Underworld: Awakening

Rating: 7/10 (20 January 2012)

Kate Beckinsale returns as the latex clad, vampire warrior, Selene, caught up in a war between Vampires, Lycans and Humans. Kate's Husband, Len Wiseman has stepped out of the director's chair for this latest addition to the Underworld series, handing the reins to Swedish duo Måns Mårlind and Björn Stein, making their theatrical debut.
First, lets get one thing out of the way, Underworld: Awakening has shamelessly ripped off Resident Evil: Afterlife. The similarities are numerous, from the way the film is shot to the story line. But then, why not? Resident Evil : Afterlife breathed life back into the Resident Evil series, and if there were ever a series that needed resuscitating then Underworld was it. How the series managed to ride the success of the first Underworld, through almost ten years and two lousy sequels is an impressive accomplishment of its own. It took four attempts, but they finally got it right.
Underworld: Awakening is fast and exciting from the opening scene to the credits, its packed with edge of your seat action that doesn't flag or become repetitive. Some of the Lycan CGI is questionable, but the rest of the film looks beautiful and sleek, using the series' signature dark greys, solid blacks and striking blue tones, blended with bold lines and sharp angles. The story moves extremely quickly but is easy to follow, and barring a few minor plot holes, makes sense. There are a few things that will make your jump and cringe, but this is more of an action horror so don't expect to lose any sleep. After seeing this, your more likely to go out and buy a cool leather jacket than go to bed with the lights on. At 88 minutes, it's relatively short, but it doesn't feel like it, the ending wraps up perfectly, leaving you wanting more. Underworld: Awaking is a lot fun.