Category Archives: Films in the Underworld series
UNDERWORLD:EVOLUTION
UNDERWORLD:EVOLUTION-United States-2006
Scott Speedman as Michael
Tony Curran as Marcus
Shane Brolly as Kraven
Steven Mackintosh as Tanis
Sir Derek Jacobi as Corvinus
Bill Nighy as Viktor
Directed by Len Wiseman
Story by Len Wiseman and Danny McBride
Screenplay by Danny McBride
When last we left our star-crossed lovers at the end of the first Underworld, Selene (Kate Beckinsale, Laurel Canyon, Serendipity) had just taken a little off the top of Viktor’s head and Michael (Scott Speedman, The Strangers) had just hulked out and turned into a vampire/lycan hybrid. Together the two of them walked away from it all and into an uncertain future with Selene muttering something in that sexy British voice about not knowing what the future holds and how the ‘consequences of this night will reverberate through the halls of both great covens for many years to come. ‘Hell, all I want to know is how she poured herself into those leather pants. Of course I wondered the same thing about Olivia Newton-John in Grease.
So, we come now to Underworld: Evolution and this time we begin with a flashback to Viktor (Bill Nighy, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1) and Marcus, the first vampire and their attempt to capture Marcus’ brother William, the first lycan. Viktor promises Marcus that no harm will come to William and Marcus takes him at his word. I was yelling ‘liar, liar! pants on fire!’ before he even finished speaking. After Viktor betrays Marcus (Tony Curran, Blade 2, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen) and has William imprisoned forever in a secret location, the urge to say ‘I told you’ so was very strong in this one.
Back to the future now; Selene and Michael are hiding out after Selene has killed Viktor. Marcus, alive and real damn ugly, kills Kraven (Shane Brolly) and after sucking the blood, and information, out of his veins, sets out to find the two of them. Selene has a medallion that is the key to Williams’s prison and Marcus wants it in a bad way. Throw in Sir Derek Jacobi (The Borgias, Mystery: Cadfael) as Alexander Corvinus, father of Marcus and William, and you have the first sequel in the Underworld franchise.
As a horror fan I should detest movies like this. Films that focus more on fancy gun play and cool fight scenes than on horror and gore. The thing is I don’t detest them; I actually enjoy them for the most part. Sure they get a bit tedious and repetitive, but they’re also entertaining. None of the Underworld films is anywhere near as good as the horror-action hybrids The Descent or Dog Soldiers, but they serve the same purpose; they take our minds off of paying bills, working boring jobs or dealing with morons for 90 minutes or more. Sometimes that’s all I ask out of a movie.
TRIVIA
Kate Beckinsale’s chair had, instead of her name, “My Sweetie” on it surrounded by tiny hearts.
While filming a scene where Selene and Michael look at each other longingly, director Len Wiseman surprised the cast and crew by playing Bryan Adams’ song “Everything I Do (I Do It For You)”, at which everyone started laughing.
According to actor Tony Curran himself, he stipulated in his contract that he wanted to be able to keep his Vampire fangs in at all times, even when he wasn’t filming.
The little girl that plays young Selene is Lily Mo Sheen, the daughter of Kate Beckinsaleand Michael Sheen.
Related articles
- Len Wiseman Rebooting ‘The Mummy’ for a Summer 2014 Release (screenrant.com)
- Movie Review – Underworld Awakening (adventureamigos.net)
- The War Begins: Underworld Rise of the Lycans (moonwolves.wordpress.com)
- Len Wiseman to Direct a Darker Version of THE MUMMY (geektyrant.com)
- ‘The Mummy’ Reboot Nabs Len Wiseman as Director for a Summer 2014 Release (aceshowbiz.com)
- The war beneath our streets: Underworld (2003) (moonwolves.wordpress.com)
- No More Underworld for Kate Beckinsale! (dreadcentral.com)
- Total Recall remake mediocre (toledoblade.com)
- Is Len Wiseman the Right Guy to Helm The Mummy Reboot for Universal? (dreadcentral.com)
- ‘Felicity’ heartthrob Scott Speedman jumps into action in ABC’s ‘Last Resort’ (kansascity.com)
UNDERWORLD: AWAKENING
UNDERWORLD: AWAKENING-United States-2012
Kate Beckinsale as Selene
Stephen Rea as Dr. Jacob Lane (image not from film)
Michael Ealy as Detective Sebastian
Theo James as David
India Eisley as Eve
Charles Dance as Thomas
Directed by Mans Marlind and Bjorn Stein
Story by Len Wiseman and John Hlavin
Screenplay by Len Wiseman, John Hlavin, J. Michael Straczynski and Allison Burnett
Characters by Kevin Grevioux, Len Wiseman and Danny McBride
Underworld: Awakening is the best film in the series and is the most satisfyingly action-packed film I have seen in quite some time. After her absence from Underworld: Rise of the Lycans, easily the weakest film in the series, Kate Beckinsale makes her triumphant return to the role of Selene. Once again we are treated to a heroine whose every move is poetry in motion without one wasted move in her repertoire. She is joined by a cast that is new to the series and that is led by genre veterans Stephen Rea (Interview with the Vampire, FeardotCom, Citizen X) and Charles Dance (Alien3, The Last Action Hero).
The plot of the film revolves around the discovery, by humans, of both vampires and lycans; and of the purging of both species. Imprisoned for a dozen years, Selene escapes, only to be thrust into a new battle as she struggles to rescue her daughter, Eve (India Eisley), the hybrid offspring of her union with Michael Corvin; from a company with its own nefarious motives.
The one thing that has always been the selling point to me with this franchise has been its ability to blend genres and to do it seamlessly. The films themselves are the same as the hybrids they feature in that they are a mighty blend of both action and horror.
Underworld: Awakening is the rare film whose climax is open-ended and yet didn’t leave me groaning at the thought of another sequel. If there is going to be a fifth film in the series and it is anywhere close to the thrill ride Awakening is then I welcome it with open arms and a smile on my face. One condition; it damn well better have Kate in it. Her absence in Rise of the Lycans sent me into withdrawals. Her return in Awakening is like a sweet drug pumping through my veins.
TRIVIA
The film’s release date is on the same day as Underworld: Evolution’s, released six years earlier.
The first Underworld film not to feature Bill Nighy.
The first film in the series to be in real-d 3-d and Imax 3-d.
Related articles
- New Underworld: Awakening Poster Features Kate Beckinsale! SURPRISE! (dreadcentral.com)
- Kate Beckinsale Talks UNDERWORLD: AWAKENING, UNDERWORLD 5, and TOTAL RECALL; Reveals Her Version of Lori is an Amalgamation of Lori and Richter (collider.com)
- All Five Clips From Underworld: Awakening Ready to Give You the Blues (dreadcentral.com)
- New Trailer for UNDERWORLD: AWAKENING (collider.com)
