Underworld Awakening - Evan's Take

I am going to keep it three for three and put up a review of the latest installment of the Underworld franchise. So, let's do this!

We actually had a bevy of movies to choose from this week since we could have gone to "Chronicle", "The Grey" or "Red Tails"...We didn't even get a chance to skip the Gina Carano vehicle "Haywire" because it looks like everyone else beat us to skipping it already. (Who is Gina Carano? She is an attractive MMA fighter that they tried to make into a movie star...and failed miserably). Instead, we decided to check out Kate Beckinsale in Underworld Awakening. I like to think of the Underworld movies as movies about vampires and werewolves that AREN'T super lame...and no glitter.

I am a pretty big fan of the Underworld franchise (except for Rise of the Lycans...I just don't think Michael Sheen has enough star power to carry en entire movie) and I was excited to see that Kate Beckinsale had returned to reprise her role as Selene. These movies are all stylish and dark and like most good action movies, spend lots of time and money on really cool action sequences. I was a little disappointed when the movie started explaining that the vampires and the lycans (werewolves) were now being hunted by the humans and I thought that the plot was going to progress to the point that the vampires and the werewolves would have to join forces to fight off the humans...and that just didn't really appeal to me. For some reason, it felt like I was watching Blade II where Wesley Snipes joins forces with the vampires to fend off a greater evil. Plus, they are just people...you are badass vampires!!! It's not even a fair fight and the vampires were losing for crying out loud!

I was pleasantly surprised to find out that I was wrong about the plot because this movie takes a crazy and unexpected left turn and proceeds to plow ahead at a frenetic pace. This is because there is no shortage of action in this movie...the final scene alone feels like it is about 45 minutes of non stop action as we cut between four different fight scenes that are all happening at the same time. I will also say that this movie earns it's "R" rating...and that is saying something for a movie with no nudity or coarse language. The action in this movie is brutal, gory and AWESOME! I squirmed at least five different times watching people get maimed and killed in a variety of ways. Great fun! (It's a movie...I can have fun with that stuff at the movies...)

All in all, I would say this is a solid addition to the Underworld movies. I did find that it started a little slow but I will chalk that up to them explaining the story (12 years happened between the end of the second movie and the start of this one) and setting up the misdirection for the plot line. Once this movie gets going, it turns into a wild ride which fans of the first three Underworld movies will surely enjoy. If you don't like the Underworld movies, or are expecting cinematic masterpieces, then this isn't for you. Maybe you would enjoy crappier Vampire and Werewolf movies.

I will give it four decapitated lycans out of five...that sounds about right.