Underworld: Evolution

January 22, 2006

Rated: R Runtime: 105 min Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

With a decent special effects budget and Kate Beckinsale I was hoping for the best, but the pre-show buzz made me think this was gonna be another Bloodrayne. I’m happy to report that Underworld: Evolution was much better than expected.

Underworld: Evolution Evolution picks up right where Underworld left off, so close in fact that it seems like parts may have been filmed at the same time. If you haven’t seen Underworld then you NEED to see it first or you’re gonna be confused during the entire show. In addition, a general knowledge of modern popular vampire/lycan myth would be helpful (Anne Rice, Laurell Hamilton, Kelly Armstrong, etc.) You don’t need to know all this to enjoy the movie, but you’ll find yourself shaking your head a little less often.

Selene (Beckinsale) and Michael (Speedman) are running for the lives. Having just killed Viktor they are certain they will be hunted down and slaughtered. Turns out they have bigger problems… Marcus is awake, and he wants something from each of them. Seems that his brother William was the very first Lycan and in a deal made centuries earlier with Viktor he’s been imprisoned alone for the safety of humankind. OK, there’s more to it than that, but if none of that makes sense you really need to go watch the first movie.

The special effects are quite good, better than I expected in fact. Sure, some of the werewolf transformations looked straight out of An American Werewolf in London, but they were still cool to watch. And damn is it violent! Ripping off someone’s jawbone is a very effective way of pissing them off! And Kate… oh Kate. She looks SO fine in that rubber suit of hers. She does get naked this time around but we don’t get to see any of the fun parts. There are other ladies though…

Let’s review. Story… good, complex, entertaining. Acting… quite good, better than expected. Effects… better than average with lots of blood. Babes… Kate is smokin’ hot and there’s bonus vampire babes as well. Direction… no slow spots, kept me entertained.

The final result is 4 stars. Underworld: Evolution is better than its predecessor in every way and deserves to be seen on the big screen.

Posted by John | Filed Under 4 Stars, Action, Bill Nighy, Derek Jacobi, Horror, Kate Beckinsale, R, Scott Speedman, Theatrical, Tony Curran