Kate Beckinsale Rocks in Underworld: Awakening

Rating: 8/10 (2 February 2012)

The stunning Kate Beckinsale is back in skin tight leather spandex and kicking ass in "Underworld: Awakening". Kate looks amazing, sleek, and incredibly fit as Vampire Death Dealer Selene. She was not in the last "Underworld" movie which was an uninspired origins tale. In a shrouded conspiracy, Selene (Beckinsale) has been frozen in a cryogenic chamber for 12 years. When we saw her last: She had escaped with her love Michael, a true hybrid—both Vampire and Lycan, i.e. Werewolf. However, in this near future the humans now hunt down the Vampire and Lycan. Amazingly, Beckinsale as Selene has emerged as a feminist hero of sorts. Women in the audience cheered as resurrected Selene snaps off the elbow of her malevolent captor. Beckinsale is sexy, charismatic, and all vengeance in "Underworld: Awakenings". She does not take crap from anyone, and tears through a lot of bad men.
Fortunately, Screenwriters Len Wiseman and John Hlavin shade the touching maternal instincts of hero Selene with convincing Beckinsale. Selene discovers a mysterious hybrid child Eve (innocent and powerful India Eisley). Selene is immersed in the swirling conflict of the renegade Vampire Covenant and the genetically enhanced Lycan threat. She mourns her beloved Michael. She confesses to Eve, "My heart is not cold. It's broken." Wiseman and Hlavin effectively create Selene a cause to fight for with all her might—I would say soul, but she is a Vampire. She finds allies in valiant warrior Vampire David (strong and compassionate Theo James) and unlikely human Sebastian (stalwart Michael Ealy). The real menacing threat is enigmatic Dr. Jacobs (slick Stephen Rea), whose passion for apparent clinical science conceals an intricate conspiracy as well.
Directors Mans Marlin and Bjorn Stein broker a kinetic visual style and manic sense of action—making this the most fun "Underworld". They provide a sense of urgency sans a self-important tone. And the action is wild. Beckinsale uses lightning quick jujitsu moves on human and Lycan. She is so cool standing tall in flowing trench coat, firing off rounds of bullets at the bad guys. Beckinsale has become an accomplished action star holding her own. She has the spectacular battle scene taking on a ferocious Lycan with a blade.
Wiseman and Hlavin construct an intriguing premise surrounding the messiah-like hybrid child, and the future of Vampire and Lycan. Unfortunately, they don't play this out to its logical conclusion. This is a little disappointing. The "Underworld" movies have kept the mythology interesting in that they are like "Romeo and Juliet", but with Vampires and Werewolves. Here milking for a sequel may not have been too smart; primarily, because we are all for Beckinsale's Selene—wanting to see her mend her broken heart. Granted the insane action and gore are adequate distraction. The conclusion seems rather abrupt, and more a commercial decision. So I guess I will look forward to seeing Beckinsale don the black leather again in the next "Underworld".