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Having killed Viktor, the leader of her vampire coven, Selene and her half-vampire, half-werewolf boyfriend Michael are on the run. They are in trouble because accidental cross-breed Marcus is on their trail. Unbeknownst to her, Selene is the key to a centuries old mystery relating to the origins of the two species. And only she can stop Marcus from unleashing something even more dangerous on the world.
Though the finale to "Underworld" was open-ended it wasn't exactly crying out for a sequel. But director Len Wiseman has pushed ahead and created one anyway. There's no onus on the viewer to have seen the original, as Wiseman helpfully provides a potted history and flashback montage. His mantra for this one appears to be bigger, faster, more! I suppose it's a side-effect of having a larger budget and (for much of the film) a smaller cast. So there are bigger, longer, more explicit fights, a higher gore quotient and smoother morphs from human to beast. It's nice to see where the money's going, but it sometimes feel like we're in the midst of a computer game shoot 'em up. He films action well but the ratio of action to exposition is poor. The pacing is affected by the fact there are at least three different stories going on, so it feels episodic. Too little time is spent introducing and developing new characters. And the original protagonists haven't sufficient chance to grow. It doesn't matter how often they are menaced if we don't feel for them in some way. It's clear
Wiseman considers wife Kate Beckinsale a sexual being from the cinematic leering he does over her leather-clad body. However, he goes a step too far when it comes to filming the utterly gratuitous sex scene between Selene and Michael. Apart from undermining any sexual tension there may have been, his lingering looks turn lascivious and it's uncomfortably close to stumbling on someone's home-made porn.
Because we aren't shifting from one group to another there's less of the abundant design detail than in the previous film. There aren't as many cool costumes or gizmos and the film takes on a more down-and-dirty approach. The world seems grimier and less inviting outside the vampires' coven. In an attempt to add some much needed exoticism, the director has thrown in some apparently random foreign language interludes.
The screenplay by Danny McBride dovetails at least superficially with the previous instalment. The film kicks off exactly where the last one left off with Selene and Michael on the run after killing Viktor and inadvertently waking Marcus. However, much of the hard work building character and creating a unique world in the first movie has been squandered. Most of the main characters were dead by the end of the first movie and those that survived are dispatched brutally and quickly in this one. So we lose the conflict between vampire and werewolf and are left with Michael and Selene being chased around by crossbreed Marcus. Much of the detail of the original film is lost and we aren't given the option of who to root for. It is appended by a creation myth that brings back the original characters in flashback, but doesn't do enough with them to justify their existence. And attempts to tie Selene's back-story into this are clumsy and unnecessary. The storyline lacks internal logic; feeling more like a series of loosely interconnected action sequences or excuses for a monster mash-up rather than valid plot developments. New characters are introduced but are all exiles or outsiders that don't fit with the established world we know. The dialogue has a tendency towards comic book silliness; meshing florid cod-Shakespearean proclamations with modern MTV sound-bites ("What will I become?" "The future"), leading to an unsurprisingly uneven tone.
Reprising her role as Selene, Kate Beckinsale is glacially beautiful as always. And much like a glacier, she is hard, cold and utterly passionless. She maintains the same expression for most of the film, substituting frowning for emoting. She has no chemistry with her male co-star, which makes a mockery of the romantic subplot. But then Scott Speedman is no oil painting as Michael. He's a lank haired, sweaty Wolverine clone, who seems to think that whispery delivery and taking his shirt off makes him brooding. Tony Curran gets a rum deal as Marcus, buried under full-body prosthetics for much of the film. Though he looks uncomfortable in the effects-heavy sequences, he has enough about him to convince in the dialogue-centred scenes. He is commanding and embodies the bitterness and brutality of the role, balancing it with a sense of propriety.
The supporting cast includes some well-respected members of Britain's acting fraternity. Derek Jacobi adds a touch of much needed gravitas as Alexander Corvinus. His Shakespearean background stands him in good stead for delivering comic book dialogue with flair; even if he is dressed as a chintz sofa. Steven Mackintosh has fun as the decadent vampire exile Andreas Tanis; chewing the scenery with glee. Bill Nighy is short changed by the script - his Viktor is a vague reptilian presence characterised solely by a piercing gaze and Shakespearean delivery.
Horror music maestro Marco Beltrami creates an effective percussion-led score. It begins with womb-like beats that become heavier and more persistent. These are joined by creeping percussion and brooding, building strings that add menace to the accompanying scenes. He throws in big dark brass arrangements to up the threatening ante. His creepy strings are standard horror fare and his use of kettle drums and metallic percussion for action sequences is rather predictable. These portions of the score are also overly loud and intrusive.
Patrick Tatopoulos' production design neatly matches that of the original film. So we find grimy utilitarianism in opulent, celtic-influenced settings, plush velvets and butter-soft leathers juxtaposed with military hardware. It's not an easy mix but it kind of works. The film is full of wire-assisted stunt work that is flashy enough to impress, but not subtle enough to feel real. The CGI is stronger than in the last film, though the makers are once again tripped up by some dodgy computer-generated backdrops.
"Underworld: Evolution" is yet another so-so sequel that sacrifices the delight of creating an alternate world that was presented in the first film for a monster mash of a follow-up. More gore and bigger, more impressive fights are thought to be an adequate substitute for innovation and characterisation. The story is a messy mish-mash of plotlines that doesn't engage as much as the original war between vampire and werewolf. There's no solid through-line and the romantic subplot doesn't really work now there is no real opposition to it.
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Having seen this movie I simply can't agree with the review. Gratuitous sex scene - maybe back in the fifties but you see more sex than that in a 12A these days.
fabulous_girl 17.07.2006 23:19
wow- i think i'd jump off a building if it were that or watching this!
Better action, a bit of sex, and gorier R-rated violence makeUnderworld: Evolutiona ... more
reasonably satisfying sequel to 2003's surprise hitUnderworld. Looking stunning as ever in her black leather battle gear, Kate Beckinsale is every goth guy's fantasy as...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Better action, a bit of sex, and gorier R-rated violence makeUnderworld: Evolutiona ... more
reasonably satisfying sequel to 2003's surprise hitUnderworld. Looking stunning as ever in her black leather battle gear, Kate Beckinsale is every goth guy's fantasy as...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Bloodthirsty vengeance is measured out in buckets not spoonfuls for this hard-hitting ... more
vampire movie sequel. The story picks up right where the first Underworld left off in the midst of a war between Lycans (werewolves) and vampires with the gorgeous...
Postage & Packaging: £0.00 Availability: 3-5 working days
As the feud between vampires and werewolves escalates to new heights, so too does ... more
Underworld Evolution, delivering a veritable feast of bloodthirsty power, forbidden love and sweeping vengeance.The Underworld saga continues as hunted Vampire Selene (Ka...
![Underworld - Evolution [DVD] [2006]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/78491774.jpg "Underworld - Evolution [DVD] [2006]")
Jul 16th, 2006
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