Underworld: Rise of the Lycans

I love Underworld and Underworld: Evolution. Excellent special effects, interesting story, awesome heroine--to read more about my thoughts on Kate Beckinsale's Selene, see my essay on cinemaperspective.com under Perspectives. So, obviously, when I saw previews for Underworld: Rise of the Lycans, I was pretty excited. Yes, it is a different director (Beckinsale's hubby directed the first two) and yes, it is a different female star (and Beckinsale lookalike). Nonetheless, I was willing to give it a chance.

And the verdict? Not too shabby. The special effects are a bit rushed and very dark, likely to cover up a lack of budget--the camera moves around a lot to compensate for the lackluster effects and things like trees are used to cover up 'transformations' that the producers lacked the proper fundage to create. The female lead, played less than superbly by Rhona Mitra, is the daughter of the evil head-vampire Viktor. She defies him by falling in love with a Lycan (werewolf) named Lucian. This conflict ultimately triggers the war that is ongoing through the previous films (as Rise is a prequel).

For those who are new to the series, make sure you start with Underworld and then move on to Evolution and Rise. You'll encounter too many spoilers if you watch Rise first. For those who, like me, are fans of the series or just enjoy the films for their special effects, I recommend you check the film out--it's not the best movie in the series by any means, but it is worth watching to watch the backstory play out. No new information is provided, however, so do not expect to be surprised by the events as they unfold or by the story that is told; do expect to be sufficiently pleased with director Patrick Tatopoulos' contribution to the Underworld series.