There are many ways to tell the tale of vampires. From the traditional stake-in-the-heart myths to the one about vampires sparkling. But, this is the first time I have seen a vampire film give a medical and logical reason behind the vampires. In fact, that might just be one of the… More
There are many ways to tell the tale of vampires. From the traditional stake-in-the-heart myths to the one about vampires sparkling. But, this is the first time I have seen a vampire film give a medical and logical reason behind the vampires. In fact, that might just be one of the main reasons why I consider Underworld one of the best vampire films from the past decade. (2000 - 2009)
The story is very much like Romeo and Juliet: two people from opposite families that are at war with each other and our two main love birds try to fight through the hatred. Only replace them with Death Dealers (vampires) and Lycans (were-wolves) and make them clans and a lot of blood, sensuality, and stunts and scenes from The Matrix and you get this film in a nutshell.
Okay, I need to talk about my opinion on the vampires and werewolves, because I do have a few thoughts that I want to stress. First off, with the wide spread appeal of vampires in cinema and in the media as of now, the mythology has been altered to no end with the most common element being that they are perverted, depressed, and hate themselves. Here, along with the reasoning for them is a disease caused by a virus, the vampires either accept what they are with no complaints or they just deal with it. These are what they should be: beautiful to us humans, then hideous and terrifying to their victims. Trust me: they get pretty nasty when they fight. While coping the Matrix quite a bit.
Now for the film itself. While I do like the script and think it was well written in some aspects, the acting was stale. I mean, I understand that this film was made with teenage - mid 30's men with the women in tight black leather and the explosive fighting, but I wish that there was some more meat to it. Don't get me wrong, there is a plot with background information that explains most of what is going on, but I would of liked to have more development from the characters.
The acting is stale, as I have said. There was really nothing that stood out to me in this film like I would of liked, but what we did get was some beautiful eye candy to gaze at. Mostly from Kate Beckinsale, but that I just me. She is an okay actress, but I would of liked more emotion from her either then furious and determined. I understand she has a job to do and she likes it, but showing some emotion will not kill you, darling.
Len Wiseman: you are not a good director. I am sorry, but you play this movie too much as a way to showcase special effects and not enough with telling the story. Plus, you borrowed so much from so many other films that it pains me to say this, but you are one of the reasons why this film is having the rating I am giving it and not a perfect rating. Other then the effects (which are good), you don't let the film breath and grow. It is from one action shot to a determined shot, to another action shot with guy eye candy thrown in. But, with telling what parts of the story you do tell, it was not that bad and refreshing. Maybe focus on the story a bit more next time.
With vampires and werewolves in cinema, there are better films then this. But within the past decade, this is one of the best. If anything, watch this film for the mythology of the vampires, the great stunt works, and, of course, for Kate Beckinsale. Very entertaining and watchable, though slow.