It's about time!

Rating: 9/10 (22 September 2003)

I have watched a lot of vampire movies, and the sad thing is that most of them are pretty bad. There hasn't been a decent vampire movie since Blade (1998), and I am not of fan of mixing genre themes (i.e. vampires, werewolves, etc.), so I was skeptical about Underworld.
However, I was very surprised and elated when Underworld far exceeded my expectations and turned out to be one of the best vampire movies to date. It integrates the werewolf theme in a sensible way with the war between the vampires and "lycans" as the main plot of the movie. The depiction of the vampires is very well done, and director Len Wiseman actually gets the vampire bite scene right. So many directors manage to mess up "the bite" making it look cheesy and fake--and this alone can ruin a vampire movie. Kudos to Wiseman for recognizing the importance of doing it right.
I've noticed a few complaints about Underworld being a Matrix imitation, but I think anyone who says this doesn't understand film direction. Wiseman has done an excellent job of borrowing the best elements from the classics, such as, the gothic atmosphere of The Matrix and the bullet time effect that has since become the standard for fight sequences. Wiseman also pays homage to classics such as An American Werewolf in London (1981) and the vampire film tradition in general. And the movie is true to the literary folklore of the vampire and werewolf mythology.
Finally, Kate Beckinsale as the vampire warrior Selene is TOTALLY HOT!!! She alone makes the movie worth seeing.
Whether you are a fan of vampires, werewolves or both, I highly recommend this movie.