And I liked it. I wasn't expecting much because Beckinsale wasn't back and the second movie is pretty mediocre (though still entertaining to watch at least once), but this was a very fun movie.
The movie has two real strengths. The first is, that unlike the second movie, it has a good story to tell. In fact its story may be better conceived than the first movie, as the first tried to play fast and loose with tons of exposition as well as plot twists. The prequel knows where its going in a straight line and tries to tell it as a tragedy.
It still ultimately is a B-monster movie, but it is just such an interesting one. The other real advantage is MICHAEL SHEEN and BILL NIGHY. I don't think I'm alone when I say that I think Viktor and Lucian are the two best characters in the series. I thought that when I saw the first movie and their abscence was immediately felt in UW2 and was one of the other missing things. As cool as Curran's Markus was, he just wasn't a very compelling character and lacked the gravitas that these two had.
Now, they basically are the leads of this movie. And that contributes to why I do not miss Beckinsale at all in this movie. Selene is the only character that achieves pop culture status from the series, but these are the two that keep the movies compelling and interesting. And this movie detailing their warring nature and antagonism was enjoyable.
The movie really just tells their interaction in an engaging way and the audience really feels for Lucian's plight. I feel the love story between him and Sonja is better developed than the one between Michael and Selene and thus makes his anger more justified. Though the first movie cleverly turned the audience's sympathy from the vampires because of Selene to the lycans due to Lucian's third act revelation of being the anti-hero (and thus Viktor the villain and not the mentor), this movie really nails the point home. The ending between these two characters is viscous and somewhat depressing to know there is no final confrontation between the two.
With that said the movie had some problems. The sleek, sexy and semi-cheesy cinematography is gorgeously recreated and the set-design and creature designs are as strong as ever. But this first-time director benefits from probably the best script in the trilogy, because as a director he lacks Wiseman's originality, style and finesse. Wiseman took his flawed concept and made something visually cool and original yet familiar. He made something that was exciting to watch.
I felt in the prequel the direction merely tells the story and is mostly flat and generic. It plods and is sold by focusing on two very good actors. Even the action while fast, quickly edited and spouting a lot of gore, is just less stylish or interesting as the previous films. Wiseman took his small budgets and made movies that looked much bigger than they had any right to be. You can see the budget limitations in the prequel.
As for Rhona Mitra. Well, I think she did an adequate job. She is very attractive and on par in that department with Beckinsale and her chemistry with Sheen is more believable than Beckinsale and Speedman (though I imagine that to be Speedman's fault), but she lacks the presence or captivation Beckinsale had. Selene is simply a stronger character and Beckinsale holds the camera's attention better. Her little return scene at the end cements that. But given Sonja was a supporting role and her main point was to sell a love story with Lucian and a tragedy with Viktor, she succeeded.
In short, I'd say, surprisingly, I'd give the movie 7/10. I was expecting it to be much lower. I still think Underworld 1 is the best due to its originality, Wiseman's visual direction and Selene, but this is a close second.
Also, I do agree that the UW trilogy is superior to the Blade trilogy. Underworld>Blade, Blade II>Underworld: Evolution and Underworld: Rise of the Lycans>>>>>>Blade: Trinity.
I pretty much agree with everything you wrote, except I like the character of Sonja a little more than Selene. As for the director, I thought Patrick did a better job than Len. The fight scenes were definitely better, I'd really like Patrick to direct the fourth film as well.
As for Rhona Mitra. Well, I think she did an adequate job. She is very attractive and on par in that department with Beckinsale and her chemistry with Sheen is more believable than Beckinsale and Speedman (though I imagine that to be Speedman's fault), but she lacks the presence or captivation Beckinsale had. Selene is simply a stronger character and Beckinsale holds the camera's attention better. Her little return scene at the end cements that. But given Sonja was a supporting role and her main point was to sell a love story with Lucian and a tragedy with Viktor, she succeeded.
Totally agree with you there, Mitra and Sheen both worked well and you could believe that they loved each other, their relationship of the characters as well and just made it sad as well as what happened to them
Beckinsale did have a stronger character who was cold at first and didn't know how to kind of love, where as Sonja was a lot more softer and had more emotion lets say but she was tough but Selene is tougher.
I still think Underworld 1 is the best due to its originality, Wiseman's visual direction and Selene, but this is a close second.
I pretty much agree with everything you wrote, except I like the character of Sonja a little more than Selene. As for the director, I thought Patrick did a better job than Len. The fight scenes were definitely better, I'd really like Patrick to direct the fourth film as well.
I liked seeing Raze back as he was always one of the "cool things" in UW1 that got lost to the exposition, so them giving him a little backstory and kick ass action was great. It just helped make the movie that more entertaining.
Wiseman btw just has more of a pacing coherency than UW3 and he visually really sells his visions, while I felt UW3 very much was trying to copy him and not add anything to it. I also thought the action in the first two pictures was more dynamic, but Sheen and Nighy really sold the anger and intensity in that last fight in this movie.
I really wish Raze didn't get killed at the end of the first movie, I would've liked to see him become leader, seeing as he was Lucian's second in command.
Bill Nighy is just so cool as Viktor, his character is just cold and acted well, I just love the first film, still love how the film starts, that jump off the building stright into a gun fight :P
Keeping my figuers crossed, want to see what happens to Selene and Micheal even if it's the last one to finish it off, and I just think there great films :P
It could be unlikely, but I'd like at least three more films. Six Underworld films definitely wouldn't be a bad idea. Just do the fourth movie further showing Lucian as the leader of the Lycans, and him going up against another elder, Markus. Then have the fifth movie detail Selene's origins, and how she came to be. Then make the sixth movie about her and Michael's final adventure.
Lol, already posted that info...it's done about the same as the first movie, which is pretty good. I expect it to be much higher by the time it's released overseas.
i really enjoyed this film, but i'd have to say the first Underworld is still the best. And i just loved the little voice over at the end and the clip of Kate, it made the story more effective, i think.
I have to say with recent disappointments with trilogys this definitely delivered and I put it up there with other trilogys like LotR, original SW, IJ and BttF.
Aside from a few lines spoken kind of funny from Nighy(great actor but the delivery of a couple lines in the beginning had my gf and I chuckling) this was a solid film IMO, as well as an actual prequel I can say that was worth making now having seen the finished product.
Being a huge Werewolf fan it was great to know I can add this to my movie collection since good Werewolf films can be hard to come by(yes I know the Underworld films aren't entirely werewolf films). Sheen was great but I do have to agree with a few other posters how after seeing this film it sucks to see him die later in the other film. I didn't even realize it was him playing David Frost in Frost/Nixon. Not sure if they're just rumours or if it's confirmed but it's going to be fun watching him play the Cheshire Cat in Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland.
Rhona Mitra was better than I thought she would be and did a great job of filling in for Beckinsale(even though they play different characters).
I really can't think of many complaints of the top of my head. The ending was just great in how it
literally goes right into the first film with Beckinsale kneeling on the building, I got subtle chills.
The violence was good and brutal, basically what I would expect from a film were Vampires and Werewolves are battling it out. Visually, it was lacking just a bit in comparison to Wiseman's but still had that blue wash to it that made it fit in with the first two.
I guess the only thing I didn't care for was I kind of wished it went into the original Lycans a bit more in the beginning than just the voiceover.
All in all I gave it an 8.5, I never really give movies a 10, so that close to 9 is really good coming from me.
i thought it was kind strange when the film took place in the daylight for a couple of minutes, it didn't feel underworld to me. Did Lucian have the 'V' brand on his arm in the film?
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It still amazes me how deep his voice is.
