Seen It, Bought It, Loved It

Rating: 9/10 (28 January 2004)

I don't know why someone would say not to bother wasting your money on this movie. I am a horror movie fan, a fan of vampire movies and all that go along with that genre. I seen Underworld here at the Toronto Film Festival back in September 2003 and couldn't wait for it to come out on DVD so I could add it to my collection. This Vampire/Werewolf film is unique as it doesn't use the typical setting of Los Angeles for everything. Seems so many of these types of flicks always have to deal with Los Angeles. Fianlly this time the scenery is more along the lines of what this type of film should look like. Gothic. And instead of everyone walking around in regular everyday clothes like people of L.A. the characters are dressed in black PVC and leather. Hey maybe it is me but I think if this flick had been done with the setting of the TV series Angel, it would have been pathetic. I like Angel but too many movies with Vampires will seem to show them as regular people and that has been done too much. Kate Beckinsale is great as the lead, she speaks with her natural British accent instead of the fake American one we have been so used to her using in films. This whole movie has the right feel and setting, and it shows the vampires in a luxury life like they do live in when we read back about them. Werewolfs are underground, more of the "lower class" looking. The rules are followed so well for a flick about both fan favs and it works like a charm. Sure someone mentions about the American accents, big deal, I guess in the Czech Republic (where this was filmed) there are no Americans over there? Just like there are no Czechs in America? I believe that true fans of Vamps and Werewolves will be impressed with this flick. Also I think Vampires and Werewolves were not created or set in America like so many characters and movies "Have" to be. I mean come on, Fredy, Jason, Micheal Myers, Pinhead and Leatherface all are popular horror characters that seem to originate in America.
Come on people put aside your usual criticizing, this is not a boring Tom Hanks "true story" film, it is make believe, about two types of fan fav characters that are popular in todays times as well as say 50 years ago. No different than withcraft.