Underworld: Rise of the Lycans
(C or 2/4 stars)
Vampires & Werewolves & colored-contact lenses, Oh My! This prequel, 'Underworld: Rise of the Lycans' (or as I'll call it: Underworld 3), directed by Patrick Tatopoulos, traces the origins of the centuries-old feud between the elitist vampires & their slave-like Lycans (a werewolf breed). A young Lycan, Lucian (Michael Sheen), comes forward as a powerful leader who rallies his werewolf brethren to rise up against Viktor (Bill Nighy), the evil vampire king who's enslaved them for hundreds of years. Lucian has an ally in his secret lover, Sonja (Rhona Mitra). One problem. She happens to be Viktor's daughter. Can the Lycans achieve freedom? I've only seen the 1st 'Underworld' movie. That was better than this. But as a standalone movie, 'Underworld 3' isn't awful.
Viktor, king of the vampires/death dealers, has a fondness for Lucian; as he is the bravest & most loyal of his werewolf pets. Unfortunately for Viktor, Lucian has enough pride to realize that he & his kind should no longer answer to King Viktor. Everything is made more complex by the relationship Lucian has with Sonja. Sex btwn. Lycans & vampires is forbidden, yet, the 2 lovers meet in secret. They are discovered by one of Viktor's cronies. And though he doesn't outright tell Viktor, the vampire king suspects something is up between Lucian & Sonja, anyway. Though she is his daughter, Sonja's life is in jeopardy. And to save her life, Lucian must remove the spiked-collar that inhibits his werewolf shape-shifting abilities. This offense lands Lucian in a dungeon cell. While there, his words & actions plant the seeds for the werewolf uprising that will both start a war and hopefully free Sonja before it's too late.
The Underworld series is popular because people love vampires, werewolves, blood, action, & Kate Beckinsale. So, without Beckinsale, and with a repetitious film concept, the makers of this film had to come up with something both entertaining & special to make it stand-out. Well, it doesn't quite achieve that specialness. But it does have some merit. The attractive Rhona Mitra steps-in to fill the female void. She's not as engaging or as hot as Beckinsale, but she does a pretty good job. Even better, her chemistry with badass Michael Sheen (great in The Underworld series, The Queen, Frost/Nixon) is actually believable. Though there is tons of action in this film, the plot is fairly romance-based. Within the fantasy premise, there is a degree of palpable reality. Sheen & Mitra take their scenes together very seriously; which adds some gravitas to the proceedings.
Other positives: Bill Nighy is hysterical (both intentionally & unintentionally) as the cadaverous Viktor. There's just something about his eyes/face that rivets you to the screen. You can tell he has a blast with a role as hammy as this. I liked how Lucian, Sonja, & Viktor are neither 100% right or wrong in their beliefs/actions. No one is always good, or completely bad. Something else I liked was the use of old-age weaponry. Gone are the guns & bombs of the previous Underworld films. The action sequences are well filmed. The direction is to-the-point; and not superfluous. And it's entertaining; even to those who are not well-versed in the Underworld franchise. Everyone's intentions/motives are clear. And I definitely felt transported to a dark, fantastical, medieval realm.
What's unfortunate about 'Underworld 3' is its slightness & ordinariness. And movies involving vampires & werewolves should be anything but. Plot points include angry fathers, deceitful daughters, forbidden love, bloody battles, special-effects laden sequences, the tragic death of a major character, the storming of a castle, etc. We've seen this ALL before, and executed with more flare & originality. No pun intended, 'Underworld 3' lacks some bite.
Viktor, king of the vampires/death dealers, has a fondness for Lucian; as he is the bravest & most loyal of his werewolf pets. Unfortunately for Viktor, Lucian has enough pride to realize that he & his kind should no longer answer to King Viktor. Everything is made more complex by the relationship Lucian has with Sonja. Sex btwn. Lycans & vampires is forbidden, yet, the 2 lovers meet in secret. They are discovered by one of Viktor's cronies. And though he doesn't outright tell Viktor, the vampire king suspects something is up between Lucian & Sonja, anyway. Though she is his daughter, Sonja's life is in jeopardy. And to save her life, Lucian must remove the spiked-collar that inhibits his werewolf shape-shifting abilities. This offense lands Lucian in a dungeon cell. While there, his words & actions plant the seeds for the werewolf uprising that will both start a war and hopefully free Sonja before it's too late.
The Underworld series is popular because people love vampires, werewolves, blood, action, & Kate Beckinsale. So, without Beckinsale, and with a repetitious film concept, the makers of this film had to come up with something both entertaining & special to make it stand-out. Well, it doesn't quite achieve that specialness. But it does have some merit. The attractive Rhona Mitra steps-in to fill the female void. She's not as engaging or as hot as Beckinsale, but she does a pretty good job. Even better, her chemistry with badass Michael Sheen (great in The Underworld series, The Queen, Frost/Nixon) is actually believable. Though there is tons of action in this film, the plot is fairly romance-based. Within the fantasy premise, there is a degree of palpable reality. Sheen & Mitra take their scenes together very seriously; which adds some gravitas to the proceedings.
Other positives: Bill Nighy is hysterical (both intentionally & unintentionally) as the cadaverous Viktor. There's just something about his eyes/face that rivets you to the screen. You can tell he has a blast with a role as hammy as this. I liked how Lucian, Sonja, & Viktor are neither 100% right or wrong in their beliefs/actions. No one is always good, or completely bad. Something else I liked was the use of old-age weaponry. Gone are the guns & bombs of the previous Underworld films. The action sequences are well filmed. The direction is to-the-point; and not superfluous. And it's entertaining; even to those who are not well-versed in the Underworld franchise. Everyone's intentions/motives are clear. And I definitely felt transported to a dark, fantastical, medieval realm.
What's unfortunate about 'Underworld 3' is its slightness & ordinariness. And movies involving vampires & werewolves should be anything but. Plot points include angry fathers, deceitful daughters, forbidden love, bloody battles, special-effects laden sequences, the tragic death of a major character, the storming of a castle, etc. We've seen this ALL before, and executed with more flare & originality. No pun intended, 'Underworld 3' lacks some bite.