OK, but nothing too special

Rating: 8/10 (15 December 2006)

"Underworld" isn't going to change either creatures' mythologies, but it's still pretty decent.
**SPOILERS**
Fighting a war for eons, vampire Selene, (Kate Beckinsale) takes an interest in human Michael Corvin, (Scott Speedman) which her werewolf adversaries do as well. Unable to figure out why leader Kravin, (Shane Brolly) doesn't follow up on the confrontation, she rescues him from a further attack by werewolf leader Lucian, (Michael Sheen) and tries to understand his importance. While they spend the next few days making various plans for a return for their elder, Viktor, (Bill Nighy) Lucian prepares an all-out war, and with Michael as the key, the vampires race to stop him.
The Good News: There are some really nice things in here. The fact that it mixes so many different areas and ideas into it that it appears to be pretty clever. To be plunked down in the middle of a centuries long war between the two sides is nicely played out, and the few encounters between the sides are pretty much the main reason to see this. From the opening shootout that really goes where it doesn't expect it to go all the way to a slaughter among a train and the drag-down conclusion, there's a lot of action scenes in here. The assault at the apartment is really interesting, with some really innovative ideas and a really fun appeal. One of the main fascinating sequences is the car chase. Starting on a really interesting notion and continuing on inside the car, it's a fun watch with some really interesting and drives off enough of the action film chase scene clichés to get some excitement at the end. The ending is really great about it, and that features some more great parts about the chase. The slaughter on the train is really fun to see, as the overall action and high gore make it a really great scene. That also helps it out when it shows it, as there is some pretty good gore scenes in here. From being impaled with razor-bladed throwing discs, gunshots, scratched open across the face, part of the face sliced off and a very brutal bite on the shoulder, this isn't a gore-fest but it didn't have to be and has just enough for it to be decent enough and appeal to ones who'll really enjoy it. The werewolf design isn't all that terrible either, with a large imposing body, long powerful limbs with vicious claws, and a smaller proportionate head than usual, but it still somehow works for the design. Nowhere near the upper echelon of designs, but it works and that's what matters. The fact that they're actually live and not CGI is a huge plus, as they look more real and have a bigger degree of realism than other types. The all-important transformation comes back into play here, and the fact that they are also done in real time makes it all the better. It's not that terrible, and can feature some good moments when it has to.
The Bad News: There are several problems with the film, with the biggest one being that it's just a long bore-fest at times. Apart from a couple of scenes, there's no real action here and consists of long conversation scenes that just wear on and on. This is mostly present in the middle of the movie, which has only one action scene to break things up, and after it's over, there's a long period of discussion going on. Considering that the two sides are supposedly at war with each other, why so much time is spent on talking is rather curious, and would've been far better had this been a really all-out war. That aspect of the story isn't all that well built-up either, and rather than showing the two sides really going at each other with an intense hatred, the confrontations aren't that heated until the end and the ones that happen in between are really lackluster when compared to how a war is supposed to be. The CGI is also a factor, since it always looks so obvious and most of the time can be very noticeable. It's mostly used for what should've been big action scenes, and it really detracts from what's going on. The over-glossy look to the film is one of it's biggest distraction, and it can be a detriment since, out of nowhere, there's this incredibly stylish shot that does nothing really for the film. Instead of being of importance to the film, it's just there because it can be done. There's really no value for them being there. One of the greatest damaging factors is that, since it plays like an action film, there's very little actual horror to it. With no scares or an aura of mystery surrounding everything, it really loses on the horror aspects. These elements really hurt the film.
The Final Verdict: There's enough here to like, but there's also a lot to really get irritated about it. If you can get around the negative parts and accept that it's a long, drawn-out action film with monsters as the two sides, it should provide some entertainment value. It's worth a watch, but it's not as great as what's been said about it.
Rated R: Graphic Violence and Graphic Language