A decent update of the Vampire/Werewolf mythology

Rating: 7/10 (10 July 2016)

As this film opens we are told that a war once raged between Vampires and Lycans (werewolves) but six hundred years ago the Vampires killed Lucian, the leader of the Lycans and the war was over; since then the Vampires have been mopping up what was left of the Lycans. Then during one such operation Selene, one of the Vampires, senses that a nest of Lycans contains far more than had been seen in centuries. Her leader, Kraven, is dubious but she is convinced and investigates what the Lycans were doing. She is surprised to see they appear to be following a specific human; Michael Corvin.
It turns out the he is a direct decedent of the ancestor of both Vampires and Lycans and could potentially become a hybrid of both! The Vampires are determined to kill him but Selene isn't so sure. As time passes she learns that much of what she has been told is untrue and if she is to survive she will have to battle both Lycans and Vampires.
This is a decent fantasy adventure; they is lots of action throughout and an interesting story. The setting is dark and moody which gives the film a good feel; this is added to by the fact that the characters seem to have a thing about wearing black. This is especially true of Kate Beckinsale who looks fantastic in tight black PVC; she isn't just there for her looks though; she does a fine job in the role. She is ably supported by Michael Sheen as Lucian and Bill Nighy as Viktor, the most powerful of the Vampires. Scott Speedman is slightly less impressive as Michael but that could be seen as a deliberate attempt to make the human character less of a presence than the supernatural creatures. The action is directed stylishly and nicely updates the vampire/werewolf mythology with modern weapons used to fire special bullets that play on each creatures traditional weaknesses. Overall a solid enough film that fans of the genre are likely to enjoy.