UNDERWORLD
By Joanna Varikos
D: Len Wiseman
W: Danny McBride

Kate Beckinsale has done a complete 360. Having come from films like The Golden Bowl and more recently Laurel Canyon, the British actress is taking on werewolves in the new genre flick Underworld.

Beckinsale plays Selene, a Vampire of the night who hunts and kills Lycans a.k.a. werewolves. The Vampires and Lycans have been at war for thousands of years. When the Lycans discover a human (portrayed by Scott Speedman of TV's Felicity) whose blood can make them crossbreeds-a species more powerful than Vampires-they destroy everything in their way to find him. The problem is Selene falls in love with the human, which creates chaos in the Underworld.

Technically, the film is outstanding. The character-generated effect of people turning into werewolves is more fun than watching Nicole Kidman's nose transformation in The Hours (and that was good). Additionally, first-time director Len Wiseman uses Matrix-like slow motion to enhance some of the action scenes. And the action will not disappoint. Gun-toting, leather wearing Beckinsale kicks ass (the tight outfits alone are sure to please many viewers). Michael Sheen (no relation to Martin, Charlie or Emilio) as werewolf leader Lucian is an amazingly talented actor and plays the villain to a tee. Some of the supporting characters, however, could use some work. Even if you're not a horror/fantasy/action genre fan, tag along with a friend who is so you can be entertained by all the cliché lines Vampire leader Kraven delivers. Played by Shane Brolly, who looks like he just jumped out of a soap opera, Kraven spews every overused line in film scripts. For instance, the dramatic "mark my words," "I thought we had a deal," and "I want his head on a plate." You'll enjoy waiting for Kraven to appear just so you can pick out another unoriginal line.

With the look of The Matrix and a storyline similar to Blade, Underworld itself may seem like a crossbreed between the two films. But hey, that comparison may not be so bad because Underworld has something to look forward to-both those films have had sequels. Yeeee!

Sponsors: