Imagine if Steven Segal wrote an Underworld movie

Rating: Null/10 (17 May 2019)

Not meant as a diss to either this movie or to Steven Segal, but my title sums it up. Like a Steven Segal flick such as, um, you know the one where something bad happens and then Steven kills all the bad people, "Underworld Awakening" is cut from the same mold. That is: high on action, low on story. This might work depending on what mood, or level of inebriation, you're in. However, it's a noticeable departure from the prior 3 Underworld films.
In each of the prior films, sure there was a ton of action & flashy pyrotechnics, but they were carried by a pretty clever story usually featuring a big "aha gotcha" reveal at the end. What made them so interesting was seeing how Selene reacts to the gotcha, dealing with intense conflicts of loyalty and faith in her purpose.
"Underworld Awakening" doesn't really have any big character revelation like that. It's a linear story that's mostly predictable (in a good way). The strength of this film lies in the cool action scenes and, of course, the tense atmosphere that's pervasive in all the films.
When I say "cool action scenes" I'm referring to some interesting shots that go by so quickly that if you blink you might miss them, but if you catch them you're left thinking "woah. cool."
I'll give you just one example. There's a scene where a bad guy gets dropped from a high building, then the camera switches to a stationary shot at ground level where (you guessed it) SPLUK the bad guy smashes into a roof of a car, which is pretty cool in itself, but simultaneously Selene descends at the same moment like a badass, landing on the ground and walking away. woah. cool.
The entire film has some subtle yet clever shots like that--interesting camera angles (like Selene's opening, rotating scene)--which serve as excellent eye candy with a touch of artistry.
So really I'm not complaining, except that after the heart pounding spectacle is over, you realize that there wasn't really much of a clever story like the old ones. Still a fun ride which I recommend to all Underworld fans (and yes, you should see at least 1 & 2 before watching this, otherwise you may get very confused).