Directed by:
Len WisemanScreenplay:
Danny McBrideCinematography:
Simon DugganComposer:
Marco BeltramiCast:
Kate Beckinsale, Scott Speedman, Shane Brolly, Tony Curran, Derek Jacobi, Steven Mackintosh, Bill Nighy, Michael Sheen, Sophia Myles, Zita Görög, Brian Steele (more)VOD (2)
Plots(1)
With the exposure of well-kept secrets and the tough resolve of one betrayed Vampire warrior, a centuries-long struggle between vicious predators has reached new heights of fierceness. But it's one Immortal's insatiable lust for power that leads to disturbing new disclosures about the origins of the feud between the Vampires and the Lycans. The past just got very twisted, and the future may reveal an entirely new breed, the likes of which no one has ever seen. Hunted vampire Selene seeks out Marcus, king of the Vampires, in the hope of bargaining for her life. Hybrid Michael wants to join Selene in her quest but is unable to trust the werewolf raging uncontrolled inside him, and she refuses his companionship. Their love proves more powerful than genetics, however, when Marcus descends upon Selene, intent on annihilating her. In the battle that ensues, Selene discovers that she has been betrayed by her own family she sets out to seek her revenge. Selene seeks out Adrian Tanis, official Historian of the Covens, for help unraveling the web of lies spun by Marcus and Viktor in their battle for supremacy. Intrigue deepens when Tanis reveals the identity of the first true Immortal: neither Marcus nor Viktor, as was believed, but Alexander Corvinus, father to Marcus and this twin brother, William. Corvinus, like an omnipresent god on the fringes, has been tracking everyone's movements and cleaning up after their wars, intent on keeping his descendents confined to the shadows of human society. Side by side, Selene and Michael battle the horrifically strong and determined Marcus, who is determined to release his imprisoned brother William from captivity and use his bloodlust to achieve world domination. Each confrontation unearths new revelations, casting a harsh light upon previous events and cutting through the darkness of painful memories buried deep within. (official distributor synopsis)
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Reviews (10)
I did take one star off, but only because it didn't bring anything new compared to the first installment. Then again, the things I liked about the first one didn't get spoiled by the second one, so I had a pretty good time again while mostly switching my brain off. I was just puzzled by the combination of Russian-speaking policemen driving cars with Hungarian signs.
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Better action, meaningful mythology, and even more attractive Kate Beckinsale still aren't enough for at least a solid film. The Underworld series will forever remain an unfinished great idea for me. Evolution, although aiming relatively high, is brought down by the tiresome crucial battle and trivial conclusion.
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Compared to the first part, it is somewhat weaker. Above all, the relative originality and appealing visual concept of the first part does not bear the desired fruit in the sequel, and everything is mired in a large number of visual effects. These effects are better than in the predecessor, but the significantly disjointed screenplay buries everything under a ton of clichés. Kate Beckinsale is great (the erotic scene is beautifully shot), the rest is just some acting filer. The inventiveness is gone, the mythology is boring, and the action is quite inconsistent. The opening massacre of the village in some sequences reminded me of the opening battle in Gladiator, the editing and some camera shots, in particular, are quite similar (I love the blood splatters on the camera). There is more blood, but unfortunately, the quality has decreased. It's not necessarily bad, just somewhat dumber, and the most embarrassing part is in the end - the terminator-like monologue.
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Exactly one star better than the fist one. There is more and better action, better cinematography and effects, less pompous and empty bullshit (but of course there is no lack of it either), only Wiseman's vampire-lykan mythology remains uninteresting and dull. PS: Scott, I can't tell you how much I can relate regarding the erection...
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Len Wiseman is not a good screenwriter by any stretch of the imagination (I was convinced of this unfortunate fact when I saw the first film) and he is definitely not a good director (which I somehow, strangely accepted last time). Underworld: Evolution amounts to a bunch of awkward dialogues that are supposed to be interludes between the frantic action, which the director used excessively. But according to the motto "too much of everything is bad," Underworld is an overly noisy, flashing, and frenetically edited spectacle that glues together boring dead weight from the plot. For some reason, they strangely cut out the werewolves and the film more or less revolves around strange vampire "politics" that are laughable. The Speedman-Beckinsale duo starts off with a nice sex scene, which is where their pros in the film end. Underworld: Evolution is nothing more than a popcorn movie trying to be something more. It's not enough just to have perfect technical aspects (sound, cinematography, CGI) and dirty-looking sets to add to the film's rawness. It lacks a plot with more sense and maybe a little bit of directorial inventiveness. Perhaps that's why I'm skeptical about the idea of a trilogy.
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