2008 Woodie Awards
Underworld: Evolution, Let's Hear It For Sequels That Spawn Sequels That Spawn...
A review
Roger Priddy
Issue date: 1/24/06 Section: Arts & Entertainment
Underworld: Evolution is the sequel to Underworld (2003). I must confess, I didn't see Underworld. Overall, critics pretty much "sucked" it, but it made over $50 million at the box office with a $20 million budget, thus and so, we have a sequel. Underworld: Evolution wasn't prescreened to the press, which is usually a bad sign. If the studio doesn't even have enough confidence to let critics see the movie before it's released, you know you've usually got a "turkey." And with Underworld: Evolution, I'd say that's pretty much the case. It may not quite be a "turkey," but it's definitely blood that's a little stale.
The plot of Underworld: Evolution is just a continuation of the first movie. The war between the Vampires (Death Dealers) and the Werewolves (Lycans) continues. The beginning of the ancient feud is traced as Selene (Kate Beckinsale), the beautiful vampire heroine, and Michael (Scott Speedman), the lycan hybrid, try to unlock the secrets of their bloodsucking and hairy bloodlines. A battle to end all battles ensues, as the immortals must finally face their day of reckoning… okay, forget this. There's no plot to this movie. It's just all style. Style, style, and more style; very little substance. It's a very violent, bloody film. Gory to the point of being over-the-top.
The opening scene is absolutely dreadful. It's supposed to be a powerful scene that reveals what happens to one of the key players in the war. But it's so poorly, harshly edited with hasty, darting shots you don't have a clue what the heck is going on. And Underworld: Evolution never quite recovers from its terrible beginning. The special effects - the werewolves, the vampires, the buckets of splattering blood - they aren't bad, but nothing eye-opening. The acting is flat. And the story is just too incoherent. I'm usually willing to give comic book movies like this a break, but what little story and substance there is here is just so dizzying and burdensome it's hard to get much from the movie.
The plot of Underworld: Evolution is just a continuation of the first movie. The war between the Vampires (Death Dealers) and the Werewolves (Lycans) continues. The beginning of the ancient feud is traced as Selene (Kate Beckinsale), the beautiful vampire heroine, and Michael (Scott Speedman), the lycan hybrid, try to unlock the secrets of their bloodsucking and hairy bloodlines. A battle to end all battles ensues, as the immortals must finally face their day of reckoning… okay, forget this. There's no plot to this movie. It's just all style. Style, style, and more style; very little substance. It's a very violent, bloody film. Gory to the point of being over-the-top.
The opening scene is absolutely dreadful. It's supposed to be a powerful scene that reveals what happens to one of the key players in the war. But it's so poorly, harshly edited with hasty, darting shots you don't have a clue what the heck is going on. And Underworld: Evolution never quite recovers from its terrible beginning. The special effects - the werewolves, the vampires, the buckets of splattering blood - they aren't bad, but nothing eye-opening. The acting is flat. And the story is just too incoherent. I'm usually willing to give comic book movies like this a break, but what little story and substance there is here is just so dizzying and burdensome it's hard to get much from the movie.
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