Saw Underworld yesterday. While I won’t go quite as far as to call it a Big. Steaming. Noxious. Pile. of. shite., I will say that I found it very disappointing and frustrating. There was a lot of promise and potential in the film, which unfortunately was entirely wasted. I’d almost prefer that a film be flat-out bad, but when you can see the seeds of a worthwhile effort in the midst of the crap, it makes it just that much harder to deal with.
First off, the good points (and yes, there are some).
The film is extremely pretty. Lots of worthwhile eye candy — cast, sets, costumes — just about everywhere, there’s something worth looking at.
The writers have concocted a new mythology for the creation of both vampires and werewolves, and included an explanation for the enmity between the two species, that I really liked. I’d have to see the movie again (rent, though, not in the theater) to get it down completely, but it involved a disease that one person had an immunity to which was passed to his children. Those two children were bitten by animals — one by a bat, one by a wolf — and the mutation that allowed their father to survive the disease mixed with the animal’s blood to create the beasties. After years of the werewolves acting as the vampire’s daylight guardians, a conflict between the two set off the years of warring between the clans. It’s a definite step away from the traditional storylines, and I liked the new ideas.
Unfortunately…
The writing, the overall story, and the direction were horrid. So much could have been done with the story to make it coherent, and it never happened. Alliances are formed that don’t make any sense, motiviation is never given for much of what happens, and too much of the plot dissolves into an incoherent mess.
The actors are something of an on-again, off-again mix. Kate Beckinsale does decently with what she has, she just wasn’t really given that much to do — her character is essentially either brooding or fighting during the entire movie. Bill Nighy as Viktor, the recently-resurrected elder of the vampire clan did fine by me up until the end, when a suddenly bleated out, “But I loved my daughter!” line completely destroyed all credibility for the character in my eyes. Sure, it was bad writing, but he played the line so badly that it just made it that much worse. Shane Brolly as Kraven, leader of the vampire clan until Viktor’s appearance was fairly ridiculous, to tell the truth. In fact, the only actor — and character — that I really though much of was Lucien, leader of the werewolves, played by Michael Sheen. Not only did he get the only character in the film given any decent amount of personal backstory and motivation, but he was the only actor to really seem like he fit his part.
Special effects wise, the movie was decent for the most part, with a few sudden moments where it got so astoundingly bad that it surprised me (Celine’s sword-slash-and-floating-jump across the pool of water at the end [which can also be seen in the trailer — it’s the sequence that looks like it could be straight out of a video game] stands out in my mind). The soundtrack, both musically and just as effects, drove me nuts. Apparently the sound designers felt that the best way to make sure that something was interesting and intense was to make it loud, and then they decided that everything in the movie counted as interesting and intense.
So that’s Underworld — some definite promise and potential that was completely pissed away during its two hours on screen. A shame, really — in my minds eye, I can see the same elements creating a film that would have been well worth watching, but it just didn’t happen here.
Ha! Great minds think alike! Everything you are talking about was exactly what I was disappointed with in the movie. This could have been a great movie, but insufficient back story and some poor dialogue really did the movie in. I also thought the werewolves could’ve been just a touch hairier – not a lot, just a little…
Now a couple movies I’m looking forward to seeing – Kill Bill and Gothika. Kill Bill I must see just because of all it’s pulp, kitschy goodness and in Gothika, I’m really looking forward to Halle Berry carrying this movie as the main character. Besides, it’s one of those psychological thrillers where they convince you down is up that I just get a kick out of.
It certainly wasn’t one of the best movies I’d seen all year. While all your points are valid, it was still an enjoyable viewing experience. One further thing that bugged me, as well as a couple notes:
I have this funny feeling we’ll see an Underworld video game franchise, actually. However, what bothered me more than the actual slash was the special effect of Viktor’s head falling apart immediately afterwards. It was a very poorly done effect, overall.
I hear you on this one. My ears hurt after leaving the theatre.
Kill Bill’s been on my “must see” list for a while now. I’d not heard of Gothika before I saw the trailer before Underworld, but it’s definitely peaked my interest. Must find out more.
Underworld video game? Maybe they’ll pay more attention to the plot for that. ;)
The entire head falling apart thing was just ridiculous. I’ve seen the same concept twice before where it worked (though both times it was through the neck, not through the head): once in the old 80’s movie Ice Pirates, when it was played for laughs (which is why it worked), and once in one of William Gibson’s early cyberpunk novels (though I’m spacing on which one right now), when it was done using monofilament wire (the only way I could see it actually working).
It was just ludicrous in Underworld — the movie wasn’t being played for laughs (though it certainly got some), so it expects to be taken at least somewhat seriously, but there is absolutely no way a sword that size could cut through any part of someones body, let alone their skull, without it having instananeous disastrous consequences for whoever just got cut. Completely unbelieveable, and it really hurt the climax of the film.
One other thing: anyone notice that there weren’t any female werewolves? Good thing they’re immortal, because they sure won’t be breeding very much.
One other thing: anyone notice that there weren’t any female werewolves? Good thing they’re immortal, because they sure won’t be breeding very much.
Good catch! Sure, there’s a bevy of vampiresses at the snap of a finger, but any female lycans? Noooo… That’s something I think I would’ve liked to see…
As for Gothika, yes my interest was peaked as well. I just like being scared ;-) I find that choppy film editing (that they used in the trailer for the supposed dead girl) very creepy. It brings to mind thoughts of a body that has been reanimated but is no longer human – I find it strangely fascinating. They did a little of it in The House on Haunted Hill and in The Cell.
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i thought underworld was great but im not rele very good with like all the film terminology n like looking closely at the content n things but i did think it was pretty gud… if u wanna no a rather erm badfilm try watchin ‘cheaper by the douzen’ yes thats great…yeeee email me bak it will make me super happy! yay!!!!!!!