Hungry like a wolf
The first two Underworld films were mostly action and secondary when it came to story. We got introduced to a lot of fashionably conscious vampires and rough looking Lycans (werewolves for you commoners). The action and the look of the film had always been the priority. Granted people could say that the story was there, but it certainly was never a strong story. It was always about the sexy Selene (Kate Beckinsale) and the ex-Felicity star Scott Speedman, who played the hybrid vampire/lycan Michael. Again, the first two films were more about how good everything looks rather than concentrating on the story.
Underworld: Rise of the Lycans comes out, sans Len Wiseman (director of the first two), and sans Kate Beckinsale and Scott Speedman. A new director is brought in, Patrick Tatopoulos, with a new writer to help out with the original writer, Danny McBride. So what changes does this one bring? Well, the story is about how the Lycan came to be and how powerful the world of the vampires was. The story focused on Lucian, who was a tragic character from the first film, and his love for a vampire named Sonja. They were the centerpiece in the story and the device that collapses the world of the Lycans and Vampires into a never-ending war. It basically was the full-explanation of the short-explanation that you get in the first film at the beginning.
The question you should ask first about the film is, “Does the story work?” The story has some holes in it, things that aren’t fully explained and left for dead. You get a solid reason why the war between the two races has begun, but you don’t get the full reason why the two lovers fell in love. You don’t get that moment where they met, that thing that made her want him and vice-versa, you’re just automatically expected to accept that these two love doing it to each other. Another hole in the story is that the original beasts, that aren’t Lycan (the non-human wolves) don’t have any explanation of how they got there. You need to explain to the audience exactly how this race of being ended up on earth, more than you need to explain how the vampires got there. The story says that the Lycan and wolves are completely two different things, so there has to be a history there somewhere. Outside of these holes, the story is pretty decent. It’s a better attempt at creating a solid movie then the originals ever were. Wiseman’s films, again, seemed to focus mainly on action and visuals. This time around the story is really given some thought, be it as incomplete as it is.
As for acting, I can’t say enough about Michael Sheen. This guy didn’t have to come back and complete this film. He was big time and he could have left the film series for someone else. Instead, he put on his big-boy pants and gave it his best effort. His character of Lucian is certainly more complete than the first Underworld film. He’s given some dimension, more flavor than originally. Sheen puts his heart and soul into this role and it shows. Now, aside from Sheen, you have to give Bill Nighy some props as well. I’m not completely sure how big he is over in England, but I love this guy as an actor. From a vampire, who is vicious as hell, to a burnt out rock star in Love Actually, he has some range and should be equally commended for coming back to reprise his role as Viktor.
Sony still loves its series
Despite what could be considered a not-so-great life at the box office, Sony still treats its Underworld property like silver/gold. The Blu-ray of this film is damn good. It looks really sharp, thanks mostly to the way it was shot (blacks/whites come through HD in the most remarkable way when you transfer the film properly). You also get some fantastic audio which lends to the atmosphere of the film itself. With those two things combined, you can see why Blu-ray rules the roost when it comes to home entertainment experience.
As for features, you get some decent ones. Here’s what you’re looking at:
– Underworld: Rise of the Lycans – From Script to Screen
– The Origin of the Feud
– Re-Creating the Dark Ages
– Music Video
-Film Commentary
– Cinechat (I really like this, but it’s tough to find anyone here with the same film and a Blu-ray player — get with it people!)
– Behind the Castle Walls – PiP
– Lycanthropes Around the World – Interactive Map
For the most part the features were really good. I think that they certainly provide a bit more information and insight than the film can give. There are moments, of course, where I wish there was a little bit more here and there, but the features in general are solid.
