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UNDERWORLD (2003) Director: Len Wiseman. Hacktors: Kate Beckinsale, Scott Speedman, Bill Nighy. Rating/5: The lowdown: Being surprisingly complex, the story isn't all that easy to sum up. But let's give it a shot: vampires have been in battle with werewolves (or Lycans, as they're known) for centuries. Selene (Beckinsale) is a hot, rubber-clad vamp who spends her life wiping out as many Lycans as possible, believing that they were responsible for the massacre of her family. She hates humans - that is, until she meets Michael (Speedman) who has something the Lycans are evidently hungry to get their paws on.... Good points: Beckinsale looks good. Not too bad an actress, either. Director Wiseman handles the action well, once his many characters stop talking about legacies and vengeance and various other sub-Shakespearean fare. Gun fetishists will find a lot to like here, with some cool rapid-fire hardware in evidence. Underworld thankfully wasn't pitched at PG-13 level - there's a fair deal of grue on display. It's also good to see Bill Nighy as vampire king Viktor, even if he seems slightly miscast. Bad points: It's over-long - especially in the extended, 134-minute cut being reviewed here. There are lots of discussions, but not a lot really seems to happen. Neither does the movie seem to have an original bone in its body: it's a grab-bag of imagery and moves from Blade, The Matrix, Tomb Raider (Selene is basically Lara Croft with fangs) and The Crow. Underworld doesn't seem to play to its strengths: given that the 'vamps vs wolves' set-up is its sole unique selling-point, we don't see nearly enough of it. Or, indeed, get much insight into Selene's character: she's a cool killing machine throughout. Still, at least she looks good while doing it. DVD Details: The two-disc Region 2 set reviewed here offers the extended cut of the movie, plus the expected host of extras. Director Wiseman and wife Beckinsale team up with Speedman for an audio commentary, while featurettes cover the film's design process, look, production, stunts, visual effects and creature effects. Storyboard comparisons, TV spots, a Finch music video and a doc titled Fangs Vs Fiction make this pretty comprehensive. Shame about the movie, to a large extent. Overall: Nice concept, underwhelming execution. Still, the sequel is much better... Release Date: Out now. [Check it out at Amazon US] [Check it out at Amazon UK] [Reviews Menu] [Home] © Copyright Slasherama 2002-present