Underworld
Directed by Len Wiseman
Starring Kate Beckinsale, Scott Speedman, Bill Nighy
Running Time: 121 minutes
You really can't tell from the rating, but this was actually
much better than I was expecting. I obviously wasn't expecting
too much, and this film didn't always deliver, but it had
some potential at times.
The entire first thirty minutes of the film were disgustingly
horrible. The film begins with a footchase and gunfight
scene between werewolves and vampires. You could tell they
were trying to reel in the Matrix audience, but it didn't
work. It continues on to the vampire lair and we are introduced
to the horrible (but pretty) actress extraordinaire: Kate
Beckinsale, who has dropped her romantic comedy smile in
favor of short, stringy hair and catwomanish leather. I
wondered whether this film was representative of her true
actress talent, then I remember how drab she was in Laurel
Canyon and I think that might have been her high point.
So the movie is atrocious a good third of the way through,
but it isn't without merit. For one, I was impressed by
some of the art direction. There was also some exemplary
CGI. This carried me through the movie and luckily the plot
became a little more interesting as they revealed the backstory.
Conceptually, this was a strong film, and it could have
been much more interesting had it been written differently.
Bill Nighy plays the granddaddy of vampires. His was a
much better character than the rest, and the film as a whole
noticably improves upon his introduction. The second half
is thus much more watchable than the first, although still
far from a "good movie", by any stretch.
This film might actually be worth seeing for anyone who
is a fan of dark, escapist cinema. The movie also seems
to have been successful, so there will likely be a sequel
in the future. I may cut off my lips later for saying these
words, but I actually think a sequel of this film could
improve on the first, if done correctly with less gunfire
and more character development. Will that happen? Probably
not, but an optimist can still hope.
Score: 5/10