A return to form for the Underworld series.

Rating: 6/10 (26 January 2012)

Are you an avid follower of the Underworld movies? If not, stop reading now. You'll get less satisfaction out of Awakening than what your Grandma gets out of listening to heavy metal. Ironically, this sequel is similar to heavy metal music in almost every way: extremely loud and often incoherent, yet highly enjoyable to those in-built fans. There's very little here that reinvents the Gothic franchise – it again revolves around the battling between vampires and lycans (werewolves in all but name) – but it manages to deliver the stylishly violent thrills that made the original film such a hit and was so noticeably lacking in the previous duo of abysmal instalments. Kate Beckinsale is back too, and besides looking incredibly wonderful in the skin-tight black leather outfit that has become a bit of a trademark of the series, she also brings some much needed acting clout to the screen. A return to form that will have Underworld devotees excited.