Post by Mr.HoRrOr on Jan 28, 2006 0:30:31 GMT -5
Plot:Selene (Kate Beckinsale), the vampire heroine, and Michael (Scott Speedman), the lycan hybrid, try to unlock the secrets of their bloodlines. The fast-paced, modern-day tale of deadly action, ruthless intrigue and forbidden love takes them into the battle to end all wars as the two immortals must finally face their retribution.
Cast:
Kate Beckinsale
Scott Speedman
Shane Brolly
Derek Jacobi
Bill Nighy
Michael Sheen
Tony Curran
My Thoughts:Great sequel
Review:"Underworld Evolution" promises more of everything in it's trailers. More action, more lycan vs vampire action, and of course promises to be a bigger film overall. The good news, is that it delivers, and then some. Picking up where "Underworld" left off, "Underworld:Evolution" follows Selene (Kate Beckinsale) and Michael (Scott Speedman), as they both are now on the run after the events that transpired at the end of "Underworld" in which a hybrid (Michael) was born, Craven betraying his kind,and Viktor being killed.
Before things move into present day with Michael and Selene, we get an awesome opening scene which goes back to midevil times where we meet Markus in human form. This opening scene which lasts about 20 minutes or so, sets up a few of the plot twists that come later in the film, and also gives us some background on the relationship between Viktor and Marcus, the two vampire elders...and how it plays into whats to come later in the film. The basic jist of "Underworld Evolution" isn't as simple as the trailers make it out to be. It's not just Selene and Michael on the run and hacking and slashing their way through anything that moves. Well I mean...sure theres plenty of that for us gore fans to chew on, but theres also a solid story here. It seems that there was more to the story of Selenes past which also helps to explain Viktors intense hatred for the Lycans. I won't give too much away, but lets just say Michael wasn't the first hybrid to ever exist. Anyhow, Markus awakes and after killing off Craven, immediately tracks down Selene and Michael. But his overall motives go far deeper than that of simply exacting revenge for the betrayals carried out and the slain vampire elders.
Danny Mcbride and Len Wiseman who co-wrote the film do a great job of balancing the story out as so not to disenfranchise the lycans or the vampires. While the vampires are an intricate part of the story at the beginning, as the film continues on, things begin to tie more and more into the lycan side of things, as they become more of the focal point of the story. Speaking of the lycans, they really looked badass in this film. A definite step up from the overdone cgi creations we saw in "Underworld". Some cgi was used this time around, but it was mostly costume and creature FX work used for the lycans in "Underworld Evolution". The film itself is visually stunning as well. From the opening scene which takes place in a snow covered warrior camp, to the final battle which takes place inside a dark cavern, "Underworld Evolution" takes it up a few notches from the lackluster urban settings in the first movie, to the wide open, snow covered mountainous regions. We don't get a total overload of vampire vs lycan action for two reasons. The first being that theres a minor truce between the two waring species during the films exciting climax, so in order for that truce to make sense, the lycans and vampires have a few battles here and there as opposed to an all out fight to the death.The second reason being that the story is just as highly concentrated on as the action. So most of the movie is spent with both aspects stepping to the forefront at different points in the film. As for the love story between Michael and Selene, it's pretty much consumated in the sequel...but Wiseman makes sure not to linger on it too long since it was pretty much already established at the end of the first movie.When the final battle takes place, Wiseman doesn't let us down, as he makes sure to crank the action up to full blast, setting up a visually stunning and action packed final fight. "Underworld Evolution" is more than a few steps above it's predecessor, it really is "Evolution", as this film has evolved into a much better scripted, much more fun to watch,and much better paced version of what came before it.
Pros:Great visuals, awesome action scenes, good performances put on by Beckinsale and Speedman, and some nicely done blood and gore scenes.
Cons:The script takes a few twists too many near the end but it's something that can be easily overlooked,and doesn't affect the movie too much.
Overall:Solid sequel that delivers in every way.