Underworld (2003)

Sidenote: this film probably did more for latex fetishes around the world than any type of kinky video on the lurid side of the Internet. Nothing wrong with that, but that's an impressive feat.

'Underworld', the film that turned out to be so popular that Kate Beckinsale returned to this franchise four times. Seeing as she was also in 'Van Helsing' you might be right in assuming that she has a thing for both vampires and werewolves, as they are both rather dominant in both properties.

But this one is by far a superior film to 'Van Helsing'.

You will instantly note the aesthetic of this one. Nowadays, it has evolved into a cliché of its own, but when this one came out, that blue metallic tinge that everything has, felt like a cool stylistic choice. It works really well here, too. It's a shame that the same idea turned stale so fast, but hey: you can't win them all.

Beckinsale is Selene, a vampire Death Dealer who is part of a team that hunts down and destroys werewolves, or Lycans as they are known here. There is some backstory about a war that has been going on for hundreds of years and now, the Lycans are supposedly all but extinct and the vampires have become complacent and decadent. Selene discovers that the Lycans are after a human named Michael, who apparently stems from a rare bloodline. This would allow the Lycans to create a sort of supercreature and help them defeat the vampires once and for all. It also seems that there is a lot of intrigue beind the scenes, as betrayals are abundant and it turns out that Lucian, the Lycan leader, is not dead, as was told for a couple of hundred years. Things quickly escalate and soon Selene will have to make a decision where her loyalty lies.

When talking about the politics and betrayal, you can spot the twists and turns in this story from miles away. Heck, you could argue that certain characters are lucky they have survived this long, because they should have known better. But this film is more about the action than it is about the story. Lots of slow motion, lots of gunplay and fights between Lycans and vampires. When it comes to hand-to-hand combat, the werewolves are clearly in the advantage, whereas the vampires rely more on technology. That figures.

I always liked the designs of this universe a lot. It is set in some vague Eastern European city (somewhere like Prague, but different) and that works better than some American metropolis, where everything is too neatly ordered. Here you have small, winding streets, old buildings, you know: the European aesthetic. The vampires are all great dressers, even though some of their style seems to be derived from the cliché image most people have of dandy vampires. But I absolutely love the design of the werewolves. Most of their stuff is done with practical effects and that makes it all look and feel more grounded. Yes, there are several CG-shots and they stick out like a sore thumb. The look of the Lycans is large, hulking and wolf-like, but it still balances on that 'uncomfortable' mix between human and animal, something the later films often would ignore in favour of a more wolflike snout, which is a shame.

Also, if you are a fan of creature actor Bryan Steele, you'll instantly recognize him when he's on the screen as a werewolf. He moves in a certain way which makes it so I can often tell if he's in a monster film. If you know who I'm talking about, you could too. Nevertheless, he always makes for an imposing creature. (one of the other actors in this respect you can usually spot by his movements, is the equally wonderful Doug Jones)

The acting does get a little uneven at times. Beckinsale underacts considerably, because she's supposed to be cool, but it often makes her look like a robot. This got better in the second outing of the series. Most of the vampires overdo it. Bill Nighy as Victor relishes in his role and is campy to a lovable extent. By far the most balanced actor here is Michael Sheen as Lucian. He is honestly the only actor I find believable in the role. He's a much better werewolf than he is a vampire. (those scenes from the 'Twilight'-series still give me shivers)

Don't expect high art, but 'Underworld' is a fun actionfilm that happens to have vampires and werewolves in it. There is some gore, but I would never classify this is being a horrorfilm, because it's not scary or disturbing. It's just enjoyable to a fair degree.