Of lycnathropy and nosferatu

Rating: Null/10 (22 September 2003)

UNDERWORLD (2003) **1/2 Kate Beckinsale, Scott Speedman, Shane Brolly, Michael Sheen, Bill Nighy, Erwin Leder, Sophia Myles. Style over substance action horror hybrid about a war converging between vampires and lycans (as in lycanthropes AKA  werewolves) mixes mythologies, Shakespearian overtones (Beckinsale and Speedman as a genre version of `Romeo & Juliet') and allows its splendid graphic novel appeal to overwhelm some underwhelming acting (sadly the two romantic leads have zip chemistry and Speedman is so wooden it's surprising that splinters don't fall from his lips when he delivers dialogue). However the exquisitely cool production design by Bruton Jones, gorgeously glittering black/blue cinematography by Tony Pierce-Roberts, and computer generated monstrosities' nasty violence keep things lively in the kinetic storytelling by filmmaking novice Len Wiseman that infuses the two genre monsters with new lifeblood.