Pretty Good Movie, But Had Some Reservations

Rating: Null/10 (14 August 2007)

I liked this movie. The werewolf costumes were awesome, especially when you consider that they were actual actors running around in high tech werewolf suits, NOT CGI. For all I've read on the user comments board for this flick, most people must not have watched the featurettes and don't know that most of the effects in this film are NOT CGI (except for the transformations, heads splitting off and other stuff like that).
On to the actors/characters. The characterizations were a mixed bag, I liked some of the actors, and not others. Michael Speedman was apparently in a coma during most of this film, and why did the directors have to make Selene look like a PVC fetish queen? If she's so single-minded in her focus on killing all Lycans, why does she bother to run around in a tight uncomfortable PVC catsuit with chunky heels? Wouldn't combat fatigues or something be more utilitarial? Male fan service I guess. Kraven just got on my nerves almost immediaely.
On the good side, Bill Nighy was good as Victor the bigoted lead vampire. He came off as one thing in the beginning, but when the plot twist happens near the end he comes off as something else completely. Michael Sheen gave a thoughtful performance as Lucian the head Lycan. I couldn't help but feel sad at the end when you see Lucian's fate, especially after Michael's flashbacks are explained. I often felt myself rooting for the Lycans at the end. On a side note, I don't know how that one Lycan, the big black one, did that thing with his voice; sounded like it would hurt to talk like that through a whole movie.
The settings and the camera-work were all serviceable, nothing stuck out as bad or particularly laughable. I am starting to get sick of wire stunts though.
I wouldn't say that it was the best movie ever made, but I have watched it multiple times on DVD and I could probably watch it again.