Director:
Patrick Tatopoulos

Cast:
Michael Sheen
Bill Nighy
Rhona Mitra
Kevin Grevioux

Official URL:

http://www.entertheunderworld.com

Country: USA
Rating: R
Studio Name: Screen Gems
Running Time: 1 hr 32 mins
Release Date: January 23, 2009

Critics's Rating:
(3 out of 4 Reels) 

January 23, 2009

By Veronica Mixon

I’m a big fan of the Underworld series because it’s one of the few vampire/werewolf fantasy series that doesn’t scare the pants off of me. Instead, these films engage the viewer in the conflicting atmosphere of battling immortals whose behavior often reflect human fallacy and arrogance. While I loved the first Underworld (2003) film, I was very fascinated by the second movie, Underworld: Evolution because it attempted to show how this epic battle between aristocratic vampires and the beastly werewolves began. Underworld: Rise of the Lycons is an extended view of that history which was superbly told in the previous film. So, while the audience doesn’t learn any new information, I still enjoyed the film nevertheless.

Both Michael Sheen (Frost/Nixon and The Queen) and Bill Nighy (Valkyrie and The Pirates of the Caribbean series) have appeared in all three films. The film opens at the unusual birth of Lucian, a Lycon, who takes human form when he’s not angry or hungry for his human meal. The Lycons are an enslaved race of barbaric animals that endanger all other creatures except the so-called superior vampires. The vampire leader, Viktor senses an opportunity when he sees the human infant and sets out the bred a more efficient servant. He’s horrified when he realizes that Lucian not only rebels but has won the heart of his daughter, Sonja played by the dark marble faced beauty Rhona Mitra (Doomsday and Skinwalkers).

The filmmakers have enacted universal class and race conflicts in this fantasy tale. Furthermore, director, Patrick Tatopoulos has reprised the dark blue/gray gloomy look of the film and the extraordinary shiny armor of the Vampire death dealers. There is no leather but there are gleaming swords and crackling action in the battle scenes. The sensual love scene between Sheen and Mitra is pure magic and of course, the unexplained source of the idea that mixed bloodlines some how survived in human DNA. Because I love the series I do wish there was more explanation about how and who could possibly survive being attack by either a vampire or Lycan but of course, that would spoil the fantasy element. The filmmakers can make up whatever they want and carry on the series in almost any direction and I do hope that they do move forward with Selene and Michael’s story.

Bill Nighy is having the time of his life in the bunch of recent films playing a cursed pirate, vampire, Nazi, etc. I first saw him in Still Crazy, a comedy about a band of aging rock stars and I was so impressed by his natural screen presence. His tall stature and taut face can exude emotion and his crisp voice exudes no-nonsense authority. He’s one of my favorite actors. And, Michael Sheen gets to stretch himself in this particular role apart from his usual white-collar, proper gents. Kevin Grevioux (Raze), one of the co-creators of the original film and the only African American Lycon reprises his role, and so does Steven Mackintosh as Tannis, the smarmy ambitious librarian.

Fans will run to the theater and for those who don’t think Underworld: Rise of the Lycons is worth their nine bucks, simply wait until the movie is out on cable or DVD. Either way, it is a great way to spend a couple of hours!

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