Underworld (2003)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Len Wiseman

Writers (WGA):

Kevin Grevioux (story) and
Len Wiseman (story) ...

Release Date:

19 September 2003 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Fantasy | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

An immortal battle for supremacy.

Plot:

Selene, a beautiful vampire warrior, is entrenched in a war between the vampire and werewolf races. Although she is aligned with the vampires, she falls in love with Michael, a werewolf who longs for the war to end.

Plot Keywords:

Vampire | Love | Death | Werewolf | Blood

Awards:

1 win & 7 nominations

Cast

Kate Beckinsale	...	Selene
Scott Speedman	...	Michael Corvin
Michael Sheen	...	Lucian
Shane Brolly	...	Kraven
Bill Nighy	...	Viktor
Erwin Leder	...	Singe
Sophia Myles	...	Erika
Robbie Gee	...	Kahn (as Robby Gee)
Wentworth Miller	...	Dr. Adam Lockwood
Kevin Grevioux	...	Raze
Zita Görög	...	Amelia
Dennis J. Kozeluh	...	Dignitary (as Dennis Kozeluh)
Scott McElroy	...	Soren
Todd Schneider	...	Trix
Sándor Bolla	...	Rigel

Also Known As:

Underworld (Germany)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong violence/gore and some language.

Runtime:

121 min | USA:133 min (director's cut)

Country:

USA | Germany | Hungary | UK

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS (8 channels)

Certification:

USA:Not Rated (extended version) | France:-12 | Malaysia:18SG | Netherlands:12 (DVD rating) | Iceland:16 | Japan:PG-12 | Singapore:NC-16 (re-rating) (also director's cut) | South Korea:15 (cable rating) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Sweden:15 | Brazil:16 | Argentina:13 | Australia:MA | Finland:K-15 | Germany:16 (original rating) | Germany:18 (director's cut) | Mexico:B15 | Norway:15 | Philippines:R-18 | Singapore:PG (cut) | South Korea:18 | UK:15 | USA:R | Canada:18A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Ontario) | Canada:18 (Nova Scotia)

Filming Locations:

Budapest, Hungary

Company:

Lakeshore Entertainment

Trivia:

A kiss between Michael and Selene (when she unchains him in Lucian's lab) appears in the trailer but was not included in the theatrical release or on the DVD, but it is on the unrated version of Underworld.

Goofs:

Continuity: The shooting gallery scene: in close-ups of the statue targets, bullets are slamming into them at a high rate, as if from a machine gun. When the shot changes to show Selene, she is actually seen to be using a semi-automatic pistol, and firing at a much slower rate.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Selene: [voiceover] The war had all but ground to a halt in the blink of an eye. Lucian, the most feared and ruthless leader ever to rule the Lycan clan, had finally been killed. The Lycan horde scattered to the wind in a single evening of flame and retribution. Victory...

Movie Connections:

References Alien (1979)

Soundtrack:

Judith (Renholder Mix)

Surprisingly good! I'm impressed!

As soon as I saw the preview to this film I wrote it off as a silly Matrix rip-off trying to attack a subject that is so tired (vampires/werewolves). I really never had any intention of seeing Underworld until my girlfriend, who saw it in theaters, repeatedly suggested I watch it. After watching the DVD just now I must say that I enjoyed it a lot. I was completely into the story, which is surprisingly rich and engaging. One would have to be a bit naïve not to admit that Underworld does indeed borrow from a variety of action films, most notably The Matrix. It should be obvious to any free-thinking person that none of the ideas present in Underworld are original, but what this film does well is take ideas that were established in the past and build on them more. This is by no means a carbon copy of any of the films from which it borrows from. Slow motion gun battles didn't originate with the Matrix films. The most refreshing aspect of this movie is the story, which surprisingly has many layers and puts a totally fresh new spin on the vampire/werewolf stories. This aspect, along with the excellent visual effects makes Underworld an enjoyable experience. A sequel for this is inevitable, and I must say that I'm really looking forward to it. Underworld was a very pleasant surprise.

*** out of **** stars