Volume 3, No. 37 September 26, 2003
‘Underworld’ offers style and some substance A Review By Glen Osterberger Below a city of perpetual night and rain lies “Underworld.” It is a nameless city locked in a 1,000-year battle between vampires and lycans (or werewolves). That is the idea behind “Underworld,” and it works pretty well. It has good attitude, a mysterious heroine, plenty of action and — unfortunately rare for this sort of thing — a plot full of intrigue. Our narrator and lead is Selene (Kate Beckinsale), who is a vampire “death dealer,” a warrior in the ancient feud between the vampire covens and the lycans. The vampires think they are winning the war and that the werewolves are on the brink of extinction. As Selene finds out it is not so. In the aftermath of a major subway battle with some lycans, she discovers them stalking a human (Scott Speedman) with the apparent motive of kidnapping rather than feeding. It is soon discovered that the lycans believe the human to be a powerful weapon to be used against the vampires. Think of him as the Neo character from “The Matrix” and you have the idea. And yes, this film is one that borrows heavily from the influence that is “The Matrix.” Sometimes it is obvious but other times it flows into the story. I can only hope that another action film can come along and give some new blood to a genre that becomes more and more derivative. “Underworld” is the directing debut of Len Wiseman, an art director (“Stargate,” “Independence Day”) who lets his artistic leanings rule the film. It is full of beautiful, dark and moody streets and scenery. Gargoyles roost upon buildings which all have a distinctive style that draws some inspiration from “Blade Runner,” “Batman” and “Metropolis” but yet manages to develop it’s own style. For a purely aesthetic reason the film might be worth a watch. Fortunately, the film is also entertaining beyond the purely artistic aspects. The storyline bustles along at a pace that utilizes the intense production design instead of being used by it. The screenplay leaves you guessing just long enough to allow some confusion but only for a short time until it is resolved. True, there are a few plot points that could use some massaging (as in most action movies) but it generally works and entertains.
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