There is no doubt that the Underworld franchise has had its ups and downs in the eyes of fans. The past three films have spawned numerous viewer reviews that fall on both sides of the aisle. (The conflict between them is not unlike that between the movie’s vampires and lycans.) Underworld: Awakening is latest installment in the series, and it too seems to have had a polarizing effect on its audience. For those unfamiliar, here is the film synopsis:
When human forces discover the existence of the Vampire and Lycan clans, a war to eradicate both species commences. The vampire warrioress Selene leads the battle against humankind.
I personally thought this was a great chance to really explore new territory for the franchise. Humans discovering that the things that go “bump in the night” are real definitely ups the ante. Unfortunately, we see very little of the initial discovery and ensuing battle outside of the film’s opening. While that part of the film was short-lived, it was interesting to see how the conflict was presented. The filmmakers did a good job of making it brutal and warlike; which is how I would imagine such an event would play out.
The bulk of the film takes place after the humans have mostly purged the world of vampires and lycans. A select few creatures have been put on ice, supposedly for research purposes. Naturally, one of these fanged popsicles is Selene, and she’s none too pleased when she gets released. From that point forward, the film was almost pure action.
Throughout the course of the film, we get introduced to a slew of new characters. There are pockets of vampires and lycans that have survived the purge, the team that runs the research facility, a somewhat sympathetic detective, and more. It was a lot of characters to juggle, but it was necessary to understand life in this post-purge world.
Kate Beckinsale, who reprises the lead role of Selene, still rocks the leather queen look. Fueled by revenge, she leaves more carnage in her wake than in any of the previous films. (Including a particularly clever scene involving a lycan and a grenade.) I wish more franchises had such strong female leads.
The strangest thing about the film is the absence of the character Michael (played by Scott Speedman in the first and second films), except for snippets seemingly pasted together from previous Underworld movies. From what I’ve read, Speedman didn’t want to, or was unable to be in this film, and may not return for any future installments. Yet, his character is a driving motivation for Selene, and from the ending, appears to be of great importance to the next film.
There’s little more I can say without bombarding you with spoilers. This film was definitely a set up for future installments and has left a lot open-ended. My best guess is that this is the start of a new trilogy, which is good news for fans.
Grab yourself a bag of popcorn, sit back, and enjoy the action.
