Underworld Film Series- Film Reviews

Underworld films - Film Review

This post will be a little bit different compared to other posts on this site and this is because this post is going to look at all five films from the Underworld series. This means starting with the first film and reviewing each one up to the more recent film. The first review will look at Underworld which was released in 2003. Then underneath there will be a review of Underworld: Evolution which was released in 2006, and this will continue until the most recent film Underworld: Blood Wars which was released in late 2016. These are films which either people will like or they will dislike, and this might be because some people will see these films as just entertainment and have enjoyment from them or there will be people who will think that these films will be terrible and just a waste of time and that you shouldn’t watch them, and there are many things to talk about when looking at the Underworld films.

Underworld (2003)- Review.

Films about vampires have become very popular with films such as The Lost Boys bringing attention to films about vampires. Films about werewolves also became very popular with films such as An American Werewolf in London and with these films becoming popular nobody had decided to combine vampires and werewolves and this is something that Underworld did. Underworld was released in 2003, the film was written and directed by Len Wiseman, the film stars Kate Beckinsale, Scott Speedman, Bill Nighy and Michael Sheen. Underworld is a film about a war between vampires and werewolves that has happened for centuries and the film follows Selene, a vampire warrior, is entrenched in a conflict between vampires and werewolves, while falling in love with Michael, a human who is sought by werewolves for unknown reasons, but they find that Michael has blood which could make the werewolves immune to their only weakness silver.

Underworld was released in 2003, it was made on a budget of $30 million. The best aspect about Underworld would be that the action sequences in this film have been made so that they are clear and easy to follow. The camerawork and editing makes it easier to follow because each shot lasts long enough so that you can see what is happening to each of the characters during the action scenes. The action is much easier to follow in this film than in any current action film that uses over editing or even shaky cam. However, there is an issue with the action sequences in Underworld and this would be that while the action is clear and easy to understand with the editing making it easy for us to follow, the action is very static and it feels like the action is boring because the action is mainly the characters standing around and using their weapons to shoot at the enemies. The best action sequence would be the sequence in the final act of the film, and this is because Michael and Viktor have a fist fight with one another. The action is better here but the budget might be the issue here because the filmmakers couldn’t create anything like the Matrix because they didn’t have the same budget. The best way to summarise the action in this film would be passable with easy to follow action but they could have done more with the action in this film.

There are some other things to like about Underworld, the acting throughout Underworld is very consistent, Kate Beckinsale plays Selene in this film she is a vampire that is also a hunter. Beckinsale is an actress who allows gives a good performance in most of here films and in this role she is very enjoyable to watch from the beginning to the end of the film. The character of Selene is very interesting because while she hunts werewolves, Underworld takes you through this narrative of where she questions her past actions and what she has done because of how the narrative reveals key information about other characters. Other good performances in Underworld are performances such as Michael Sheen, he is a talented actor and here he is very good, he uses the script to make the character his own. His performance is good from start to finish and this is because while he understands the character he also understands how to portray the character onscreen. Every moment that he is onscreen he is very enjoyable to watch, although in some parts his welsh accent does shine through a small amount and this is a bit inconsistent with the rest of the performance. However, the best performance in this film would be Bill Nighy, Nighy is someone who has had very few bad performances in his career. In Underworld, he plays Viktor who is one of the vampire elders. Bill Nighy is very entertaining in this film and this is because he understands what type of film this is and knows how to portray the character. The character of Viktor is very complex because his motives aren’t quite clear until the third act of the film, and you don’t know that much about him until the third act reveal.

Underworld is a film which has some excellent visual elements and storytelling and it has the basic filmmaking principles sorted. However, there are some issues with this film, the first issue with this film would be that the CGI looks very artificial and doesn’t look rendered correctly and this might be for a couple of reason, but these special effects are very poor and when you compare them to the practical effects in this film they are very noticeable. However, because the CGI doesn’t come into effect until the third act of the film the CGI is only noticeable in two main areas of the film. The second issue with this film would be that there are some script issues which could have been dressed if they had more time to create another draft of the script. This is a film which wasn’t going to win any Oscars for the screenplay but there are elements which are annoying to watch because there are elements which are either confusing or there are parts which don’t make sense within the narrative of the film. The third main issue would be the action which was stated above, they could have done more to make the action more creative. Underworld is a film which is not talked about anymore, this is a film which is a good film to watch on a Sunday afternoon if you don’t have anything better to do and this is the ideal popcorn film for anyone. Underworld is a film which some people won’t like but some will and you have to watch it to come to your conclusion and therefore people should watch Underworld as a film. 

Rating: 7/10.

Conclusion: Underworld is a film which was never going to win an Oscar and this is because it is not the best film ever made, but there are a lot of things that are enjoyable to watch and this is because the filmmakers have made a film which has entertaining moments throughout. Underworld is a film which is better than any of the Twilight series and people should watch this film instead of those films. Underworld is a perfect film to watch as a popcorn film.

Underworld: Evolution (2006)- Review.

The first Underworld film is a very enjoyable film and although there are quite a few issues with it but overall it a film that you can watch to be entertained, and because Underworld was a very successful film at the box office there was a sequel which was released in 2006 and this would-be Underworld: Evolution. Underworld: Evolution sees Len Wiseman return as director alongside Kate Beckinsale and Scott Speedman. Underworld: Evolution is a film which sees some new cast members such as Derek Jacobi and Tony Curran. Underworld: Evolution takes place right after the end of the first film with both Selene and Michael now being hunted by the vampire elders and they are also searching for more about the reason why vampires and werewolves went to war in the first place, and this is to see if they can bring peace between both vampires and werewolves. Underworld: Evolution is a film which has some very interesting elements to talk about because there are some positives things with this film and there are also some negative things about this film.

The first thing is that the quality of the action in this film has improved significantly over the first film and this is because the filmmakers had more time and budget to make this film. The action continues with the same traits as the first film because the editing is excellent with you able to see what is going during the action scenes with clarity but they have made the action more entertaining. Where the first film had action scenes where the characters just stood around and aimed guns at each other, this film is different because there is more hand-to-hand combat and this creates a more exciting environment and more tension for the characters because with hand-to-hand there is more sense of danger to the main characters. The action in Underworld: Evolution is much better than the first film and comparing the action in this film to the first, there is more tension. The action is also simple because while other films that came out around this time had hand-to-hand combat scenes which had complex moves. The fight scenes here are more like the characters are brawling with one another and this gives the action a great sense of realism.

The acting is quite like the first film in that everyone gives a good performance, Kate Beckinsale and Scott Speedman are adequate for their respective roles. However, there is performance that is good in this film and that would-be Derek Jacobi. Derek Jacobi is a very talented actor with many other films under his belt, this film isn’t his best work but he is like Bill Nighy in the first film in that he makes you interested in the character that he is playing. The characters in this film compared to the first film are quite similar although this film explores the relationship between Michael and Selene in detail. This relationship is explored enough in that you can care about the characters and hope that they survive the events, but it is not explored enough and there could have more screen time showing us the relationship between these characters in more detail. There some more positive elements to this film, the cinematography is quite good and the visuals of the film make this look dark and it is quite nice to look as a film. Underworld: Evolution is a film which expands on this war that has happened between the vampires and lycans very well, and why they have continued to fight and how each side has evolved to try and gain the upper hand on the other side. With the film showing how both sides having to evolved to try and win the war that the film has shown us.

However, Underworld: Evolution does have some flaws and issues. Like the first film this has numerous script issues and this is probably the weakest aspect of the film, with some of the character’s motivations being unclear and the narrative being unfocused compared to the original and this probably due to that fact the filmmakers wanted to expand this world were the Lycans and vampires have been at war but they didn’t have any clear ideas. The second thing would be that the villain is quite weak in this film because we understand why he goes after Michael and Selene but not why he kills off other characters within the story and there are little details throughout the film. These may seem like small issues with Underworld: Evolution but they do add up as the film goes on. Underworld: Evolution is a film which is only slightly worse than the original and there isn’t much of a gap between them both, however this film has more script issues and some unclear character motivations, but besides this Underworld: Evolution is film which you could watch like the first film and this being as a popcorn film.

Rating; 6.5/10

Conclusion: Underworld: Evolution is a film which is only slightly worse than the first film in more aspects but has better action scenes. It is hard to call this film a terrible film because it is decently put together with good direction. The only thing that lets Underworld: Evolution down is the fact that the script is the weakest aspect but if you don’t care about this then you can watch this with no problems because it is a film which can provide entertainment.

Underworld: Rise of the Lycans (2009)- Film Review

This is first Underworld film which didn’t have Len Wiseman or Kate Beckinsale. Underworld: Rise of the Lycans is a prequel film to the series which sees the film take place before the first Underworld and the film tells the narrative of how the vampires and Lycans became enemies and how the war between them started. Underworld: Rise of the Lycans is directed by Patrick Tatopoulos who hasn’t directed many films but is known for his special effects work on big films such as Riddick. Underworld: Rise of the Lycans stars Michael Sheen, Bill Nighy, Steven Mackintosh and Rhona Mitra. This film primarily follows Michael Sheen’s character Lucian and Rhona Mitra’s character Sonja. Michael Sheen plays the Lycan Lucian who is a slave to the vampires and he is there to kill off the other Lycans which are seen as animals and they should be killed because of this.

The performances in this film are solid throughout, every cast member in this film is excellent throughout the film. The performances all good in this film, Michael Sheen is a very good actor and he has returns to play Lucian like in the first film. Sheen is very consistent and while this isn’t a great performance it can carry the film. Bill Nighy is also very enjoyable to watch and this is because he is a very decent actor who understands the role and is very interesting in this film. Rhona Mitra is an actress which has had a very few film roles, in this film she is very good in the role of Sonja, she portrays the character very well and is just as strong as the other actors in this film. The performances in Underworld: Rise of the Lycans has some of best acting in the series. The characters in this film are good, this film adds to the first film because all the characters are explored in great detail. The character of Sonja has the most character development and this might be because she doesn’t appear in the first film. The characters are advanced in greater detail and this is something which is good about this film.

The action in this film is very good, and while the action isn’t as strong and as tightly choreographed as Underworld: Evolution but the action is well filmed and directed with the action easy to follow with good editing to watch onscreen and it doesn’t have shaky cam like other action films. The action is mainly hand-to-hand combat sequence and it also uses swords in this film and this is because of the time setting. The action uses swords as weapons and the fights between characters and the choreography while not as strong as the last film is still enjoyable to watch. However, the action scenes in Underworld: Rise of the Lycans have more intensity and while you know that the characters will survive there is stronger character motivations make the action sequences more intense and this is something which is lot better than the other films in this aspect. The action is very good in this film and while there is not much action in this film but this is because the narrative is the main focus of this film.

There are some excellent moments with the action scenes and has some good things, the other good things is that the film is a very visual film which has some great cinematography and there are also some excellent visual elements which make this a pleasant film to watch and this is because the filmmakers have made sure that this is film which you can watch with ease because of how the film looks onscreen. However, there are some issues with this film, and this once again would be due to the fact the script is the weakest aspect of this film. The script was once written Len Wiseman and because of this his writing is not the strongest and this shows in the film. This is because the pacing is not very consistent with it either the films narrative goes slow and then speeds up, and this is because of writing. There are also narrative elements which don’t make sense and this is because of the writing as well. There are some other issues with this and the action could be better with much better choreography compared to Underworld: Evolution. Underworld: Rise of the Lycans is a film which is a good prequel to the first and second film in the series, the film has some good elements and some bad elements but like the other films in the series this is simply a guilty pleasure which you could watch anytime because you don’t need to pay close attention to watch the film.

Rating: 6/10.

Conclusion: Underworld: Rise of the Lycans is a film which is a prequel to the original film and it more than adequately supports the narrative of the first film and the character motivations of the characters. The action and the script are probably the weakest elements but overall this film is enjoyable to watch. 

Underworld: Awakening (2012)- Film Review.

After six years, Kate Beckinsale decided that she would return to the series which made her well known, this film came out the same year as Total Recall remake that also had Kate Beckinsale. Underworld: Awakening is different compared to the other films because the humans have discovered that vampires and lycans exist and they have been at war for centuries and now the humans have decided that they are going to hunt both the vampires and lycans because they feel threatened. The war between vampires and lycans has now got an added threat and this being that humankind are hunting both of them. Underworld: Awakening is directed by Måns Mårlind and Björn Stein. The film sees Kate Beckinsale return the series and there are new cast members such as Stephen Rea, Michael Ealy and also Theo James. The film is like the other Underworld series and the film has some good elements and also some bad elements, and there is quite a few interesting elements to discuss when talking about this series.

There are some good things about this film which have already been covered such as Kate Beckinsale is very good in this film and this is because she understands the character that she is playing. The other performances are good but the direction in this film feels flat compared to the other films because the performances aren’t as strong as they could be and this might be because of the directors and because they aren’t very experienced directors. The one person that is good in this film would be Theo James, he is average in this film and this is because of the direction and if he had better direction then he could have given a better performance. The best way to some up these performances are average, the actors needed better direction but the performances are not terrible in this film but the could be better. The acting is mediocre and this is because the whole film feels rushed and like the filmmakers wanted to release this film as quickly as possible without a care about the acting.

The action sequences in this film are like the other films in the series and this is because they are dull and bland, Underworld: Awakening is a film which doesn’t feel fresh and because this film is lazy with the execution and the films adds nothing new to the franchise. The action is mediocre with the action edited to bring some form of clarity to the action scenes but there is nothing creative done with the action scenes, it becomes boring after watching the other films in the series and watching the same film but with a few different changes added to the storylines and there is some weak character development. There are some good aspects to this film, such as the fact that the film is technically competent and has some good editing and basic filmmaking put into the film. This is because they have made sure that the film has had some talented individuals working on this film, and this is the only reason why the film is made on a competent level.

Underworld: Awakening is a film which should be better that the final product, however like the other films in this series theses are guilty pleasure films which you can watch on a lazy Sunday afternoon without any care about the fact that there are lot issues with this film. This is not the worst film which has ever been made, after all to call this film the worst film ever created would be lie because of such films as Batman and Robin. This is watchable film that has some good elements which you can watch without a care.

Rating: 6/10.

Conclusion: This is a film which feels lazy and repetitive when looking at the other films in the series. The film is technically well made and has some good moments but this is a lazy Sunday afternoon film to watch when you have nothing better to do. Underworld: Awakening is a film which could have been more, but overall it is a slight disappointment.

Underworld: Blood Wars (2017)- Film Review.

This is the fifth installment in the Underworld series, Underworld: Blood Wars is directed by Anna Foerster whom has only directed a few things but mainly focused on some episodes in television, but Anna Foerster has quite a lot of experience in the film industry because she has done the cinematography on many big budget films and done some special effects on some films such as the 1998 Godzilla. Underworld: Blood Wars stars Kate Beckinsale, Theo James and Charles Dance. Blood wars sees Selene still on the run from the Vampires and Lycans after the events of the previous films, Selene has sent her daughter into hiding to protect here. The Vampire decide to let Selene back to train some new recruits because of the war, however she is betrayed by some vampires and she is once again on the run. Underworld: Blood Wars is a film which was panned by critics for many different reasons, there are many things to discuss with the film and take about.

In the review of Underworld: Awakening, the performances feel flat because the direction is one of the weakest aspects of that film, this is because the directors didn’t have much experience with filmmaking and because of this the performances were not good in the film and this took away from the overall enjoyment of that film. The direction in Blood Wars is much better and while Anna Foerster is someone who has directed much, she has been in the film industry to know who how to direct people, this might be because she has had previous experience with Cinematography. The performances are much better in this film because the you can watch this film because the performance work in this film and they are much better in this film compared to previous entry. An example of this would-be Kate Beckinsale was not bad in the last film she could have been better with her performance, but in Blood Wars she is much better in this film and her performance is much more believable in this film compared to the previous entry in the series. Theo James returns and reprises the role from the previous film, his performance is not great and will never win an Oscar but he is enjoyable and this is what makes a film like this enjoyable to watch on a guilty pleasure level. However, the best part of this film would be Charles Dance he is an actor who has had plenty experience and has not had many bad performances, Dance is good in this role and he more enjoyable than the other performance because he understands the character he is playing.

There is more about this film to enjoy, the film has some interesting concepts and explores some key ideas during the runtime. An example would be that Blood Wars explores something about the afterlife. Events lead to Selene and David have gone to safe place which has Vampires who hide out the way of the antagonists of the film. This part of the film explores the afterlife in some elements, because it is established that some characters in the film have gone to another world, which they call the afterlife in another dimension. This is quite an interesting aspect to explore, although it could have been explained in more detail this quite an interesting idea. There are some other good things about this film, in the other films the special effects and the CGI are okay and not great. In the first entries in the series, the CGI looks like it hasn’t been rendered and hasn’t been integrated into the live action elements of the film very well, and this might have been because of the budget. However, Blood Wars has a slightly bigger budget compared to the original film. The special effects are good for the budget, but this film doesn’t rely on much CGI compared to the other films in series, but the CGI that is in this film is good. The final aspect of this film which is good is that this is quite a contained film, there are a couple of locations in this film and this is something which is much better because of this because overall the film feels more focused compared to the other films.

However, like the other films in the Underworld series, Blood Wars is not a perfect film and this is because there are some issues with this film. The first would be that the script is not the strongest screenplay because there are many different things in this film which aren’t explained some of the character’s motivations are not explained properly and some elements in this film like the afterlife which is brought up in this film is not explored in much detail compared to other elements and this is because of the runtime, due to the film being one hour and half there is not much in the way of storytelling because of the runtime. There are some other issues with this film and the biggest issue with Underworld: Blood Wars is that the action sequences. The issue with the action sequences is that the filmmakers have decided to use tighter framing and quick cut editing which makes some of the action hard to follow. An example would be the final action sequences in this film. The film has too many things going on these scenes and this can make the action difficult. Overall the action is hard to follow with poor editing which is quick cut, and there are too many different elements going on at any time in this film. Underworld: Blood Wars is a film which is not terrible as the critics make out it to be and this is because there are some good elements which this film has and this is because the film has effort and some level of creativity behind it and this film has some issues which have been addressed, but overall it is a throw away action film and like the other films in this series they are throw action films which you can enjoy without the need to concentrate with the plot and script.

Rating: 6/10.

Conclusion: Underworld: Blood Wars is a not a great film, but there are elements which you can enjoy while watching this film because the film is short in runtime and there are some elements which you can enjoy and there are some bad things. If you personally enjoyed the other films in this series, then you will like this film and don’t like someone else tell you it is film you should avoid. This film is enjoyable but not great.

Overall conclusion.

The Underworld film series has been going for seventeen years and while the films have become worse over time they are very consistent in the quality. These are films which you can watch without paying close attention the storyline or the narratives in the films and this is because the films are made for mindless entertainment. Underworld as series is very enjoyable to watch because they all have something good that keeps you entertained for a couple of hours at a time.