Underworld: Evolution Reviews

With the unprecedented success of "Underworld" under his belt, Len Wiseman returned to helm the follow-up with a considerably larger budget and more stylized vampire action and black leather to fill a hundred Hot Topics. However, it wasn't long before he dispelled the old adage of "bigger is better".

"Underworld: Evolution" picks up directly after the events of the first with our heroes, Selene and Michael Corvin (Kate Beckinsale and Scott Speedman, respectively) on the run after they're unfathomable bond and betrayal set in motion a series of events that brought Selene's master to his death and the worlds of Lycans and vampires to disarray. In the wake of this chaos, another elder vampire wakes and that's when things get stupid.

The setup is logical, the action is as ridiculous but entertaining as before, and all the self-serious goth meets The Matrix aesthetic is on high but the film quickly comes undone with the presence of Markus (Tony Curran) as the big bad. Markus' story necessitates a retcon of the idea that Viktor was the first and most formidable vampire, essentially telling the audience that they're fools for ever finding that guy a threat. In a bid to up the ante and introduced a bigger and more imposing menace, the film effectively treads on the good work of BIll Nighy who had commanded every scene as Viktor in the first film. Worse, Markus, for all his bluster, is ultimately a weak replacement that inexplicably didn't put his current plan into effect until Viktor's death despite having a virtual life insurance the whole time. The film tries to explain this away by telling us that he feared Viktor's armies but the fact that they wouldn't dare kill him anyway makes it all nonsense.

You see, the film starts by showing us a Markus that was dead set on locking his Lycan twin away but by the time Markus returns he's dead set on releasing him and creating some sort of master race. It's ludicrous to even type this stuff up. It almost feels like they were missing some intrinsic piece of backstory that would lead us to care or believe that Markus' loved his brother enough to bite his tongue for years and then finally unleash his wrath upon Viktor's death. If it is, bad news, it was pivotal. As it stands the movie lacks it and comes off as preposterous

That, however, is the least of its sins. The film introduces a character so baffling and useless that it literally made me watch the movie twice to see if I missed something. Derek Jacobi as Corvinus, the father of all three races of beings in this universe has SOMEHOW always been behind the scenes and only tidies up for the vamps and Lycans and basically is an exposition machine that serves no purpose but to overcomplicate a concept that didn't need muddling with. When I say he serves no purpose, I mean he literally refuses to get involved save by proxy of our heroine. We could of done without this joker and had the same results.

While they never undo the balance of supernatural and science (Lycans and vampires being genetic freaks) that the first movie set forward they do make it profoundly stupid by verifying that the legend of Corvinus it's based on is true. This effectively makes Markus even more stupid by making him a guy that somewhere along the way was actually bitten by a bat and mutated because of his genetic predisposition. This gets dumber when you realize that if that part of the legend turned out to be reality then that means his brother had to, by chance, be bitten by a wolf too so he could spawn werewolves. Before this movie this was just a legend that people used to explain a condition, after this movie it's a literal headache-inducing reality. Oy vey.

And the nonsense piles on with ridiculous deus ex machina and the butchering of their own mythos just to fit in this plot with Markus and his brother. Oh, Viktor has a key in his chest all along and that's tied into the locket that was on his daughter and Lucian. All these "reveals" feel forced and totally unnecessary. A single key would of been sufficient, did they have it out for Bill Nighy or something? Sure felt that way.

"Evolution" is mind-numbingly overwrought. It thinks it's clever but it's really jaw-droppingly stupid. The action is a respite from the absurdity and Kate Beckinsale's Selene is someone you want to see in something far better than this dreck. Effects are mostly fantastic save a few moments that, despite the budget boost, look atrocious. I'm looking at you intro CGI werewolves.

I had seen this movie previous to reviewing ages ago and I remembered nothing about it. Now I know why.

Pretty much like the ‘Resident Evil’ franchise, it is one franchise which has been going on for far too long. I mean, the first movie was not bad and rather watchable but there was no way it needed 3 other sequels. Anyway, I have to admit it, even though the first movie failed to impress me, there was still something intriguing about it and this sequel basically gave me  the same feeling. I mean, once again, the movie looked pretty cool with some awesome action scenes but, once again, I was also terribly underwhelmed by the story and I really didn't care much about those intrigues involving those lycans and vampires. On a positive note, I always had a weak spot of Bill Nighy and Michael Sheen and they were definitely fun to watch here. Concerning Kate Beckinsale, I still have a hard time to make up my mind for good. I mean, sure, she looks great in a catsuit but I have some doubts about her acting skills. To conclude, it is far from being a bad movie but I still cannot really recommend it (I’m rather flabbergasted by the rather high rating it gets on Imdb). Still, I guess if you are a huge fan of the first movie, it could be worth a look though. 

''For six centuries I was a loyal soldier to the vampire clan. But I was betrayed. The war was not as it had seemed. In one night, the lies that had united our kind had been exposed.''

The adventure continues, the saga of war between vampires and werewolves.

Kate Beckinsale: Selene

The original Underworld was not as cool as it clearly thought it resulted as, but it's an entertaining bit of entertainment - and in my view at least, good enough for a sequel. Titled Evolution,, this second installment builds on the original story before it, while still finding the time for enough action to please it's targets criteria. Surprisingly for a boisterous action-horror flick, Len Wiseman's dessert is more restrained than predicted. Although there are plenty of action sequences, the focus is put more firmly on the plot; and this ensures that the film isn't merely a dull collection of stunts. The film begins with a great sequence, which goes back to the beginning of the war between the Lycans and the Vampires. We then follow Selene (Beckinsale) and Michael (Speedman), both now on the run after dispatching vampire elder Viktor (Nighy). We follow the pair as they trace their origins and try to ensure that the first ever vampire, Marcus, isn't able to free his brother William; the first of the werewolves.
Kate Beckinsale gives a outstanding performance as Selene. She is captivating, completely watchable and I just wish she'd do more Underworld/Vampire films! I'll admit that I was pretty gutted to hear in the new underworld her character wouldn't be included, but good news, they are going to make a fourth movie with Kate and Scott in it!
I do think that Kate and Scott really were one of the key elements that made these films really great. Having said that, I have watched the first two, both fun and entertaining! The acting all around is amazing, first-rate stuff. Secondly, the music is just epic, amazingly epic! I will say, as much as I love this movie and do have a strong stomach when it comes to violence but I do think that some of the violence in this movie could of have been toned down a bit in some places, for example: when Marcus stabs Michael through the heart with a piece of broken wood.

''I knew Viktor made a mistake by keeping you as a pet. He should have killed you with the rest of your family.''

One of the major reasons I enjoyed the first film was due to its leather-clad female lead. The sexy Kate Beckinsale reprises her role under the direction of her husband, and is every bit the sassy heroine that a film like this needs. Underworld: Evolution, like the original film, makes best use of this asset! The acting here is more than a little corny overall but on the other hand Beckinsale and the rest of the cast do their jobs well enough to ensure that the film doesn't completely fall down on the acting side. The special effects are good, with the werewolves being particularly of note for being impressive. Werewolves don't often translate to the screen well; but they look just fine in this film! The visuals are dark and Gothic, and look absolutely stunning. As with the first film, the glossy style bodes well with the action scenes and ensures that the film is pleasing to the eye. The best thing about the film for me, however, was the mythology surrounding the war between werewolves and vampires. It's portrayed well, and Wiseman leaves enough gaps to keep the interest, while ensuring that the plot builds to a complete whole by the time the credits role.

On the whole, Evolution is a fun sequel which elaborates on untold truths. It builds on the first films helping, and delivers enough new elements to make it interesting to anyone who liked the original. This is the sort of film that wont be remembered long after it's over, for originality, but it makes for a great time viewing, and comes highly recommended to fans.

''There's never been a hybrid before. However ambivalent you might feel about it, the truth is, your powers could be limitless. You depend on blood.''

Unsurprisingly even worse than the first. And there will be a third one.

Underworld 2 Evolutions-2006/Underworld 2003-
“When Underworld came out in 2003, I thought it was pretty good but thought it needed something more, more history. Well three years later I found myself blown away by Underworld: Evolutions. It was almost a seamless continuation from the first movie. The movie was so good that it made the first movie even better. My only criticism would be that the special effects of the weapons used in the first movie were absent in the second. I guessed it was a budget trade off. By making the incredible fights scenes and the special effects on the first vampire they lost the money to continue use on the weapons effects? Still the movie excites me just thinking about it even today.”

Thrilling, riveting, atmospheric, sexy. Not quite as good as the first, but new monsters and more over-the-top action scenes make this a worthy sequel.