Hello all....I'm back! After a long absence from the Ciao community I have come back to bring more ...
Hello all....I'm back! After a long absence from the Ciao community I have come back to bring more reviews and to revive old friendships. See ya round! Leila :) xxx
Member since:18.04.2003
Reviews:106
Members who trust:168
Good day Ciaoers in the community! I am back today with a review on one of my favourite films at the moment....Underworld.
Lately and this could be seen as worrying, I'm really into watching movies like Blade, Blade 2, Underworld, Resident Evil and really anything to do with vampires or zombies! Every now and again though, we all need a film with a bit of gore and guts and Underworld falls under this category superbly!
Okay so what was I expecting even before I watched this movie? Vampires, obviously.....bit of blood, check.....couple of action sequences, yep.......loads of guns, heck that is a givin......Kate Beckinsale...what? "Hey hold up a sec!" I hear you cry? Well I'm serious here people. Kate Beckinsale is in this movie, and yes she's the one who broke Ben Affleck's heart in Pearl Harbour and the one who fell for John Cusack in Serendipity. Now she's in a vampire movie? More will be explained...
But first, in the usual fashion, the quotes from the critics:
"Stunning" - DAILY STAR
"Slick, sexy, enormous fun" - MAXIM
"Stunning...superb special effects" - NEWS OF THE WORLD
"Fantastic" - HOTDOG
"Terrific action" - DAILY STAR
Wow! These guys sure have a lot to say don't they! hehe....but I totally agree with their one-worded opinions!
Now for the boring stuff, skip this paragraph if you want, this is just something I have to do...
***TECHNICAL STUFF***
This film has a 15 certificate. Obviously, being a vampire movie with bucket loads of blood, you can't expect this one to be a PG film.
It has a running time of approximately 116 minutes, which is not
bad in my opinion but it could have been longer.
I bought my DVD copy from amazon.co.uk for £11.99. As this film was released in 2003, I can't imagine it will have gone down in price, and I don't know how much the VHS version is. You would probably be able to find this in most other stores such as HMV or perhaps at another online store.
I will of course be talking about the DVD version of this film and I have to say I was quite disappointed with the extra features it had.....primarily because it doesn't really have any.
***SPECIAL FEATURES***
Play the movie Scene selection Director and wirters commentary Technical commentary
NOTE: This DVD does not have the film in any other language and does not have subtitles.
Fun time...yay!
Entertainment in Video productions presents, Kate Beckinsale, Scott Speedman, Bill Nighy, Shane Brolly, Michael Sheen and Sophia Myles in Underworld.
***CHARACTERS***
Just before I start I would like to say that about 90% of these characters do not seem to have last names!
Selene: Played by actress Kate Beckinsale. Selene is a death dealer, a beautiful vampire who would rather test out her favourite gun than put on a dress for an event. Selene is a vampire on a mission for reasons that will be explained in a moment. Seemingly cold and rigid, Selene never backs down from a fight but shows that she can be just as compassionate as everybody else.
Michael: Played by actor Scott Speedman. Micheal is human, just not for long. An intern at a hospital, Michael as a surgeon does not get much of a life. A quiet and somewhat closed off character, he soon starts to show a different side of himself and can battle with the rest of them.
Kraven: Played by actor Shane Brolly. Kraven is the leader of the vampire clan, and a celebrated hero. Constantly trying for Selene's affections, Kraven never quite manages to get her on his side. A sneaky individual, you get the feeling Kraven isn't what he appears to be.
Lucian: Played by actor Michael Sheen. The leader of the Lycan clan. Lucien is not as sneaky as Kraven but the two of them certainly have something up their sleeves. You get the feeling that Lucien is a completely bad guy and that he has a calming, caring side.
Viktor: Played by actor Bill Nighy. Viktor is the oldest and strongest of the vampires as well as being an elder. A dangerous foe, you don't want to get on the wrong side of this guy! Viktor has a couple of dark secrets to in his heart and has a fatherly affection towards Selene. With traditions and beliefs about the purity of vampires, Viktor will do whatever is necessary to protect the vampires.
Erika: Played by actress Sohia Myles. Erika is a minor character, but still worth a mention. Erika has herself constantly glued to Kraven's side even though his affections lead towards Selene, Erika is forever trying to gain his favour and attention.....and she will doing anything to get it.
***PLOT***
For over a thousand years a war has waged. A blood fued between Vampires and Lycans (werewolves) has been ever present, as the two species have evolved. Their missions: To kill each other off, one by one.
For Selene, a Death Dealer, there could be nothing more satisfying than to kill her most hated enemy. For a while the Vampires had the upper hand in the war after it was heard that Kraven had killed the leader of the Lycan clan, Lucian and brought back evidence of his demise.
That was centuries ago, the war is still being fought and changes have been made.
On a regular rountine mission to hunt Lycans down and kill them, Selene and a few others get into a gun fight with the Lycans in an underground train station. After bearly escaping with her life, Selene notices that the Lycans were not trying to kill the vampires but that they were after someone.
Meanwhile in a vampire safehouse mansion, Kraven is the leader of the vampires and tells Selene to prepare for the wakening of a vampire elder Marcus. When Marcus awakens then the vampires will be united instead of scattered and arguing.
But Selene has more important matters to deal with. After looking at some camera footage and tracking down the person that the Lycans were after, Michael, Selene learns that the Lycans somehow need Michael desperatley. She also learns that there is a plot to create a new species, one that will have the strength of both the Lycans and Vampires and none of the weaknesses.
Lucian, the once famed leader of the Lycan clan however is not dead and is the one who wants Michael so badly. After trying to track Michael down, he runs into a somewhat surprised Selene. Lucian bites Michael, which will in turn, transform him into a Lycan.
Now convinced that Lucian is alive and well, Selene decides to awaken another vampire elder and it's not Marcus. It's Viktor, the oldest elder. But Selene should never have awoken Viktor, at least not for another century, as it is Marcus's turn to rule the Vampire clan. Selene tells him she saw Lucian and about Michael and fears that Viktor is the only one who can save them.
But who started the war? Why do the Lycans need Michael? Why is Lucian still alive? Why did Kraven lie about his death? If you want to know the answers to these questions, then you'll have to buy this film and watch it!!
***MY PERSONAL OPINION***
Dark secrets, surprising facts and a few intersting turns in this story, keep it moving and keep you watching. I wasn't so sure about Kate Beckinsale for the lead role as I have seen her in way to many romantic comedies, but I soon warmed to her in this role. The casting of Viktor is excellent and Bill Nighy does a fantastic job of portraying the all powerful vampire elder. I have a feeling that this film will turn into a trilogy as there are a few cliffhanger questions left at the end of the film. What happened here? What happened there? I really liked this movie and hopefully can't wait to see more like it. I would recommend this movie for anybody who likes vampire orientated films and a good story in there as well.
There wasn't as much blood and guts as you might expect in a vampire movie, as Underworld seemed to center more around the story. This makes it even better as it just goes to show that a good vampire movie doesn't always have to be about killing people and sucking out their blood. It is also a reflection on the actors and actresses. They managed to keep my attention and I hope they will keep yours!
I leave the decision up to you!
Happy trails kids!
Leila :)
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Production Year: 1973 - Horror - Director: William Friedkin - Original Language: English - Classification: 18 years and over - Starring: Ellen Burstyn, Linda Blair, Jason Miller, Max Von Sydow, Lee J. Cobb, Jack MacGowran, Kitty Winn
Underworldis a hybrid thriller that rewrites the rulebook on werewolves and ... more
vampires--imagineBlademeetsThe CrowandThe Matrix. It's a "cuisinart" movie--blend a lot of familiar ideas and hope something interesting happens--in which immortal vampire "dea...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Underworldis a hybrid thriller that rewrites the rulebook on werewolves and ... more
vampires--imagineBlademeetsThe CrowandThe Matrix. It's a "cuisinart" movie (blend a lot of familiar ideas and hope something interesting happens) in which immortal vampire "dea...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Underworldis a hybrid thriller that rewrites the rulebook on werewolves and ... more
vampires--imagineBlademeetsThe CrowandThe Matrix. It's a "cuisinart" movie (blend a lot of familiar ideas and hope something interesting happens) in which immortal vampire "dea...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
The first lady of gaming returns inTomb Raider - Underworldwith her deepest and darkest ... more
adventure yet. Ostensibly searching for the mythical hammer of the Norse god Thor, the real draw of the game is exploring the underworlds of multiple different cult...
Postage & Packaging: £4.50 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Advantages: Decent plot, well putogether for the most part, decent special effects, atmospheric. Disadvantages: Little details detract from oberall experience.
TheDuke 03.09.2004 (03.09.2004)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
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