I was not, by any means, a huge fan of the first Underworld’ film, which starred Kate Beckinsdale as a vampire shooting guns in tight leather. While there seems to be evidence that that’s what the fanboys like, needless to say, I’m not much of a fanboy when it comes to anything. I just love movies and what goes on behind the camera as much as in front of it. So why did I see the ‘Underworld’ sequel? Well, I was in the right place at the right time and got a movie pass…so I get to see the film for free. How nice. Nicer yet is how the sequel surprised me. Up until the climax of the film, anyway..and those awful flashbacks…and when Marcus (Tony Curran) awakes from his centuries old slumber, knocking off the remaining Vampire backstabbers who fought against Kate’s Selene from the first movie.

You could , in a way, call that wiping the slate clean, I, on the on the other hand, call it for what it is. “Quick death cameos”, like the old days of ‘Friday The13th’ where those who survive the previous movie get cut up within the first reel of the next film, without mercy. True, those getting beheaded and stabbed with giant bat wings and/or slashed with claws might not be those folks you may have rooted for in the first film. It is , however. the same horror cliche tradition. As for the flashbacks, they highlight events from the previous film, which, if you are like me and cared less about the first film, it is a bother. The flashbacks are also repeated frequently, as if helmer and Kate’s hubby Len Wiesman believes the audience suffers from insomnia. The final showdown was the most disappointing. As I watched it unfold I knew that:

1) One person presumed dead would be revealed to have a second wind after all, and

2) When a villian appears trapped he will find the way out , and

3) The villians will off everyone except for the two main heroes in the final showdown.

There was also something I didn’t predict, and that was how hokey it was seeing all the guns firing, firing, firing, firing, firing…reloading…firing…and hardly scratching a near stationary target. Speaking of which, after Van Helsing I don’t think having people (or vampires) turning into Lycans within seconds by CGI effects works at all. Not compared to the old school frightfests of Joe Dante’s ‘The Howling’ or John Landis ‘American Werewolf In London’. Hell, even the recent ‘Ginger Snaps’ and ‘Dog Soldiers’ in the last few years were more impressive. Also, I liked the appearance of thespian Sir Derek Jacobi. But his character Corvinus, who is revealed is the father of the new (or old, depending on your point of view) villian, says something really odd at least three times. Again, Wiesman thinks the audience is falling sleep, but if you are wide awake, this is what you will hear and see: “Well I can’t kill my son because I love him, and he’s my son, but you, Selene, can kill him” Hmm…now there’s a conflict of intrest. The icing on the cake? After his son tries to kill him and is nearly successful in doing so, and killed over half of his entourage? “Well, he nearly killed me, but I love my son, I won’t kill him, but you, Selene, with my help, can”.

Now, don’t get me wrong here. I wanted to get most of the negative stuff out of the way first, because there is several gems in the sequel which I did enjoy. There is a huge, huge plus in the demonic looking Marcus, his bat wings and big claw like nails. The notion that when he tastes blood he can pick up on the victim’s memories and thoughts is also a nice touch. There was a moment in the film where he has to rely on such information because, after a few centuries of slumber, he is computer illiterate. I also thought that, in order to regain his human form, he drinks a ton of horse’s blood. (No, I can’t say he has the memories of a horse…)That’s great to have the face so audiences can have a sense of continuity, but I thought the ‘half and half’ scenes (he can stab someone with his wings in human form) were less effective. This guy looks more menacing in all out demonic green skin bat getup. Still, Marcus made a decent villian- and with a noble motivation- to free his brother, a out of control super Lycan named William.

Some of the action sequences stand out as well, most notably when Selene has to fight off werewolf slave sentries in an old tunnel without the use of her firearms and several struggles with Marcus and hybrid Michael (Scott Speedman). Also, the ‘Romeo and Juliet’ style flavor from the first film is more fleshed out here, even if, according to the film’s storyline, only a night at the most has passed since we last seen the fanged, hot leather gun toting Selene and her new squeeze. I did get the feeling that the two characters actually did care about each other, and I found there was some nice moments that were not all a CGI mess. I’m not saying that a sex scene was needed but considering the ‘wink wink’ in the film’s final moments, there is only one place where the third film can possibly go.

Oh, yes, there will be a ’3”, but I hope that when Wiseman and scribe Dan McBride make a bad ass villian, they not only keep him that way, but also have Kate wear something other than tight leather pants, and do more than shoot blanks.

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Underworld : Evolution

Director: Len Wiseman
Starring: Kate Beckinsale, Scott Speedman, Tony Curran and Sir Derek Jacobi