war between locked-and-loaded squads of Things that go Bump in the Night.

Just a note: you'll want to get the Unrated Extended DVD: it fleshes things out, beefs up some supporting characters, and ends with an extended battle sequence---and it's loaded down with plenty of extras you can sink your fangs into.

Plus, the sleeker transfer shows off Wiseman's technical mastery in spades. Wiseman uses sound-stages and CGI to anchor the film's look, and tethers all of it to the fog-shrouded cobbled streets and ancient alleys of Prague: the City itself takes on a bleak and brooding character. The movie looks gorgeous: whether it's the gloomy red-velvet and dark mahogany halls of the mansion, the sleek, sterile Underground, or the industrial ruins of the Lycans, Wiseman and cinematographer Tony Pierce-Roberts make every scene tell. The sequence where a locomotive full of vampire diplomats chugs into a deserted rail-station---with the baying of werewolves in the distance---is jaw dropping.

"Underworld" also gets the most out of its talented stable of actors. There are three centers of gravity in the film: Beckinsdale, who doesn't need her bodysuit to command her lines (though I'm glad she wore it). The Lycan overlord Lucien (the gifted Welsh actor Michael Sheen) steals every scene he's in, and brings complexity and command to a role that could have been a throwaway in lesser hands. Finally, there's the Vampire King Viktor, played by the great Bill Nighy (who also played Shaun's Jag-loving stepdad in "Shaun of the Dead"). Nighy is a kind of demonic embodiment of immortal Puritan rage, and acts like a champ through all that make-up.

Even the supporting actors turn in strong roles: Shane Brolly (Kraven) whines and pouts and lisps and turns in a convincing performance as a spineless worm; Sophia Myles (Erika) comes off as a naughty little vampire cat-girl; Kevin Grevioux owns this film and puts the smack down as Uber-Werewolf Raze; and Hungarian actress Zita Gorog rocked my world---without uttering a single line.

In the end, this batwinged black-lipstick wearing looker of a flick charged into the goth club of my choice, served me an extra-bloody steak tartar , smacked me around, bought me drinks, and talked Shakespeare after. Would a Lycan by any other name be just as hairy?




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