Underworld

Genre: Horror/Action

Director: Len Wiseman

Screenplay: Kevin Grevioux, Len Wiseman, and Danny McBride

Starring: Kate Beckinsale, Scott Speedman, Michael Sheen, Shane Brolly, and Bill Nighy

There is a great war raging between the vampires and the werewolves that has been billowing for centuries. In our modern day, Selene, a vampire, is part of a special force that has been given the task to eliminate as many werewolves as possible, a duty she is all too ready to complete since it was werewolves that killed her family centuries ago. When she discovers the werewolves’ latest plot, everything she thought she knew gets turned upside down, and she is forced to make a decision.

I have to point out that this was practically the first real movie of my generation to touch the whole vampires and werewolves as mortal enemies, and what a fine kickass interpretation it is. It is very action packed and entertaining movie. It does have vampires and werewolves, but the approach pushed the usual standard by not making it a traditional horror movie. I only use the term “horror” because there are indeed vamps and wolves and so goes the term. I hesitate to use the fantasy expression, because I feel it leans more towards worlds that have no connection to reality, where this film is set in our reality. This is an action flick. You are supposed to ooh and ahh over the special effects and enjoy the adventure, not jumping from being scared at random moments.

I have to admit that even the story was pretty impressive and well thought out. It starts out very black and white and ends grey. These are my favorite kinds of stories. The story remains compelling enough to keep you as interested as you are with the effects. That’s always a bonus with an action movie. Action movies tend to follow the same route as horror films and rely on how things are going to look and not the story. The sequel is pretty decent, but the prequel left more to be desired. Even the fact that Bill Nighy and Michael Sheen were in the prequel could not hold enough value to make it as good as the first two. Alas, there is talk a fourth which will follow the story line of the second movie. Hopefully, it will live up to the original.

I give this film 3 Buttery Kernals.

Coming Soon: Twilight