Lower your expectations... considerably

Rating: 6/10 (23 September 2003)

Underworld is visually impressive: the dark brooding mood of Burton's "Batman", the detailed sets, and the very fetching Beckinsale make the movie appetizing to watch. Unfortunately, beyond the eye candy buffet, there is very little else to consider good about the flick.
Some specific disappointments: 1. Beckinsale's character Serene is a "death-dealer" vampire whose task is to hunt down and kill the Lycans (werewolves). After watching a few shooting scenes, I sincerely felt Serene would have lasted only a couple of days on the job. She can't hit a thing, despite spraying hundreds of rounds at large targets only a few metres away. It's hard to buy into a hero who can hit marble busts in the shooting range, but misses three large bodies in a small hallway.
2. The love story is weak at best, or maybe I'm inattentive. With a minimum of dialogue between the two, the relationship between Serene and Michael (Speedman) seems based on looks and looks alone, but apparently a strong and almost unshakable love bond has developed by the end of the movie. I don't mind surprise endings, but the depth of emotion here seemed an afterthought.
3. Shane Brolly (who plays Kraven) is pretty brutal. I'm sure he's a nice guy, so I don't want to diss him personally, but every scene he's in is a major distraction from the film. His sneering, spitting delivery is utterly unchanged throughout the movie, to the point where you wonder if he is capable of any other emotion beyond rage or disgust.
4. Goofy stuff that just seemed weird: Serene's idiotic driving everywhere and nowhere at breakneck speed (solely for product placement?), the Lycan's apparent refusal to actually use the deadly ammunition they've developed for the vampires, the inherent lack of logic of the war (why didn't the Lycans just kill all the vampires during the day?), and the avoidance of acknowledging that daylight is gone, etc.
Maybe I'm being petty, but with a movie that's taking itself this seriously, and with the amount of effort that obviously went into making it look good, I expect some consistency and development to the overall story, too. With a little consideration, it could have been a much, much better movie.
Perhaps the sequel will redeem this one. 5.5/10