Review of Underworld: Rise of the Lycans (2009) by Phil H — 19 Jul 2012

Hmmmm double edged sword here methinks. I liked this for its imagery and ideas, my love for vampire and werewolf films sways me to the dark side and I can't help but love the blood dripping, hairy moon walking action :).

Problem is although there are some nice lycan moments of battle action and great misty dark looks there are just so many silly moments and things that just don't add up. For starters I have these questions...

1. Why does 'Viktor' have blues eyes yet no others vampires do?

2. Why do the vampires need protection from the lycans? protection from what?

3. Why do they need lycan slaves?

4. Why are most lycans long haired men? no females?

5. When 'Viktor's' daughter was put to death why didn't Lucian just turn to lycan form and free her? (as he did when he attacks 'Viktor' after her death, he breaks his chains without a problem).

6. How come 'Raze' (big black guy) can just rip dungeon doors off at the final battle sequence? why didn't he just do that at first to escape?

7. What happened to the human nobility?

8. Why were there humans chained to the back of the human nobility's wagon? (where we meet 'Raze').

There are just so many questions that spoil the film, I also hated the endless stream of armour clad vampires that just live to die from lycan attacks, much like 'stormtroopers' hehe.

The film is good and does complete the trilogy nicely but its very holey plot wise. The effects are nice, lots of CGI of course but its reasonable. Some slightly risky lycan CGI in places but the vampire makeup and costumes are excellent, Nighy's blues eyes really pierce the darkness.

I just wish to see more of the vampire background in the underworld universe, vamps around the globe, how the species started originally, their hierarchy or nobility outside 'Viktor' etc..

I could watch another film about the vampiric history of this franchise but unfortunately we got a rather stupid futuristic idea that harks to 'Resi Evil'...bad move. Despite that and lots of bad reviews I do like this film for what it is, you get what you expect but bucket loads of it in medieval times with extra blood.

For me the most fun of the franchise as it felt a little more original than the others. The first being 'The Matrix' with vamps and werewolves, the second being almost a love interest film and the fourth being a mess of too many other film ideas. Overall it could all be so much more with better CGI/real time effects that's for darn sure.