Underworld: Rise of the Lycans (Thumb UP)
This week, we saw Patrick Tatopoulos’s “Underworld: Rise of the Lycans,” starring Michael Sheen, Bill Nighy, and Rhona Mitra. Kate Beckinsale is barely in this one, but Mitra looks a lot like her, and plays a very similar character.
[Bill Nighy played Davy Jones in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, not that you'd recognize him here!]
This is the third of the “Underworld” movies, but it is a prequel to the other two, so if you haven’t seen them, don’t let that stop you. It is basically a rendition of the confusing back-story to the series, finally made clear. But it also stands on its own as a good tale of Vampires vs. Lycans (aka, werewolves) and their ongoing war.
At the start of this movie, Lycans are slaves to the Vampires, and have very little power and even less freedom. One ambitious young Lycan, Lucian, manages to fall in love with the daughter of the head Vampire, and foments a revolution. Pretty soon the star-crossed lovers are in over their heads and war is upon them!
As these types of movies go, this one is pretty well done. Good transformation scenes, good violence, lots of nice pretty blood, appropriate levels of over-acting, and great ghastly makeup and behavior. The setting seems to be medieval times, so weapons consist mostly of knives and crossbows and spears, which make for some nice visuals in the carnage scenes. The director spent most of his career as a special-effects expert, so you know that part of the production was not shortchanged.
I liked it. If you are into this type of Gothic horror, I recommend you see it as well…….Jake
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From Jake: Hey, thanks for the comments, you two! I appreciate it.
Also, an update: Since I saw this third-movie in January, I have re-watched the first and second movies. Taken as a close-knit trilogy, they have MUCH more impact. I would like to increase my rating from Thumb UP to Thumb WAY UP for all three. Very well put together long-form story…….Jake