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Underworld

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Underworld (2003)

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Reviews Counted:153

Fresh:46

Rotten:107

Average Rating:4.7/10

Consensus: Though stylish to look at, Underworld is tedious and derivative.

Runtime: 2 hrs 26 mins

Genre: Action/Adventure

Synopsis: In UNDERWORLD, a dark and Gothic monster action movie, vampires and lycans--an ancient form of werewolf--are at war. While the vampires inhabit a gigantic castle that houses their ancestor's tombs,... In UNDERWORLD, a dark and Gothic monster action movie, vampires and lycans--an ancient form of werewolf--are at war. While the vampires inhabit a gigantic castle that houses their ancestor's tombs, the lycans live underground in a dilapidated sewer cave. Both teams are equipped with big guns, and they are constantly innovating deadlier bullets to gain advantage over each other. On the vampire side, the leather-clad death agent Selene (Kate Beckinsale) delegates teams of vamps to attack the lycans. But when she discovers that the lycans have kidnapped a human medical student, Michael Corvin (Scott Speedman), she knows the worst is on its way. Against the orders of her superior, Kraven (Shane Brolly), who is obsessively in love with Selene, she awakens the most powerful vampire of all time, Viktor (Bill Nighy) and prepares for a massive feud against lycan leader Lucian (Michael Sheen). Director Len Wiseman offers a tough, fast, and gory addition to the horror-fantasy genre with UNDERWORLD. Impressive special effects show the lycans transforming from humans to werewolves, and the lycans' ability to squeeze silver bullets out of their skin is also rudely fascinating. Beckinsale is captivating in the role of the lead vamp, with her leather corset, pouty expressions, and double-fisted pistols perfectly communicating the glam-action mood of the film. [More]

Starring: Kate Beckinsale, Scott Speedman, Bill Nighy, Michael Sheen

Starring: Kate Beckinsale, Scott Speedman, Bill Nighy, Michael Sheen, Danny McBride, Shane Brolly, Erwin Leder, Robbie Gee, Sophia Myles, Kevin Grevioux

Director: Len Wiseman

Director: Len Wiseman
Screenwriter: Danny McBride
Producer: Richard S. Wright, Tom Rosenberg, Gary Lucchesi, Robert Bernacchi
Composer: Paul Haslinger
Studio: Screen Gems

[See More Credits]

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Reviews for Underworld

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101 - 120 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

In the realm of action films, the whole thing works pretty well.

Full Review Source: Kansas City Star | comment Comment
09/19/03
David Frese
David Frese
Kansas City Star

A messy ball of pure, unadulterated comic book fun.

Full Review Source: Jam! Movies | comment Comment
09/19/03
Drew McAnulty
Drew McAnulty
Jam! Movies

Wiseman's look is so good that even were the rest of the film a wash, I'd still recommend it.

Full Review Source: CinemaBlend.com | comment Comment
09/19/03
Joshua Tyler
Joshua Tyler
CinemaBlend.com

It is a sad day when vampires and werewolves need guns and bad fashion to be scary.

Full Review Source: Jam! Movies | comment Comment
09/19/03
Jim Slotek
Jim Slotek
Jam! Movies

A vampire film for the new millennium -- bold, galvanizing and darkly stylish.

Full Review Source: Houston Chronicle | comment Comment
09/19/03
Bruce Westbrook
Bruce Westbrook
Houston Chronicle

It's hard to recall a more sexless vampire flick.

Full Review Source: Globe and Mail | comment Comment
09/19/03
Liam Lacey
Liam Lacey
Globe and Mail

After awhile, it's difficult to tell the leather-clad, black-haired good guys from the leather-clad, black-haired bad guys, and when the drama slips into the silly side, things go from dark to dismal.

Full Review Source: E! Online | comment Comment
09/19/03
E! Online
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A noisy, tiresome affair that can't manage one moment of wit or real tension.

Full Review Source: Detroit News | comment Comment
09/19/03
Tom Long
Tom Long
Detroit News

Despite the intriguing premise, the filmmakers have chosen to concentrate their attention on gory action rather than characterizations and coherent storytelling.

Full Review Source: Deseret News, Salt Lake City | comment Comment
09/19/03
Jeff Vice
Jeff Vice
Deseret News, Salt Lake City

Rather than a clever horror hybrid, the movie spends most of its energy channeling The Matrix.

Full Review Source: Detroit Free Press | comment Comment
09/19/03
John Monaghan
John Monaghan
Detroit Free Press

Dramatically undernourished and occasionally ridiculous.

Full Review Source: Denver Rocky Mountain News | comment 1 Comment
09/19/03
Robert Denerstein
Robert Denerstein
Denver Rocky Mountain News

A well-conceived, powerful movie, over the top for all the right reasons.

Full Review Source: Denver Post | comment 1 Comment
09/19/03
Michael Booth
Michael Booth
Denver Post

This is a movie so paltry in its characters and shallow in its story that the war seems to exist primarily to provide graphic visuals.

Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | comment Comment
09/19/03
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Wiseman, who has an extensive background in art direction, has art directed this film to death.

Full Review Source: Boxoffice Magazine | comment Comment
09/19/03
Kevin Courrier
Kevin Courrier
Boxoffice Magazine

Its sights are so transparently set on franchisehood that cynical is the only way to feel about it.

Full Review Source: Boston Globe | comment Comment
09/19/03
Wesley Morris
Wesley Morris
Boston Globe

[Beckinsale] looks like a 10-year-old girl going trick-or-treating as Trinity from The Matrix.

Full Review Source: Salt Lake Tribune | comment Comment
09/19/03
Sean Means
Sean Means
Salt Lake Tribune

Characters -- Vampire and Lycan alike -- pose, strut and try to look menacing, but they’re as scary as a congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Full Review Source: Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN) | comment 2 Comments
09/19/03
Bob Bloom
Bob Bloom
Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN)

There's not quite enough muscle to really sink your teeth into, but fans of the Blade-type vampire movies should be pleased.

Full Review Source: TheMovieChicks.com | comment Comment
09/19/03
Cherryl Dawson and Leigh Ann Palone
Cherryl Dawson and Leigh Ann Palone
TheMovieChicks.com

[An] all-style, little-substance barrage of hand-to-hand combat and gun battles that play like a first-person-shooter video game.

Full Review Source: Flick Filosopher | comment Comment
09/19/03
MaryAnn Johanson
MaryAnn Johanson
Flick Filosopher

Even though its surface is derivative, Underworld’s version of vampires and werewolves is original

Full Review Source: Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL) | comment Comment
09/19/03
Jeffrey Westhoff
Jeffrey Westhoff
Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL)
 
 
101 - 120 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 >> >|
all

Latest News for Underworld

August 14, 2009: Beckinsale Returning for Underworld 4? Opens in new window
Is Kate Beckinsale returning for the fourth installment of "Underworld"? According to Bloody Disgusting's sources, the answer is yes. More...

April 02, 2009: Five Favourite Films with Bill Nighy
There can be few actors better suited to starring in a film about the golden age of British rock and roll than Bill Nighy. No wonder, then, that he's front and centre as part of... More...

January 21, 2009: RT Interview: Bill Nighy talks Underworld: Rise of the Lycans
RT travels to New Zealand onto the set of Underworld: Rise of the Lycans to chat to star Bill Nighy about the complexities of fang wearing etiquette, wet, velvet, 'battle' skirt... More...

July 28, 2008: New Underworld: Rise of the Lycans Stills Released Opens in new window
The first photos of Rhona Mitra in Underworld action have been released -- and Entertainment Weekly has posted them for your enjoyment. More...

See All

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