Like The Apendix to an Epic Novel!!

Rating: Null/10 (23 September 2003)

Have you ever read the appendix of an epic novel? You know the pages near the back of a classic novel like DUNE or LORD OF THE RINGS where a lot of extra information lies. It let's you in on a thing that happened before the story and tells of kings and queen who ruled the area before the action of the actual story take place. The new film UNDERWORLD plays like the appendix of a novel. There's lots of extra information and yet very little substance in and of itself.
UNDERWORLD tells the story of Selene (Kate Beckensale, Pearl Harbor), a vampire, and Michael (Scott Speedman, Duets) a human being chased by the vampire's sworn enemies, a band of Werewolves. Selene job in her vampire clan is to kill said Werewolves, she's known as a death eater. You see there is a war brewing between the werewolves and the vampires. It's kind of an undead Hatfield and McCoy story.
Or is it? UNDERWORLD suffers from an intriguing concept and little substance. There is this huge back-story, that finds its way into the movie and I bet it's figured out pretty concisely. There talk of history, and legend, and generations of vampire's and werewolves. But that's all. Compelling characters take a back seat, to loud and almost obnoxious action sequences and subplots running left and right with nowhere to go.
In fact the only reason the film focuses on Beckensale is because she's the big name star. She comes and goes at the whim of the screenplay. In fact I think there was a 20-minute segment near the end that she isn't even in. The major plot of this film plays like an overlong subplot in a much more epic film or maybe even a two-part episode of a fantasy television series.

In fact that's the only way a film like Underworld can work. The film is crying out for some focus. There's a story dying to come out. It's right there on the surface, and instead of focusing on Selene and her fight to save Michael. It is bogged down by this silly and overdeveloped history of the war between vampire's and werewolves. You know what. This movie would make a great television or comic book series. It just doesn't work as a stand-alone film.
And yet I can't say I hated UNDERWORLD. It looks too good. Its visual style lies somewhere between BATMAN and MINORITY REPORT. It's set in one of those futuristic cities that are dirty and disgusting, and full of horror. A city where the sun never shines and humans are food for the children of the night. If you like really neat eye candy this is the film for you.
It seems like the filmmakers took the lets see how much cool stuff we can jam into the film approach, and most of it works on a purely surface level. It's only after you realize that if you removed most of the cool scenes you'd have nothing worth watching and that's when the Action sequences begin to grate on you.
I longed for a much better, more fully realized picture than I got with UNDERWORLD. I wanted cool action sequences, but I also wanted some compelling characters and interesting story developments. All of which fall flat under the weight of an unfocused and overly melodramatic story. Do yourself a favor and skip UNDERWORLD. But as consolation may I suggest you give EQUILBRIUM a try?
**1/2 out of 5