Like a vampire crossed with a werewolf, "Underworld: Evolution" is an unpleasant but rather exciting sum of its parts. It boasts as much blood loss as the original, some very expected sex scenes and the familiar, choppily shot action sequences. It's a dark, thrilling ride down the street next to Mediocrity Lane.
The film's strengths lie in its archaic imagery. As vampire Selene (Kate Beckinsale of "Van Helsing") and werepire cross Michael (Scott Speedman) journey to uncover a murky family past and stop the werewolf outbreak, gothic mansions rub shoulders with Indiana Jones-style golden artifacts. With a set that mixes "The Nightmare Before Christmas" and "The Rose of Versailles," the movie paints an overly elaborate plot with pleasing dignity.
The story opens with a flashback to the ancient beginnings of the war between vampires and lycans (werewolves mixed with ugly little sea creatures). Twin brothers Marcus and William - one vampire, the other lycan - are separated during the war of the races. When Marcus is revived from exile by Selene at the end of the original, the race to unlock his twin brother's prison begins.
Unfortunately, the plot is so convoluted and hard to follow that the story suffers a painful blow. The problem is compounded by the frequent flashbacks to the first film and little plot explanation until the final few minutes.
The film's weaknesses lie within the twisted story and weak character performances. Beckinsale's tragically-indifferent-to-everything attitude makes it tough to get emotionally attached and leaves her sex scene with Speedman shamelessly physical. It might have helped if she had smiled more. And the rusty trailer where the scene takes place in is no setting for some hot vampire-werewolf borderline bestiality.
Speedman's character Michael is given no time to feel the emotional effects of being outcast from the human, vampire and werewolf worlds. Instead of feeling compassion for Michael, all we get are monster claws and creepy black eyes as he rips off heads and bites faces.
To its credit, "Underworld" explores violence tastefully. There's death and blood. A lot of it. But the gore is masked by gloomy darkness, and the viewer's eyes are averted with clever camera work. The result is a strong implication of gothic murder without the distasteful fixation on dismemberment.
The violent opening flashback sequence adds a touch of color to an otherwise grayscale plot of treachery and pursuit. Viewers get the chance to witness the bad guys in their younger, more natural forms. It would have been more effective, however, to see it all before the characters were either killed or locked away in the first movie.
As far as the genre goes, "Underworld" doesn't offer much that is new or revolutionary. The film is pretty standard in terms of setting, storyline, action and romance. Even the fantastic backdrops are stamped right out of the first movie. With the exception of the helicopter and naval battles, the age-old setting of cobwebs and chandeliers is stuff we've all seen before.
"Underworld" is a fun romp through dark landscapes, fast-paced action and grandiose histories. It offers just enough horror and mystery to make a typical action movie exciting. But it falls into all the traps that await sequels, with repetition leaving at least one viewer exasperated. Fans of the first movie will enjoy "Underworld," but as a standalone movie, it might not be worth the trip.
Photo: Courtesy of Matthew Messina, from the RMBERS' Instagram page
