Underworld: Rise of the Lycans
Tags: violence, action, gothic, dark

Plot synopsis:
The film begins with a voice-over monologue by vampire Selene, telling the story of the lycans and vampires. It has been 20 years since the war between them has begun (set several years before the first Underworld movie). Viktor (Bill Nighy) has built up an army of vampires to fight off the threat and have begun the process of exterminating the lycans. It appears that when someone is infected by a lycan, they transform into werewolves, but do not change back and appear to behave like vicious animals rather than people. However, one day, in a prison cell, Viktor hears the cries of a human child, and investigates. What he discovers is a human child born of a lycan later named Lucian. Viktor contemplates killing the child, but could not bring himself to do it.Lucian grows up, and appears to be stronger and more focused than others of his kind; this is evident when Viktor tests him by making him fight vampires. Viktor decides to make more of Lucians kind (the new lycans that have human form). Viktor uses Lucian to make more like him by starving him and letting him feed on human slaves. The ones that survived became the new lycans, a new slave race to serve the vampires. The vampires think they have control of the lycans, but this may not be the case for long.Note: there are two types of were-wolves in this film, ones that are permanently in wolf form and wild, and ones that can transform when its a full moon and are in service to the vampires. I will refer to the former as wolves, and the latter as lycans.Cut to the present, a horseman is riding through the woods at night, pursued by something. At the castle, Viktor is discussing politics and finances with his advisors, Coloman (David Ashton) and Orsova (Elizabeth Hawthorne). The wolves have been attacking the human slaves, which Viktor replies with some variation of I dont give a crap, however, human slaves are their principle source of food and income (the human nobility pay Viktor for protection against the wolves), so they have to take action and hunt down the creatures.Back with the rider in the woods, wolves are pursuing the rider through a dark canyon but he is able to fight them off but there are an increasingly larger number of them. The situation looks grim but as the rider approaches the castle, the other vampires are prepared. They arm huge crossbows and mow down the lycans. One of the wolves lunges at the rider but is killed mid-air by a crossbow bolt from Lucian (who is still serving the vampires).The rider removes his helmet, and it turns out to be Sonja (Rhona Mitra), who is less than grateful to Lucian for saving her life, and just bosses him around. Viktor on the other hand, believes in giving credit where it is due. Viktor asks if Lucian minds killing his own kind, who replies that they are just animals and not his own kind. Lucian stares at Sonja, and Viktor reminds Lucian that is a servant, and should keep his eyes on the ground.Sonja and Viktor argue because he wants her to stay in the castle and leave the wolves to the death-dealers but Sonja is a great fighter and very stubborn. Sonja is Viktors daughter, and a council member, and Viktor does not want her to come to harm, and is grooming Sonja to become an elder; but she is endangering her position on the council by being a renegade and disobeying Viktor and missing council meetings.Outside, Lucian is burning the corpse of the dead wolf which he killed when it was chasing Sonja through the castle gates. As the corpse burns, it changes back into human form. The other lycans are being whipped, beaten, and forced to work for the vampires. One vampire guard gets a little too enthusiastic with the whip and Lucian tells him to stop. The vampire takes this badly, calls Lucian a dog, and leaves angrily Lucian is Viktors favourite servant and holds some power in the work yard. The other lycans seem to respect him.In the council chambers, Viktor is speaking with the other Coloman and Orsova regarding how to handle the situation with the wolves. Viktor doesnt think of it as such a big deal but Coloman note that the wolves are killing humans, which is destroying their main food source. Although they dont seem to be killing off too many humans, the fact that the vampires of this region are losing their crop, makes them look weak to the human nobles, who give the vampires people (for food) and money/gold for protection. Coloman suggests letting the lycans patrol outside during the day (since vampires cant do so). Viktor is very much against this suggestion as it would be granting the lycans more freedom, and increase risk of losing control. Coloman suggests making a privileged class of lycans, with better accommodations, rations, and status, led by a lycan that they can trust Lucian; this way, they will have one of the lycans controlling the others, and have the ability to control the wolves during the day. Viktor is still against the idea, but without Sonja there to support him, he has no choice but to take the suggestion under advisement. The human nobles will arrive the next day and Viktor will have to make his decision soon.Outside, the work shift is over, and the lycans are herded back into their cages. Lucian sneaks off, and gets into the sewers. He takes these passages and gets outside the castle, climbing up to a ruined sentry post, where he is met by Sonja. It turns out that they have been lovers the whole time, and Sonja acts cruel to Lucian in public to prevent suspicion. They kiss rather passionately. After some lovemaking Lucian asks if Sonja would go with him if he leaves (escapes). Sonja doesnt think its possible as he would be hunted down by Viktor and his army. Lucian reveals a crude key that he has made to remove the collar on his neck. All lycans in servitude have a collar with spikes pointing inward to prevent them from transforming, if they do, they die from impaling themselves on the spikes. If Lucian can get out of the collar, he would be able to fight the Vampires and escape. Sonja does not want Lucian to risk his life, but he believes that his kind should be equals, not slaves as both lycans and vampires are descendants of the Corvinus bloodline, brothers that took different paths to immortality.When Sonja and Lucian part, they are spotted by Tannis, one of Viktors lieutenants, sent to watch over Sonja. He realizes that Sonja and Lucian are having an affair, but does not tell Viktor.The human nobles arrive and Sonja goes out to escort them in. Lucian is worried and does not want her to go. Tannis has orders from Viktor for Sonja to not leave the castle walls, but she just ignores him. As Sonja leaves, Tannis sees Lucian, and subtly lets Lucian know that he knows their secret.Sonja and more vampire guards arrive to escort the human nobles and their slaves, and they hear howling in the distance. Lucian hears the howling and knows that there are more wolves than Sonja and her men can handle. Lucian tries to warn the others, but no one listens to him, so he runs out to save Sonja, disobeying orders and knocking out some guards along the way.Cut back to Sonja, wolves are pouring in from every direction. The vampires are holding them off, but there are too many. One of the human slaves appears to fight wolf and actually survives its Raze (Kevin Grevioux) from the first film, but as a human. Sonja is injured, but Lucian arrives in time and defends her. Lucian uses his key to open his collar and transform. The transformed Lucian gives off a deafening roar that drives off the wolves. Raze sees this and appears impressed. Viktor and his men arrive and Lucian changes back to human form. It is forbidden for a slave lycan to transform and Lucian is beaten and arrested, even though he saved Sonjas life. Sonja tries to plead with Viktor, but gets nowhere.Back at the castle, Viktor feels betrayed. Lucian is sentenced to a severe lashing by the same guard that he had angered earlier. The whip is tipped with huge hooks and tears up Lucians back. Sonja hears Lucians screams of pain and is devastated.After his punishment, Lucian is dragged back into his cage, next to a prison cell with the human slaves. Raze is in the cage next to Lucian, and gives him water to drink.Viktor is suspicious of Sonja for pleading to Viktor to release Lucian, but she claims that she was just showing gratitude for saving his life.Lucian and Raze talk, and Raze notes that he saw what happened in the forest- that the wolves appeared to obey Lucian when he transformed. Lucian begins talk of escape and freedom and the human slaves, although afraid, are intrigued. Just then, Sonja appears and Lucian and tells her that he has to leave. There is no one else that the two can trusts, except maybe for Tannis, since he knows their secret but did not tell, it means that he wants something. Lucian asks Sonja to speak to Tannis and figure out what he wants.Viktor meets with the nobles who are expected to pay tribute for protection from the wolves. This years tribute is low, and Viktor expects more due to increased attacks from the wolves. One of the nobles is fed up and proclaims that Viktor and his army are losing ground, and can barely keep the wolves from their own door. Viktor kills the nobleman and sustains control through fear.Down in the dungeons, the vampires are amused by the sight of the lycans fighting with one another over the food given to them. Lucian cant take any more of this and rallys the lycans for rebellion.In Sonjas room, she has a flashback of Viktor giving her a medallion, the same one featured in the first two films. Sonja goes to Tannis and, holding a dagger to his throat, asks him why he did not reveal the truth to Viktor. Tannis explains that Viktor isnt good with taking bad news, and that it is not yet the time for him to use this information to his advantage. Tannis wants a council seat, and there are only 12 seats and vampires dont die, which means that he cannot get onto the council unless someone relinquishes their position. Sonja agrees to give Tannis her seat on the council for his help.Sonja goes to Lucian and tells him that Viktor plans to execute him the next evening, and that he has to leave at dawn if he is to survive. They agree to meet in the forest in three days. As Tannis walks by, he tosses a collar key to Lucian.The human slaves are brought out and are purposely bitten by a transformed lycan to change them into lycans so they can serve as slaves and guards for the vampires. Lucian talks to the newly transformed lycans (including Raze) and talks them into joining him in escaping/revolting.As the guard (the one who whipped Lucian) comes in to check on the slaves, Lucian removes his collar, transforms, and shreds him. The slaves break free, subdue their guards, and make a break for it. The guards notice this pretty quickly and turn their crossbows on the lycans. Many of the lycans are killed before getting very far, and many others are separated by a barrage of arrows. Lucian has no choice but to escape with the few slaves that got free, but vows to return for the others. Lucian continues to charge outward, running into two vampires and throwing them and him out a window and out into the open. As they fall from the top of the castle, the guards turn to dust (its daytime), and Lucian lands safely on the ground. The few other lycans follow Lucian and make their escape.Viktor is rather angry and notices that the collars were unlocked. He had given Tannis the key that Lucian had made, and believes that Tannis has betrayed him, but he claims that he had locked the key in the armory and asks Viktor to check to prove his innocence.Outside, Lucian and the four other lycans have made it to the surrounding forests, but instead of fleeing, Lucian plans to return to the castle to save his brethren. They have no weapons and are few in number, so Lucian asks Raze to lead him back to the noblemans estate so they are get the supplies and soldiers they need.At the castle armoury, Tannis finds the key that he had put away. Viktor believes that Lucian must have made another one and Tannis gets off the hook.Cut back to Lucian and the other lycans. Lucian has freed the human slaves that belonged to the nobleman (the one that was killed by Viktor). Lucian asks them to volunteer to help them, and if they choose to, be granted immortality through becoming a lycan. The freed slaves agree and they prepare for battle making weapons and arming themselves. Lucian sends Raze to other estates to recruit more soldiers.Viktor is back at the castle, pacing about and steps over a loose metal grate, the same one Lucian used to sneak out and meet with Sonja. He follows the passageway to Sonja and Lucian's secret meeting place.Back to Lucian, he heads into the woods and meets/recruit the wolves. The wolves do not attack Lucian and seem to listen to him.Viktor goes to Sonja's room, and questions her about Lucians escape. Viktor does not believe her and drinks her blood to see her memories. Viktor goes into a complete freak-out as he realizes that his daughter has betrayed him. Sonja is imprisoned in her chambers and Viktor storms out.At the lycan camp, Sonja is supposed to meet Lucian, but her absence worries him. Lucian insists on waiting for her, but the others do not want to wait; the longer they wait, the more likely they will be found.At the castle, the council have found out that Lucian is rallying the slaves and making more lycans, and the council pressures Viktor to do something about Lucian. Viktor knows that Lucian will return for Sonja, and prepares for the inevitable attack. Viktor sends one of Sonjas friends to tell Lucian that Sonja will be executed soon. Lucian knows it is a trap and heads back to the castle alone, giving Raze command of the troops (lycans and wolves).During the night, Lucian sneaks into the castle, dispatching the guards one by one. He reaches Sonja and they attempt to escape together. Lucian and Sonja run through the sewers but encounter heavy resistance. Up top, Viktor and his men pour oil into the sewers and set the tunnels on fire. Lucian and Sonja jump through a small hole in the ceiling and battle the vampires. Lucian is outnumbered and getting pummelled but Sonja is doing a good job fighting them off (partly because they want her alive). Viktor comes in and fights Sonja, and she has no choice but to defeat her father. Sonja pleas for Viktor to release Lucian for the sake of her child (shes pregnant with Lucians child). Viktor grabs Sonjas dagger and subdues her. Viktor sees the child as an abomination and believes he has no choice but to punish her as well. Lucian regrets escaping but Sonja tells him that it is not his fault, and that the choices are her to make.Sonja and Lucian are dragged out for a trial. The guards shoot two silver arrows into Lucian's back, so that he cannot transform. Sonja is convicted of treason by the council, and even Viktor declares Sonja as guilty, even though it visibly pains him to do so. Lucian pleads with Viktor to release Sonja, but its no use. Sonja and Lucian are brought into a chamber where Sonja is strung up on a pillar and forced to watch as Lucian is chained and whipped severely. The whipping ends and all the vampires leave. It will be dawn soon and Sonja will be executed by sunlight. The ceiling opens and Lucian tries to break free to save her, but cannot because he still has the two silver arrowheads buried in his back. Sonja says goodbye and is instantly fried by sunlight. Viktor is grieving rather heavily as well.At sunset, Lucian is still chained to the floors of the sunlight execution room. Viktor comes in to see the remains of his daughter but does not notice the full moon.Lucian is furious at Viktor and the moonlight gives him the strength he needs to force the arrowheads from his back and transform himself. He then breaks free, grabs Sonjas medallion and tries to escape. Lucian is being pummelled with arrows and is severely injured, but is able to let off a vicious roar, signalling his men, before weakening and returning to human form.Viktor gets his knife and is prepared to kill Lucian but notices that something is approaching a hoard of lycans and wolves charging towards the castle. The vampires man their crossbows and fire but there are just too many of them. The wolves climb up the walls easily and quickly overruns the vampires. Raze finds Lucian and helps him. Lucian tells Raze to free the others. Raze frees the other lycan prisoners and give them the keys to their collars. The lycans transform and fight their way out.Viktor gets Tannis to retrieve the other elders (hibernating in their coffins) and then heads out to face the lycans. Viktor proves to be a very powerful warrior and takes down many lycans. Lucian spots Viktor and heads right for him.Down in the sewers, Tannis has the elders in a boat and row them to safety.Lucian catches up with Viktor and they fight. Both of them fall into a pit, hanging from chains. Lucian is able to weaken Viktor with sunlight (he broke a hole through the wall) and ties him up in the chains. Viktor says he should have killed Lucian long ago, but is interrupted by a sword through his mouth. Lucian, thinking that he has killed Viktor, tosses his chained body into the water.Outside, Raze claims that its finished, but Lucian says it has just begun. This is the beginning of the second vampire-lycan war.On a ship off the coast, Viktor has been recovered by Tannis, and is put into his coffin to sleep/recover while the next elder reigns over the vampires.The film ends with the first minute of the first film, with Kravens (Shane Brolly) speech to Selene (Kate Beckinsale) revealing that Viktor had killed her family, and that he kept her alive because she reminded him of his daughter.

Review: It ain't art, but it's the shining example of why we go to the movies: to escape into a world of mythology, fantasy, and crazy vampire/werewolf action.For the first time in the series, the filmmakers have decided to leave out the rock that probably was the reason the films have been successful: Kate Beckinsale.
Selene's absence from the story is necessary to tell the story of how the Lycans rose to power, how Viktor was driven insane (though we pretty much already know how), and, as off topic as it may be, how simply awesome Michael Sheen is.Very rarely do the actors make an action movie good.
It was also faithful to the material, and it's good that they didn't compromise for the sake of "improving" the story.Overall, I can't think of another prequel that brought such raw emotion to the table, and regardless of the fact that Len Wiseman was not directing this one (though he was at the helm in other ways), you wouldn't know by watching it as it did a good job maintaining the same feel as the first two.
The overall feel of the movie is as dark and Gothic as the original work, beautifully echoing the brilliance of that film which caught us so by surprise in September of 2003.This still leaves a few small questions, and I would have loved to see Kraven make the deal with Lucien and cut Viktor's mark off of him, but you can't have everything, and all in all, this will run back to front with the original.
For centuries Sonja ( Rhona Mitra ) is a loyal soldier of the vampire clan, but she falls in love with the Lycan Lucian ( Michael Sheen ).
As the war between vampires and werewolves get more personal and deadly , they decide to launch a full-scale attack on the hideout in order to extinguish the race.This amazing movie displays noisy action , thrills ride, stirring fighting , graphic violence , brief nudism with mild sex scene and is pretty amusing .
The interpretations of Michael Sheen who plays as Lucian, Rhona Mitra who plays as Sonja and Bill Nighy who plays as Viktor were simply outstanding.Finally I have to tell you that I strongly recommend this movie such as all of the Underworld movies..
After watching the big battle one is forced to ask the question that pops up after watching any of the Underworlds movies, "How did the Lycans lose the war?" Seriously, the vampires in these films are as fragile as a 1978 Ford Pinto..
The cables, like TNT, A&E, etc., seem infinitely better at making the "cancel series" decision but I digress.The point I slipped off of is that if you're inclined to beautiful goth women in vampire type movies, Rhona Mitra is not a step down from Kate Beckinsale.Rise of the Lycans is another double down of the Romeo and Juliet plot which made Underworld as touching as it was exciting.
When Viktor discovers that Sonja is pregnant and in love with Lucian, he locks her up in her room to force Lucian to return to the castle to rescue her, in the beginning of the feud between the two bloodlines.I usually do not like prequels and sequels of successful movies, but "Underworld: Rise of the Lycans" is an excellent prequel of one of the best trilogies I have ever seen, and maybe the best of the three great movies.
That the narrative is also predictably headed to a foregone conclusion proves to be the film's greatest undoing in whatever mild interest the script presents in bringing back its implicit societal classes allegories.Lucian (Michael Sheen) plots to rally his fellow Lycans into freedom from slavery by the aristocratic vampires ruled by Viktor (a barbarous Bill Nighy) but such goal is complicated by Lucian's clandestine romance with the latter's daughter Sonja (Rhona Mitra), a mere subscript to Lucian's expanded role.
While Mitra adequately steps up as the story's central enchantress, her character's reduction to a deliberate plot device makes one wish for Beckinsale's cheesy-yet-sexy fight scenes, which are the predecessors' selling point.Long-time creature designer Patrick Tatopoulos steps behind the camera and his film (written by Danny McBride, Dirk Blackman, and Howard McCain) still captures the viciously frigid environment co-creator and erstwhile "Underworld" director Len Wiseman have brought.
well i just watched this movie, i'm a fan of the series, if you saw the first movie with attention, you will find that the whole thing of this prequel is there, the purpose of this movie was only, (i guess), to make some time to find a good script for the 4th part and to revive Victor and Lucian again because they found those characters were too strong and charismatic to let them die that easy , i dint like the vampires role here, they are so weak that they need to wear armors, the action is not impressive and you will only find lots of cut throats zooms, the story goes nowhere, all the movie happens at a pity castle , there are only one or two dramatic moments of Lucian and Sonya, and Victor is a great vampire, you will find he is the only vampire in this movie!
"The Rise of the Lycans" explains in great detail how the great war between lycans and vampires began as well the stories behind the main characters of the Underworld films.Just like the first two Underworld films, the third part is full of action, a good story and super acting.
great direction,, solid camera work,, great special effects,, had lot's of good battle scenes,, especially at the end,,, I like the idea of the story that explains how the Lycans got to rise to their power,, because at first they were the slaves.
I did miss seeing Kate Beckinsale/Selene, but Rhona Mitra as Sonja is absolutely not a bad substitute in this fantastic sci-fi horror adventure.Very good entertainment, action with a persistent pace, and most of all, the terrific visual effects.
Kate Beckinsale's performance and costume typified that.The smart move with this was using the likes of Kate and Michael Sheen to give the film some real acting instead of relying on explosions and chase which most action movies have as a crutch.The effects and the dialogue were good in this and adding Bill Nighy into the cast just made this better than I expected.
i thought this prequel to the first Underworld movie was good.i guess i liked it as much as the previous two.it's a lot bloodier,or maybe that's just me.the action scenes were better,in my opinion.the werewolves looked pretty good.the acting was good.i liked the story.i think it explained a few things.for an origin story,it's pretty good.when it ended,i actually wanted it to keep going.Kate Beckinsale isn't in this one.instead she is replaced by Rhona Mitra(playing a different character).she's pretty sexy,but in a different way than Beckinsale.and Michale Sheen was impressive,especially after i had just seen him in Frost/Nixon.of course Bill Nighy is always good.for me,Underworld:Rise of the Lycans is a 7/10.
In the Dark Ages, a young Lycan named Lucian (Michael Sheen) emerges as a powerful leader who rallies the werewolves to rise up against Viktor (Nighy), the cruel vampire king who has enslaved them.
Lucian is joined by his secret lover, Viktor's daughter Sonja (Mitra), in his battle against the Death Dealer army and his struggle for Lycan freedom.I really liked the first two Underworld films because they were original screenplays and Vampires & Werewolves are my most favourite mythological characters.
Underworld: Rise of the Lycans has a much better story-line than the first two movies were made so dark & sinister that really did suit the mood for the film.
Rhona Mitra takes over Kate Beckinsale as the female lead although she wasn't better or worse but she did a pretty good job and this is her best film to date.
Other than the story the movie has enough action to keep you entertained and had really good Werewolf transformations if you liked the first two Underworld films then you are going to love Rise of the Lycans..
From the trailer it looked reasonable, but from past experiences watching sequels and especially prequels being made with different directors it didn't offer much hope.I must admit that Underworld Rise Of The Lycans is not a bad movie, for anyone who has seen underworld, then i'll just say that its a more in-depth telling of the flashbacks in underworld so don't be expecting a difficult plot to follow, in fact if you've seen underworld you pretty much know the whole storyline.Acting wise i have no complaints, all the cast fit their roles and perform well, Rhona Mitra is a decent actress and a good pick for these roles, i think we can expect a few more action movies with her as lead heroine, overall i give Underworld Rise Of The Lycans 6.5 out of 10.
So the reason Bill Nighy's character is not only featured so prominently on the movie's poster but is also alive again (you may remember that he was spectacularly dispatched in the first film) is because, as promised by the studios, this is "the prequel you've been waiting for." This is, of course, studio talk for "this movie will answer all your Underworld questions" and "no, Kate Beckinsale isn't in it." The rest of the cast, however, human and mechanical alike, are in their best form, so it's surprisingly easy not to miss her.
Lucian, the Lycan leader that we met in the original film (the one that Viktor and everyone else didn't believe could possibly still be alive), although a slave himself, has been amassing a rebel Lycan army and, with the support of his true love Sonia (Viktor's vampire daughter), he declares a war against the vampires that will last for centuries.The movie has exactly the same look as the first two movies, although Beckinsale and her husband Les Wiseman, the director of the first two movies, have taken off, leaving directing duties to Patrick Tatopoulos, who had never directed a feature film before but who has an astonishing list of credits in the special effects and art departments.And his work shows, too.
At the very end they tied into the first move to show great continuity.Both Lucian and Viktor were exactly like in the first movie but Luician was far more noble.Overall, this is definitely worth seeing if you are a fan of the series..
Although I liked the special effects and the visual style from the first two Underworld films,I found their mythology unnecessarily solemn and complicated,so I did not expect with too much enthusiasm the third part,which is a prequel which shows the origins of the conflict between vampires and werewolves ("lycans" in the mythology of the saga) shown in the previous movies.But Underworld : Rise of the Lycans was a very nice surprise in my case,and I found it much more entertaining and exciting than the previous films.Director Patrick Tatopoulos lacks of the visual dynamism of Len Wiseman (the director of the previous Underworld films),but he could find a better tone for this movie and I think the action scenes are better filmed than in the previous films.Rhona Mitra was a very appropriate replacement of Kate Beckinsale.She shows credibility and enthusiasm on her role.Michael Sheen also brings a good work but I think the member of the cast who mostly stands out is the great Bill Nighy,who takes his character to histrionic extremes.Nighy shows conviction on his dialogs but he also shows a subtle touch of humor which makes his dialogs more entertaining.The special effects are very well done.I think the best element from this movie is that it does not take too seriously to itself,at the difference of the previous movies.I can recommend Underworld : Rise of the Lycans as a very entertaining and exciting movie with competent performances and good action scenes.I took a very nice surprise with this movie..
We soon realize that the vampires are the real bad guys because they were the ones that created the mindless werewolves in the first place by using Lucian's blood.THe acting was rather good for a movie like this one.
Everything, from the action scenes (especially during the big battle between the Vampires and Lycans) to the acting (mostly the performances by Michael Sheen, Bill Nighy, Kevin Grievoux, and Rhona Mitra), were great.
Michael Sheen was also fun to watch as Lucian, the werewolf who leads the rebellion against the vampires and Rhona Mitra did a good enough job as his love interest Sonja.
Yes,when they said they were going to make third part of Underworld movie,as a prequel,and that that would be done without Kate Beckinsale I was very suspicious about the movie itself and the overall quality of the movie.I thought it would be only step away from the ,, straight to DVD ,, type of movie.Then when I learned it would be shown in theaters,and that the cast is great and when I saw the trailer I finally felt relieved.I didn't really think it would be good,but so-so kind of movie.Nothing spectacular,nothing original,just plain old fun.And was I wrong...For me this movie surpasses Underworld and Underworld:Evolution in many ways.OK,maybe I need to see the first two movies again just to jog my memory,but I think my opinion would be the same even after watching it...Let's start with the cast.First,Bill Nighty as Victor is great as in first two movies,maybe even better.Has anyone noticed that this is the role that was made for him,a perfect vampire in any way,just a joy to watch.Next,Michael Sheen as Lucian.I think he really gave his best for this movie,which is kinda strange because this was supposed to be action movie.In a 90 minute action flick he gave more than you would expect,and if the characters were more explored ( which would probably result in a two hour movie or more ) he would be simply perfect...And finally Rhona Mitra as Sonja.As much as I love watching Rhona,she is not Kate Beckinsale,but her character here was kinda one-dimensional so nothing spectacular from her,but passable anyway...There is action,there is gore,and there are of course effects.And at the center of the story is a tragic love story and the fight for freedom...Yes,there are some usual clichés and plot holes,and of course there is a problem of this being a prequel you know which characters are going to survive but it won't ruin enjoyment in this movie.The only thing that is not clear to me is that I have read comic book Underworld:Rise of the Lycans from IDW just before the movie was released and the comic was exactly like the movie,so in a way I have watched the movie before it was released,and it isn't clear to me why would they release it before the movie?All in all,great movie,not to be missed and one of the really great surprises from 2009 early movies.Go see it in a theater if you can,you won't be disappointed.
For the record this is a prequel while 2003 Underworld is the first film of the entire series Underworld: Rise of the Lycans is the prequel explaining the history of the werewolves and vampires.The main protagonist is Lucian (Michael Sheen) the film main antagonist is Viktor (Bill Nighy) who is the father of Sonja (Rhona Mitra) who plays a part in the story once you see the film you will understand.Again this is a prequel so if you're new to the series you will find it to be full of useful information learning about the characters that appear in the first Underworld movie which helps out for many fans of the series and again new comers.
But with a strong story well balance talented acting and for fans of Underworld this is a movie to consider if you're a werewolf and vampire film fan I give Underworld: Rise of the Lycans an 7 out of 10.
The Rise of the Lycons is the third installment of the underworld series and pretty much follows the same mould as the previous films.The biggest difference is that Kate Beckinsale is missing from this but thankfully we get a much larger dose of Michael Sheen and the wonderful Bill Nighy.
Some great over-acting from Bill Nighy as Viktor and very decent performances from both Michael Sheen as Lucian and Rhona Mitra as Sonja.
With this being a prequel to the Underworld franchise the characters are already familiar to us, and need no introduction, but bearing this in mind, we have what is technically a prologue to introduce the first two major films in this, to date, trilogy.Without a single sub-plot in sight, this is where Underworld: Rise of the Lycans fails to deliver, while great in the CGI aspect, this work here is simply too weak, regrettably too plain and sadly too uninventive in any major direction of plot, theme or development.The tone here is dark, bloody and violent, this is the world that we see as this love story untangles and the victims' roles are played out with aggression and pain.
This prequel to "Underworld" is essentially the story of "Lucian" (played by Michael Sheen) and the evolution of lycans (werewolves) from full-time savage beasts to those who change from werewolf to human (and back again).
Underworld: Rise of the Lycans (2009) is the prequel and an action , horror film and easily my third favorite movie of the Underworld series.
Butt all of that it is not bad entry in to the Underworld franchise, it could have been a little better tough, so I am still sticking to my guns of the first two are the superior movies in the series so far, but this one is a close third so I am gonna give Ryse of lycans 10 because I love those 3.films and they are pretty good!
This whole series of UNDERWORLD films has been poor from the outset and RISE OF THE LYCANS, a prequel/origins story revealing the beginning of the age-old conflict between vampires and werewolves, doesn't change a thing.