Gothic Gangster Movie Kills.

Rating: 8/10 (7 April 2004)

"Underworld" culls two races from mythology, vampires and werewolves, and has them co-existing in the same setting. While the two are staples of the horror genre ("Dracula" and "The Wolf Man"), this doesn't play out like a traditional horror movie. This action packed story will please horror fans and convert new ones due to the melding of movie types to create a fresh interpretation to a century old genre.
A male human (Scott Speedman) unwittingly becomes involved in an on going war between vampires and werewolves. When a female vampire (Kate Beckinsale) notices the werewolves following this human, she becomes suspicious and begins to investigate why he is so important, even if it changes everything she has ever known about her life and vampire history.
This monster movie follows the age-old traditions established in the early novels (by Bram Stoker) and movies ("Werewolf Of London") featuring vampires and lycanthropes. Of late, there's been some wanna-be trendy, horror movies that have thrown the standards out the window. Those standards are comforting and we, the audience, expect to see them. Vampires deteriorate in sunlight leading to instant death. Werewolves can only be killed by a silver bullet. "Underworld" takes these traditions, builds on them and makes them their own.
While it reads as a horror, it plays more like a gangster movie. Both races participate in gunplay with specially modified bullets to instantly kill their opponents. The werewolves are brutish goons, wanna-be gangsters with more brawn than brains. On the flip side, the vampires are like a communal family with hierarchy, ancient customs and they're legitimate business owners which funds their criminal endeavours.
Due to the aforementioned gunplay, this is more violent than gory. It's still bloody but there are no scenes that'll make you queasy or nauseous. The violence is another reason why it has a gangster feel about it.
There's a class system subtext that runs through this movie. The lower class werewolves battling the upper class vampires. Working class is possibly a better adjective for the werewolves. They are masculine, unkempt and unsophisticated. On the other hand, the gothic vampires are immaculately dressed with a expensive sense of style. They lounge around looking glamourous as if they're supermodels at a cocktail party. Opulence and high class is the style the production and costume designer has given these blood suckers.
Beckinsale's quite fetching in her erotic, PVC, full body costume. Her bondage like outfit's more interesting than her intentionally emotionless performance. One wonders why she didn't keep her British accent as the cast is made up of international actors with a pot-pourri of different brogues? It's good to see her in a lead role, above the title credit, where she holds her own portraying a strong, forceful character. Of late, she's played the glorified girlfriend part (eg. Michael Bay's "Pearl Harbor"). Here, she's independent, without a partner to justify her significance. While this is the kind of role a man would normally play, she's still feminine and sexy without having to show any flesh.
Bill Nighy has a supporting role as an elder vampire who's resurrected before his time in order to help Beckinsale. Nighy's rightfully become popular in the last few years. He's adept in any part he plays even a centuries-old vampire with superhuman strength. His climatic fight scene never draws unintentional laughs which shows what a convincing actor he is.
The other name star of this movie is Bacardi. Product placement is rife during the opening sequence in an underground train station. This is quite surprising when you watch the entire movie.
Never at any time is there any indication where and when this movie is set. The gothic architecture and vehicle licence plates have you thinking that this could be somewhere in Europe. There are no title cards, characters speak with differing accents and there are no recognizable landmarks used as locations. All we do know is is that where ever they are they have Bacardi. If the moviemakers were trying to create a nondescript world, alien from our own, then why use blatant product placement for Bacardi?
The colour film stock has been manipulated intentionally to give a blue hue to it. This reinforces the gothic style of the movie. Blue isn't just a colour, it's also an emotion. It's constantly raining which adds to the cold look the cinematographer and production designer have created. These races are unemotional people which also strengthens the blue tone.
Computer generated visual effects were used for the movie which is far removed from John Landis' "An American Werewolf In London". While the special effects are impressive, there is no mystery into how they were achieved. Special effects and make up were a real art form before the days of CGI. These technicians are a dying breed due to computers. It's a shame that moviemakers rely heavily on CGI as it's slowly becoming run of the mill.
Overall, "Underworld"'s a good action/horror/gangster movie with a strong female lead. This hybrid is filled with polished set pieces and seamless CGI. There's talk that this is the first of a proposed trilogy and I hope the next two will be as strong as this.