Looks good but lacks convincing story

Rating: 4/10 (7 February 2004)

A film about a war between werewolves and vampires and the leading character is a sexy female in leather? Can't go wrong can it? Well, while this can be interpreted as silly fun I still had to many problems with the story and it's lead actress. Story is of course about how there is a war on Earth (I think) between werewolves and vampires and this has been going on for many centuries. Kate Beckinsale is Selene who is a leather clad female vampire and she spends most of her time hunting down werewolves that hide inconspicuously in the human world. A young man named Michael (Scott Speedman) gets bitten by a werewolf named Lucian (Michael Sheen) and Selene notices that he was picked for a certain reason. Selene does some investigating and discovers that the werewolves are trying to mutate their species into a hybrid so that they can eliminate all vampires.
*****SPOILER ALERT*****
Selene takes the information back to her vampire brood but the vampire in charge Kraven (Shane Brolly) ignores her and has been acting suspiciously. The leader of their group is Viktor (Bill Nighy) who has been sleeping for many years and is not scheduled to awaken for many more but Selene does awaken him to seek help from Kraven's lack of support. Meanwhile, Michael is slowly turning into a werewolf or something like it but he and Selene have an attraction to each other.
This film is directed by Len Wiseman who is making his debut here as a director and he has been primarily known as a set decorator for films like "Stargate". The look of this film is it's biggest asset and he gives this film a very effective gothic appeal. Every frame is shot either in doors or at night so there is no sunshine visible at all. The costumes and make-up also are some of the films highlights and Speedman's transformation is reminiscent of "An American Werewolf in London". Some of the problems I had with this story is the lack of information about where or when this is supposedly taking place. Is it on Earth or one of those so called alternative universes? Also, this is the first time I have ever seen werewolves able to crawl on the sides of walls like squirrels on trees. Selene is a vampire but in one scene she looks at herself in a mirror. Is she only partially a vampire? We never find out and there are other inconsistencies in this cartoonish script. While Beckinsale is adequate in the lead role I had to ask myself if the film could have benefited from another actress known for her physical attributes like Angelina Jolie or Halle Berry. I think it could and Beckinsale's lack of conviction hurts her in this role although I do understand her wanting to show the public another side of her abilities. This film is harmless and I can't argue with anyone that finds it entertaining on a comic book level but I do wish the story has been tightened up a bit and allowed the characters to engage in something resembling an intelligent conversation. Visually striking but film fails to entertain me on both levels.