MOVIE REVIEW

Underworld  (2003)

Starring: Kate Beckinsale, Scott Speedman
Director: Len Wiseman

Rating: R

Studio: Screen Gems

Release Date: 9.19.03

Review Posted: 9.19.03

Spoilers: None

By Christopher T. Bryan

Beckinsale, Speedman a Great Team in Exciting "Underworld"

Underworld delves into the well-known world of Vampires and Werewolves to deliver a highly stylized, sleek, sexy and most importantly original horror/action film with less computer generated effects and wirework than you might anticipate.

A Vampire and Werewolf (here called Lycan) movie usually means a formulaic, trudge through stories that have been told many times too often. In the case of Underworld, Screenwriter Danny McBride has taken the horror icons and given them a twist pitting them against one another, delivering a film best described as a mix of The Matrix and Blade, but in many ways better. Where other films have regurgitated themes and effects from these movies and fallen short, Underworld’s imagination has landed it squarely among them. The script paired with Tony Pierce-Roberts’ beautiful cinematography offers a world that invites the viewers to immerse themselves in.

Unbeknownst to humans, a battle has been raging for centuries between the unkempt, sewer dwelling Lycans and the fair-skinned, elegant Vampires. Selene (Kate Beckinsale) is a rubber clad Death Dealer; her duty is to hunt down and slay the Lycans one-by-one. It is on one such mission when Selene spies Michael (Scott Speedman) who is being tailed for mysterious reasons by a pack of Lycans. All of Selene’s gun-slinging can’t stop Michael from being bitten, leading to a Shakespearean tragedy when the two find themselves having forbidden feelings for one another.

A woman hasn’t been this luscious in rubber and latex since Carrie-Ann Moss in the original Matrix, add Beckinsale’s sexy accent and her appeal is kicked up a notch.  Beckinsale, who is normally at home in romantic comedies and other lighter fare, plays against character and thrusts herself into the action. Her presence takes this film out of slasher obscurity where it could have just as easily ended up with another actress in the lead. Unlike Angelina Jolie and others, Beckinsale doesn’t rub the audience’s collective face in her sexuality; it is her underplayed confidence that makes her a force to reckon with. Speedman, who is most impressive when in full makeup, is another odd choice for the lead in an action film, but like Beckinsale, he pays off. The two play well off each other and Speedman’s bafflement at the world he is being tossed into is genuine. Michael Sheen and Bill Nighy are excellent choices for their roles as Lucian and Viktor, respectively.

However, the biggest disappointment was Shane Brolly as the newly appointed leader of the Vampires Kraven. He seems out of sync with the flow of the film and out of his element in general. While the rest of the cast let the writing and cinematography speak for itself, Brolly felt the need to overact.

Underworld derives a unique feel through its decision to forego what has become the norm in Hollywood and did not use completely computer generated creatures.  Instead it uses the archaic but in this case powerful method of costuming and animatronics blended with CGI. In my mind only one completely computer generated character has been seamlessly placed in film and that is Gollum in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, the other experiments have failed miserably, falling short of their desired effect and instead landing somewhere in the comedic realm. The vicious wolves here are creepy and a lot of fun to watch.

Underworld’s biggest asset is its interesting take on two legends that have been recycled in movies for decades. It is a blend of the best characteristics of great action movies from recent years, but it stands on its own with an outstanding cast and enthralling cinematography.

Rating: êêê  (out of 4)

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