FilmCreature Reviews 'Underworld'

Rating: 8/10 (15 January 2008)

'Underworld' is a film totally misunderstood by critics nationwide. This is not the kind of movie you take seriously. You will not weep or be shaken with emotion. Instead, with the right mindset (and surrounded by friends each with a bowl of popcorn) you might just have a fun time watching it.
Kate Beckinsale does some great work here. This is no Academy Award-winning (or even Saturn Award-winning) character play, but Selene is such a sleek, lethal vamp that we can't help but just love her to death. Bill Nighy does great things with his vamp as well; Viktor is one of those great villains that Satan would flee from (yes, I just quoted Ebert). Scott Speedman is effective but not amazing. As for Shane Brolly...just try to ignore him. And finally, the lovely Sophia Myles. I actually liked her character quite a lot; her conniving, quietly lustful vampire Erika is great, but I would have liked to have seen more of her scheming ways.
'Underworld' is obvious campy, but it's not boring, which is the number one thing it has going for it. Boring camp is tragic and awful at the same time, but 'Underworld', fortunately, has some nice performances and great effects, and the Gothic environments conjure up memories of 'Dark City' and 'The Matrix' in which no place is safe. Not even for a super-powered vampire princess.
3/4