Underworld: Awakening

Lets be honest you do not go into a cinema billing "Underworld: Awakening" expecting "Silence of the Lamb" or "Elegy" this is fast food cinema. The rules of critique that might apply to Spike Lee are therefore not applicable here. So understand my rating of 7/10 is factoring in that. It is 6/10 for fast food cinema.

The action was tight, the objectives of the film were clear. Certain "chosen one" themes i found boring and the film really must find other incentives for Werewolves to hunt vamps. There is something cool about Kate, I don't know what cuz she just looks like a normal Brit, but she is def the kick ass chick of this era. I mean would you pick her or Ms. Weaver to protect you. Well Ms. Weaver cant bounce off walls so I am sticking with Kate.

Some parts could have been better but that is always the case. I was happy not to see certain actors but I miss that old dude, Man he was evil. I mean he was really the best. I don't know the future of the franchise and I hope it doesn't turn into the Dark Knight Cop villain relationship.

A solid addition to the underworld saga, the storyline was new and held interesting. The action kept up intensity and was well choreographed. The cgi was a bit hokey at times, but not bad. The exit of Scott speedman was handled well, not too hokey. Selene was just as badass as ever!

Most movies don't get to a fourth in the series these days. I loved the first one the best, and though the effects have gotten cheaper, this movie is still an enjoyable continuation, and Kate is still the best effect!

Having just watched Underworld Awakening and not being an avid fan of the previous films in the series (not watching them), my stance on this film may not be as accurate as to those whom have seen the entire films in chronological order. However then I am reviewing this film based on this one solely. I thoroughly enjoyed, found the action top notch, well directed and fast paced. I know some of the complaints are due to the thin story but I did not mind too much. Yes a better story could have made the film better but I enjoyed the mother-daughter relationship and how and what they had to do in order to save her, and her whole escape plan. Kate Beckinsale is great as Selene as well as the other supporting actors. The Lycans and vampires were an interesting take in this, as well as the final scene involving Selene having to fight the giant Lycan. The 3D was believable and so were the gimmicks. For an action movie, it delivers.

For those who came in late, the Underworld series is all about the eternal enmity between the non-human species of Vampires and Lycans, the latter being an evolved race of werewolves. So far, we learned all about the centuries of bloodshed, and the absolute necessity for the 2 groups never to reconcile.

At the heart of the narrative is Selene (Kate Beckinsale), who was once the pride and joy of the Vampire army, till she fell in love with a hybrid (part vampire part Lycan), and began to question the ethics of her tribe.

Underworld: Awakening begins with a new development in the world that Selene and Michael inhabit. Thus far, the inferior human species has remained unaware of the existence of the other species. Now that covens and nests have been unearthed, paranoia strikes, and annihilation of non-humans becomes military priority.

Selene and Michael try to leave the area by boat, but both are captured and frozen in a lab, for research. When Selene awakens, she manages to flee from her prison, only to find that it is now 12 years later. Lycans are almost extinct, there is a weapon that she has, and her enemies want it for their evil purpose.

This installment of the Underworld franchise has the flimsiest plot, the least talented actors (except, of course, for Stephen Rea), and the most unsatisfactory climax. In fact, this has to be the first movie of the series that leaves loyalists not clamoring for more. The premise is so incredulous (and not in a good way), that you will stop trying to comprehend the sequence of events that leads Selene to the end of the movie.

To make up for the lack of a credible story, the makers decided to intersperse every second conversation with visuals of ripped heads, severed body parts and plenty of blood. The gore in the movie is not only irrelevant, but also added for shock value, or so it seems.

The icing on the cake is the presence of constantly flickering lights. The lab has them, the parking lots have them, the corridors have them - the civilized world does not seem to believe in proper lighting. What the audience is left with is a semi-hypnotized sense of being after sitting through all those lights.

Kate Beckinsale goes through all the motions of being Selene with the ease of a professional. She has done this to perfection before, but this time, she seems complacent, and bored. To give her credit, she has maintained her figure, and looks no different than the Selene who first made an appearance almost a decade ago (in the first movie of the series).

The very talented Stephen Rea plays a villain of sorts in the movie. He does look confused at times, as if he wonders why he signed the film. There is no sign of effort from any other member of the cast.

The music is more like stock music, and production value is inconsequential (there's nothing in the film except walls and piers). The fight sequences are not engrossing enough, and the spurting blood and flying intestines are distracting.

In short, the entire movie is a disappointment. If, however, you insist on watching Underworld: Awakening, avoid the 3D version, and maybe your headache will not be as bad.

On a more positive note, there is always the hope that the next movie will manage to regain the lost glory of the series.