MPAA Rating: R
Director: Måns Mårlind, Björn Stein
FilmPulse Score: 4/10
Kate Beckinsale reprises her role as the death-dealing vampire Selene in Underworld Awakening, the newest in the popular Underworld franchise. Set 12 years after the second film, Selene awakes from a cryogenic sleep to find the humans have nearly wiped all the vampires and lycans (werewolves) off the map. Upon breaking free from the facility that was keeping her captive she discovers a 12-year-old vampire/werewolf hybrid child that turns out to be her daughter. Selene must then stop at nothing to keep her protected from the evil scientists that are trying to capture and clone her daughter, and create stronger, more genetically superior lycans. So how did the 4th Underworld movie stand up? Check our full review after the jump.
As one might expect, this film is a complete mess from start to finish. It can be assumed that one doesn’t go see an Underworld movie for the plot, or because it’s intellectually stimulating, but that aside, it’s still not a good movie. The action set pieces are more of the same stuff we’ve seen in all the previous films. Tons of slow-motion Matrix-esque flips and twists coupled with buckets of digital violence and stylized fight choreography. Although, the fights in the movie are fun to watch, they’re nothing new, and don’t make up for everything else in-between.
This Underworld is shot like every other Underworld, in that everything is seen through a blue filter. I understand that it’s simply the style of this movie, but I think the filmmakers should have done something to set this one apart from the others. At least in Rise of the Lycans the film took place in the middle ages, even if it was blue. Forget having to deal with vampires and werewolves, I’d hate to live in this world simply due to the lack of any color other than blue. And the fact that this one is shot in 3D doesn’t make it more impressive. Unlike films like Hugo that use 3D technology to enhance an already great story, Underworld Awakening uses it as a gimmick. If you decide you just have to see this movie, don’t waste the extra money on the 3D version.
A film’s second or third sequel is usually a death sentence, and this holds true for Underworld. The amazing thing about it however, like the Resident Evil series, is that it makes a ton of money. Here’s a tip to every movie-goer out there: Stop paying to go see them and they’ll cease to exist.
