Underworld was sadly overrated.

Rating: 6/10 (10 January 2004)

Underworld. overrated. The movie inspired me as a gamer, filling my head with fantastic scenarios of werewolves vs. vampires. However, this `Romeo & Juliet' simile lacked a well-constructed storyline. The plot was interesting, but it just did not seem to flow with the events in a satisfactorily way.
We begin with a brief introduction narrated by the protagonist, Selene (Beckinsale) a vampire `Death Dealer' charged with the task of hunting werewolves into extinction. The narration explains that this millennia long war between the two species has been raging on unbeknownst to the world of mortals, fueled by loathing and anger. On one particular hunt, she discovers that the werewolves are stalking one human, Mike Corvin (Speedman) in particular, but not to feed on him. Intrigued, she searched deeper and became involved in inner house politics and a personal turmoil between saving Corvin and dishonoring her clan. Later, Corvin is turned into a werewolf, forcing her to reevaluate her priorities between species, house, and heart. Nevertheless, she cannot turn her back on Corvin, because he holds the key to possibly ending the war and bringing about a new age for vampire and werewolf alike.
For some reason, we are expected to view Selene as a `good guy' even though she is still a blood-sucking vampire, although she looks extremely hot, and I am a big fan of eye candy. Beckinsale shares a lofty position with Jolie's Lara Croft and Barrymore's Dylan Sanders in my list of `favorite-brunettes-in-tight-leather.' However, I could not sympathize with her character. I actually rooted for the werewolves throughout the whole movie. We see some good performances by some of them like Michael Sheen, my personal favorite in this movie, and a deliciously dark and intriguing performance by Bill Nighy as Viktor, the clan's reigning vampire awoken from hibernation by Selene. I must say, though, that Shane Brolly was not the right person for this role. Maybe it is the character, or maybe it was just him, either way, the movie was hurt by his performance, or lack thereof.
The movie has several good points, ranging from stunning visual effects and props to having a dark quality to it like so many horror/adventure movies that are gracing our decade. As for bad points, I can reference the lack of storyline development again, but the biggest disappointment comes from the lack of character believability and development. They were either blank and mundane, or inexplicably passionate. Perhaps the prequel that is rumored to have been green lighted by Screen Gems will clear the air on this. I was also unimpressed with the lack of werewolf/vampire combat interaction. Obviously, we see that vampires do not stand a chance against werewolves in toe-to-toe melee, but just when the wolves descend on the bloodsuckers it cuts to another scene. I am sorry, but I am a huge fan of gore, and I would have loved to see a vampire be torn apart in rage.
What I would really like to see though, is a Blade crossover. Imagine the greatest vampire hunter since Van Helsing teaming up with a vampire with a conscience (read: soul), a werewolf, and the provocative monster that this movie has (omitted for non-spoiler). It could be a real topper for the genre. Blade III: The Underworld.