LoginThe fourth installment in the "Underworld" franchise gives us a twelve year time leap thus excusing itself of the obvious loss of of its lead characters (Scott Speedman's Michael Corvin) and instead focuses on the outcome of genetic tampering of his DNA and Selene (Kate Beckinsale), namely a daughter that is the target of both vampire and Lycan attention in a world that has driven both species near to extinction in the aftermath of the "Underworld: Evolution". Sounds heady and over-convoluted but, trust me, it it isn't.
No, unlike the overwrought and unnecessarily over-complicated plot of "Evolution" (which this chronologically follows) this installment is blissfully simple. This frees the viewer to stop wrestling with the ridiculous leaps in logic, retconning, and plot holes of that aforementioned film and just sit back and enjoy. Granted, they may have taken the dedication to simplicity a bit too seriously but unlike some of the plot elements in "Evolution" nothing is headscratchingly bogus or stupid.
Yes, "Awakening" is mean, nasty, and to the point and all the better for it. At the very least it proved to be a thrilling way to spend a paltry hour and twenty minutes (slightly over the 30 minute mark if you count the suspiciously long credits). Despite its incredibly short runtime, the film never lets up. It delivers what, by this point, the series really has to offer: gorgeous action, slobberknocking confrontations between monsters, and the thrill of seeing Kate Beckinsale put boots to butts.
"Awakening' is a film that realized the story needed to be herded out of the tangle "Evolution" had drawn it into and that it couldn't revisit the past as "Rise of the Lycans" did. Instead it gives us a "(wo)man on the run" movie that quickly becomes a "rescue mission" movie. Not to say it abandoned the world-building attributes of the series. In fact, it manages to fit that in quite nicely into the state the characters are in and the villain's motives.
The directors know how to handle action and the set-pieces here are a fun time through and through. You'll find yourself more than glad to leave your brain at the door and watch Selene do her thing. Effects are a bit more reliant on CGI than before but physical effects were not totally abandoned.
This movie isn't going to win awards but it knows that and just runs with what it is. It doesn't pretend that the post "The Crow" gothic aesthetics are in or that it can be as good as the best "Blade" movie or that it didn't crib a bit from "The Matrix". It's boiled down the essence of what we find cool about the movies previous and done away with the burden of some of the overcooked plotting that, frankly, wouldn't work anymore. Here is "Underworld" at its most basic and I can appreciate that.
Wanna see an over-serious, monster-action slugfest? This will do you just fine. Sometimes it's okay to just think somebody is badass for a good stretch of minutes.
Underworld: Awakening Reviews
Underworld: Awakening review
Posted : 4 years, 9 months ago on 13 July 2019 01:20
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Underworld: Awakening review
Posted : 11 years, 6 months ago on 15 October 2012 10:45
This is what you call your typical January junk. We usually get one or two of these productions every January. I have never seen any of the Underworld movies prior to this one, I've only caught parts of them on tv. After seeing this movie, I don't think it really matters if you've never seen any of them. They give a 2 minute summary of what happened in the previous installments and then goes it's own. direction.
Even though I've never seen any of the previous installments, based on the 2 minute recap in the beginning of this movie and the parts I've seen on TV of the other movies this movie seems like it has nothing to do with the franchise at all. I guess that explains why I was never lost, because it's completely different from it's predecessors. It makes this whole movie seem pointless. I guess the other reason why I was never lost was because the story and plot are piss poor. There's barely anything. The characters are flat and I didn't really give a Crap about any of them. There's barely any dialogue, I don't know if that's a good or bad thing. Despite all of this, there's some fun to be had
The filmmakers obviously decided to just drop story and plot in favor of more vapid action. In that case they don't disappoint. The action scenes are nice and well staged. The movie has some style to spare and is sleek. There plenty of Gore to spare for you Gore hounds out there like me and hey, at least there's no shitty love story or sparkling vampires which is always a plus. The movie also feels like one giant videogame. It certainly plays out that way, like first Selena and the other vampires fight this pack of wolves then after the giant wolf comes out like your typical boss in a videogame. Whatever the case it was fun.
I'm not quite sure what to make of the acting since the actors don't have to say much. Kate Beckinsale is either angry or depressed throughout the movie. It looks like she almost had enough with this series and I don't blame her. The rest of the cast is just okay, nothing great, but nothing truly awful either.
Overall, this is what you'd pretty much expect from your typical January junk. There's no story or plot, minimal dialogue, and has nothing to do with the series as far as I can tell. However, it's sleek and stylish, there's Gore to go around, the action scenes are nicely done and entertaining and the acting is okay. Since I haven't seen any of the other films I can't say weather this is a good edition to the series, but from a moviegoers perspective who hasn't seen any of the prior installments this is junk. No story and all action. Based on the box office performance expect more of these.
Even though I've never seen any of the previous installments, based on the 2 minute recap in the beginning of this movie and the parts I've seen on TV of the other movies this movie seems like it has nothing to do with the franchise at all. I guess that explains why I was never lost, because it's completely different from it's predecessors. It makes this whole movie seem pointless. I guess the other reason why I was never lost was because the story and plot are piss poor. There's barely anything. The characters are flat and I didn't really give a Crap about any of them. There's barely any dialogue, I don't know if that's a good or bad thing. Despite all of this, there's some fun to be had
The filmmakers obviously decided to just drop story and plot in favor of more vapid action. In that case they don't disappoint. The action scenes are nice and well staged. The movie has some style to spare and is sleek. There plenty of Gore to spare for you Gore hounds out there like me and hey, at least there's no shitty love story or sparkling vampires which is always a plus. The movie also feels like one giant videogame. It certainly plays out that way, like first Selena and the other vampires fight this pack of wolves then after the giant wolf comes out like your typical boss in a videogame. Whatever the case it was fun.
I'm not quite sure what to make of the acting since the actors don't have to say much. Kate Beckinsale is either angry or depressed throughout the movie. It looks like she almost had enough with this series and I don't blame her. The rest of the cast is just okay, nothing great, but nothing truly awful either.
Overall, this is what you'd pretty much expect from your typical January junk. There's no story or plot, minimal dialogue, and has nothing to do with the series as far as I can tell. However, it's sleek and stylish, there's Gore to go around, the action scenes are nicely done and entertaining and the acting is okay. Since I haven't seen any of the other films I can't say weather this is a good edition to the series, but from a moviegoers perspective who hasn't seen any of the prior installments this is junk. No story and all action. Based on the box office performance expect more of these.
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An average movie
Posted : 11 years, 9 months ago on 6 July 2012 08:09
To be honest, I wasn't expecting much from this flick but Nick (my step-son) is a fan and I bought him the DVD so I thought I should give it a try anyway. Eventually, not only was it the shortest (only 75 minutes) but also, unfortunately, the weakest installment of the franchise. One issue was that, this time, they didn't have such fine actors like Bill Nighy and Michael Sheen to increase the acting value. They did bring a few new actors though but their characters were poorly developped and they didn't have much to do. Furthermore, the whole Lycan plot has already been done before and it felt really redundant. Still, like all the Underworld flicks, I can't completely dimissed it because they once again brought some interesting ideas. Indeed, I think it was a good move to add the humans to the conflict but the funny thing was that the humans were barely involved at all in the plot (except for one cop) and it was basically Vampires vs Lycans all over again. And I did like the idea that Selene was frozen for 12 years but here again, they barely developed it (By the way, when and how did she get pregnant? Is it possible for a vampire to bare a child? so many plot holes...). To conclude, it was basically another forgettable vampire/werelwolves action flick and, in my opinion, it is not really worth a look.
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It's a whole lot of fun...
Posted : 12 years, 2 months ago on 13 February 2012 12:53
"For 12 years, I was held captive by the humans. The world I once knew has changed. Vampires and Lycans are now the hunted."
With the insipid Twilight phenomenon currently in full force, nothing could be more welcome than 2012's Underworld: Awakening; a film which abandons the metrosexual image of werewolves and vampires in favour of something more agreeably badass. Those seeking sophistication or nuanced storytelling should look elsewhere, though - this fourth Underworld flick is wall-to-wall vampires vs. werewolves action, jettisoning laborious exposition and forced romantic melodrama for a more stripped-down experience. The whole thing is exceedingly dumb, shallow and messy, but at least it's light on its feet, with kinetic pacing leaving little time for cheesy dialogue-laden respite in between the mayhem. Underworld fans are likely to be satisfied with what directors Måns Mårlind and Björn Stein have created here under the guidance of franchise co-creator Len Wiseman.
With the insipid Twilight phenomenon currently in full force, nothing could be more welcome than 2012's Underworld: Awakening; a film which abandons the metrosexual image of werewolves and vampires in favour of something more agreeably badass. Those seeking sophistication or nuanced storytelling should look elsewhere, though - this fourth Underworld flick is wall-to-wall vampires vs. werewolves action, jettisoning laborious exposition and forced romantic melodrama for a more stripped-down experience. The whole thing is exceedingly dumb, shallow and messy, but at least it's light on its feet, with kinetic pacing leaving little time for cheesy dialogue-laden respite in between the mayhem. Underworld fans are likely to be satisfied with what directors Måns Mårlind and Björn Stein have created here under the guidance of franchise co-creator Len Wiseman.
When humans discover that vampires and lycans (that is, werewolves) are living amongst them in a feuding state, a "purge" is ordered, and both species are hunted to the brink of extinction. Amid the genocide, vampire Selene (Beckinsale) looks to escape with her hybrid lover Michael, but government goons capture them, thwarting their plan. Twelve years later, Selene wakes up in a lab to a world where vampires and lycans live in exile. The unsuspecting warrior also discovers that she has a powerful hybrid daughter Eve (Eisley), who has been used for experimentation. Escaping captivity with her offspring, Selene goes on the run, seeking refuge while being hotly pursued.
Perhaps to avoid further Twilight comparisons, the filmmakers behind Underworld: Awakening stripped away the romantic angle, pretty much excluding the character of Michael and keeping corny melodrama to an absolute minimum. It's a welcome move, as it allows the franchise go in new directions and embrace a more simple, badass attitude. The original Underworld in particular was marred by frequent monotonous exposition and flashbacks, so Awakening gets rid of that stuff as well. While the opening five minutes or so are exclusively dedicated to exposition and montage, the film promptly takes off like a champion racehorse afterwards, concerning itself with countless action-oriented conflicts and rarely stopping to assess the situation. Selene's relationship with Eve could have resulted in clichéd histrionics and forced tear-jerking, but the filmmakers had other plans. Instead, there are just a few well-judged character building moments to construct a credible bond between mum and bub. Marvellous.
Underworld: Awakening is expectedly threadbare from a dramatic and narrative standpoint, but the picture's visual firepower is stunning. Retaining the franchise's penchant for no-holds-barred violence, directors Måns Mårlind and Björn Stein show tremendous enthusiasm for lathering on the R-rated details, keenly watching as Selene disembowels, decapitates and skewers her enemies in a spectacular fashion. While the loud gunfights are expectedly delightful, it's the fisticuffs that stand out the most here, with Selene even battling an enormous lycan enforcer. This is easily one of 2012's most satisfyingly violent movies so far, and it's destined to please action fans who've grown sick of sanitised PG-13 blockbusters. With a generous budget, Underworld: Awakening is an attractive picture to behold as well, with robust special effects that represent an improvement since the franchise's first entry. Cinematographer Scott Kevan also affords a degree of beauty to the film. Instead of a tedious routine of shaky-cam and rapid-fire editing, Kevan's framing lets us watch the battles and absorb all the gory details without getting a migraine, and the blue-tinged photography is enthralling indeed. Underworld: Awakening is available in 3-D, too. It was filmed with 3-D cameras at least, but the extra dimension fails to add anything worthwhile to the experience: it's just there. Sure, the gimmick is fun, but the flick is equally good in 2-D.
Kate Beckinsale took a six-year leave of absence from this franchise, but she slipped back into her role of Selene (and back into her skin-tight garb) to seamless effect. It's great to have her back, and she fulfilled her leading lady duties with confidence. Although there isn't much more to Beckinsale than surface pleasures (she's not the most nuanced performer in the world), the star is a perfect fit for this role: she's incredibly hot, and she looks awesome when cracking skulls and using dual firearms. The rest of the cast, meanwhile, is pretty standard-order. Bewilderingly, Scott Speedman sat this film out (c'mon, what could he be so busy with these days?). Instead, a body double awkwardly and silently stands in for Speedman, though said double is only glimpsed briefly.
The emphasis for Underworld: Awakening is more on bone-crunching action than anything else - the plot is not given much thought, nor is it cerebral. As a result, the film is definitely fun in the moment but it's ultimately forgettable and borderline inconsequential. Its story material is literally the equivalent of the opening act for a 120-minute feature film, and thus it seems to just be testing the box office waters, setting up a fifth movie and seeing if audiences still care about this series before going any further. So, no, Underworld: Awakening will not be remembered for long, but it retains a heroic sense of forward momentum, keeping this franchise fun and interesting. It nicely complements its predecessors, too. If you've been yearning for the return of the sexy, sleek Selene, it's doubtful you'll walk away disappointed.
6.2/10
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