Underworld: Evolution (2006)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Len Wiseman

Writers (WGA):

Danny McBride (screenplay)
Len Wiseman (story) ...

Release Date:

20 January 2006 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Fantasy | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Plot:

Underworld: Evolution continues the saga of war between the vampires and the Lycans. The film goes back...

Plot Keywords:

Vampire | Death | Hybrid | Werewolf | Battle

Awards:

1 nomination

US TV Schedule:

Sun. Nov. 8

4:00 PM

FX

Cast

Kate Beckinsale	...	Selene
Scott Speedman	...	Michael
Tony Curran	...	Marcus
Derek Jacobi	...	Corvinus (as Sir Derek Jacobi)
Bill Nighy	...	Viktor
Steven Mackintosh	...	Tanis
Shane Brolly	...	Kraven
Brian Steele	...	William
Zita Görög	...	Amelia (as Zita Gorog)
Scott McElroy	...	Soren
John Mann	...	Samuel
Michael Sheen	...	Lucian
Sophia Myles	...	Erika (as Sophia Miles)
Richard Cetrone	...	Pierce (as Rich Cetrone)
Mike Mukatis	...	Taylor

Also Known As:

Underworld 2 (USA) (working title)
Untitled Underworld Sequel (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for pervasive strong violence and gore, some sexuality/nudity and language.

Runtime:

106 min | Philippines:102 min (cut)

Country:

USA

Language:

Hungarian | French | English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

USA:R | Australia:MA | Ireland:15A | UK:18 | Singapore:M18 | Philippines:R-13 (MTRCB) | Malaysia:18SG | Norway:15 | Hong Kong:IIB | France:-12 | Portugal:M/16 | Germany:16 (nf) | Brazil:16 | Argentina:16 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Hungary:18 | Finland:K-15 | Italy:T | Italy:VM14 | Iceland:16 | New Zealand:R16 | Canada:18A (Ontario) | South Korea:18 | Japan:R-15 | South Africa:16LV | South Korea:15 (cable rating) | Canada:16+ (Quebec) | Canada:18+ (TV rating)

Filming Locations:

Britannia Beach, British Columbia, Canada

Company:

Screen Gems

Trivia:

While filming a scene where Selene and Michael look at each other longingly, director Len Wiseman surprised the cast and crew by playing Bryan Adams' song "Everything I Do (I Do It For You)", at which everyone started laughing.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Michael climbs into the truck, the cliff side is shown on the driver's side. In all other shots of the truck scene,however, the cliff side is shown on the passenger side of the truck.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Marcus: My God. Brother, what have you done?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Death Row (2007) (V)

Soundtrack:

Morning After

Better then the first

Title: Underworld: Evolution (2006)

Director: Len Wiseman

Cast: Kate Beckingsale, Scott Speedman, Michael Sheen, Shane Brolly, Bill Nighy, Derek Jakobi

Review:

The first Underworld was alright, not great...just alright. But after a while it sort of grew on me. The first time I saw it I thought...man this really isn't what it could have been. And it wasn't. It was missing more action, vampires and fights between the bloodsuckers and the werewolves. Did the sequel succeed in giving us what was missing in the original? The story this time around is about the first original vampire and the first original werewolf. In this movie the first vampire was called Marcus and his brother William was the first werewolf. They are at war because William the leader of the werewolf pack is a vicious mofo killing and destroying villages left and right. Viktor the leader of the vamps wants William locked up for all eternity, Marcus; Williams vampire brother is against it...but goes with it for the sake of being at peace with Viktor. Fastforward a few thousand years...and now Marcus wants to set his brother free in order to create a new race of half vampires half werewolves.

Len Wiseman gives this sequel the same polished squeaky clean look that the first movie had. In terms of look and feel this film is very much like the original film. Everything seems to be filtered through a blue/metallic light. The film looks slick. The only thing that really changes is that the first film took place in more of an urban setting...here we go into the sticks. Lots of mountains, caves and abandoned buildings in the middle of nowhere.

This film improved on a lot of things that the first film was missing. First of all, the vampires on this movie are more vicious which was something that I hated from the first movie. On the first movie the vampires where portrayed as these bunch of pansies hanging out in mansions drinking blood in wine glasses and gossiping about each other. On this one, those gossipy vampires are gone replaced by a vicious and bloodthirsty Marcus, who is resurrected from his long slumber.

The coolest part about this movie for me was the vampire Marcus, the make up effects work on this character was fantastic. His gigantic bat like wings which turn out to be quite deadly are awesome! This character is really evil, violent and lets his vampire nature run loose. Basically he wont have problems sucking the life out of anyone who stands in his way.

And speaking of special make up effects, kudos to Wiseman for choosing to use actors in wolf suits instead of overusing the computer effects. I loved how the werewolves looked more realistic in this sense. Of course there is CGI involved in certain sequences but it is kept in check and not overused. The transformation sequences are great as well.

There were a few things that didn't make some sense to me though. Like for example: why was Marcus the only vampire to have wings? OK he was the first vampire ever...but wouldn't his offspring have wings also? No explanation is given about this during the movie. Also, if Marcus and William were the first vampires and werewolf ever...how did they become what they became? They're origins are not explored but simply taken for granted. I didn't get that either. And how can William be locked up inside of a sarcophagus for thousands of years, the just pop out and walk around as it he had only been locked up for one day or two? He had not fed, werewolves as far as I know don't live forever and his hair isn't the least bit longer...what? Maybe I missed something amidst all the vampire lore and flashbacks. And there are a lot of those. I'm guessing a lot of these questions will be answered on a future sequel, so lets hold out for it, I'm sure it will happen.

The movie does kind of have certain sequences in which they simply talk waaay to much. These vampires love to just chat chat chat in the most dramatic way about things. In that way this film is very similar to the first one.

On the bonus side, we do get to see part of Kate Beckinsales nude body, but only partially. She never really goes all the way. It must have been hard for Wiseman to see his wife making out with Speedman. By the way, ladies, Speedman shows his bum. So enjoy it! So, in conclusion, this film has taken all of the things that didn't work on the first one and fixed em. There's more blood, more action, better effects, the werewolves seem more realistic and the evil vampire leader is one vicious mother. Good sequel, dare I say it certainly is better then the original.

Rating: 4 out of 5