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Underworld

2003 action/horror film about a secret war between vampires and werewolves.

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Definitely belongs out of the horror underworld

Jan 19, 2004

by TomBenton

Rating:

UNDERWORLD is being horridly underrated. Those who were looking for "Romeo and Juliet" are furious. I myself found the film to be better than I expected. UNDERWORLD is an extraodinary BLADE-esque horror/thriller with similarities to both BLADE and THE MATRIX. Kate Beckinsale plays Selene, a vampire "Death Dealer". Her job is to eleminate any and all Lycans (werewolves), who have been at war with the vampires for a millenia. But her determination wavers when she meets a newly-made Lycan (Scott Speedman) who has been unsuspectingly drawn into this ages-old battle. Things aren't as they seem, or so Selene soon discovers; and thus begins one of the greatest battles of all history. UNDERWORLD belongs in the rows of horror wonders. It is outstanding. The direction is terrific and occasionally artful; the soundtrack is good; the acting is great; and the effects are terrific. The story is also an awesome idea and is brought out well. There's also a very cool Lycan transformation scene reminiscent of AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON. The only way to know how good the film is is to watch it. I strongly recommend that you rent this horror wonder as soon as possible; believe me, it's worth it. UNDERWORLD is one delicious bite of horror cinema that you'll be howling about for days on end.

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More Underworld reviews

review by NicanorJourney. December 03, 2009

Surprisingly dull and unoriginal

Underworld is a film that continues to water down vampires as most of us know them. This process began with Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles, but these stories still retained the horrific true nature of vampires even with a more relatable, human face. Now we come to this day where between Buffy the Vampire Slayer (which I did enjoy) and Twilight (hate with burning passion) we have films in the middle of this watered down vampire genre that many have grown used to. There's the good humanized vampires … more

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review by Schtinky. November 26, 2008

Where's the TEETH?

I knew before even going into this movie that it would not be "pure" vampire type film. Still, to be disappointed on top of that was a big letdown. I love monsters. I love vampires. I love werewolves. I would have accepted this movie a bit more if they had left out the references to these classic fiends and created a whole different type of demonic bad guy that *should* use guns. Insistance on using these two familiar and well loved creatures of the night was nothing more than a hook to draw in … more

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review by newtonooi. January 30, 2007

Monster mashing

Werewolves and vampires, two staples of the horror genre, are mixed together in this action - drama set in some European country where it is always night and raining. The protagonist is Selene, a gorgeous and very athletic female vampire who is a Death Dealer; someone who kills Lycans. Lycans are werewolves, and the two races are immortal enemies. The story centers around her relationship with a man who happens to be an original descendant of the man who gave rise to both vampires and werewolves. … more

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review by LoneStarGazer. October 21, 2004

Rewrtes large the vampire legend

Wiseman very capably directed this film, based on a good script with some intriguing twists on the legends of vampires and werewolves. First of all, this is a great DVD from a picture and surround sound viewpoint, allowing you to enjoy the great special effects, stunts, and delightfully gloom sets. Seeing the Widescreen really made it more impressive than a first viewing on satellite TV. Some of the stunts (and costumes) will remind you of the Matrix. The plot moves quickly and tells … more

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review by kfontenot. September 01, 2004

posted in Movie Hype

Entertaining, But There's Nothing New Here

"Underworld" is fun to watch, but it's really nothing more than an average sci-fi/action flick. One thing is for sure, this movie is in no way a horror film. Take any standard action yarn, replace the good guys with vampires and the bad guys with werewolves. Next, throw in a twist that bonds one of the goodies and baddies together. Finally, blend in a betrayal and a cover-up and you basically have the storyline. There's nothing new here. The two supernatural enemies really … more

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review by ElectricRay. April 24, 2004

Silly and derivative

There's barely an original moment in Underworld, and sadly those parts that are derived from elsewhere in motion picture history (that is, all of it), are derived without wit or feeling for their antecedents or the genre. I have a feeling this film would never have been made were it not for the Matrix. It basically is the Matrix, only with werewolves and vamps, and a blue wash over all the cinematography rather than a green one. So we have a hard-arsed chick in a tight patent-leather cat suit toting … more

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review by rmurray847. April 20, 2004

Nice looking but boring

This is a film that certainly should stand as an example of "style over substance." All the actors (except Scott Speedman)run around obviously feeling very cool and stylish in their dark costumes, but they forget to invest any real feeling into their performances.But that isn't entirely their fault. The idea of a whole separate "underworld" co-existing with ours, wherein vampires and lycans battle each other is pretty neat, but it's hard to imagine a movie doing LESS with the concept. And Kate Beckinsale … more

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review by garethvk. September 18, 2003

posted in Movie Hype

A tale that entertains yet expands upon the traditional lore of the creatures.

Pros: Some nice Effects a fresh Idea. Cons: Action is ho-hum and you never do care for the characters. The Bottom Line: For Diehards only otherwise catch a cheap show or wait for the video. Perched on a ledge high above a dark, rain soaked city, a woman and her companion watch and wait. For Selene (Kate Beckinsale), this is a night like many others where she will seek out Lycans (werewolves), and eliminate them … more

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see all Underworld reviews (9)

About the reviewer

Tom Benton (TomBenton)
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Aspiring high school English teacher with dreams of filmmaking and a strong taste for music.

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About this movie

Wiki

Starring Kate Beckinsale, Scott Speedman, Michael Sheen, Shane Brolly
Directed by Len Wiseman
Writers: Len Wiseman, Kevin Grevioux
2003

Product Description
Underneath the city streets, amid the labyrinth of subway tunnels and gothic ruins, the two most notorious creatures of the night are embroiled in an all-out war that has been going on for centuries. It is the culmination of a blood-thirsty battle between the vampires and their mortal enemies, the werewolves. Stars: Kate Beckinsale (Pearl Harbor, My Life Without Me), Scott Speedman (My Life Without Me, TV's "Felicity").

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