Reviewed By
Vaughan

Analysis
Every horror movie fan worth their salt will tell you that through out the annals of time there have been hundreds of movies featuring dentist dodging garlic-haters who all have messy hair because "mirrors just don't work like they used to". Some of these have been outstanding pieces such as 'Interview with a Vampire', 'The Lost Boys' and 'Blade', but a large majority (you know who you are) have been dire. The same can also be said for the Werewolf movie with, although much less prevalent, top notch efforts such as 'American Werewolf in London', 'The Howling' and 'Brotherhood of the Wolf', found amongst the rubble. Only now do we get an idea so fantastically outlandish that it really should have been thought up and made ages ago - why not pitch Vampires AGAINST Werewolves in a sort of gang warfare type situation. Fabulous.

So here we have the much anticipated 'Underworld', and what is perhaps the first thing most people (especially blokes) will notice about the film? Well for a start, the casting coupe that rubber stamped Kate Beckinsale's involvement. Possibly the one reason that this film hasn't gone straight to the shelves of Blockbusters is the inclusion of the upper class British crumpet that featured in the historically heavy weight 'Pearl Harbor' and the poisonous combination of comedy and romance, 'Serendipity'. Bagging this little, and I do mean little because she's bloody tiny, beauty meant that the whole production was elevated into a new league of credibility ensuring that it becomes main stream horror for the masses. Kate's leading role as the ice cold ass kicking Selene will undoubtedly draw it's comparisons with Wesley Snipes 'Blade' character but whilst he is half man half vampire, Selene is pure vamp through and though.

The film has a wonderful dark tone and gothic architecture that makes for a very bold visual statement that will seem familiar to any fan of the 'Batman' series. The fact that the whole movie is shot without a single ray of sunlight and a relentless monsoon downpour, you soon get the feeling of hopelessness which is kind of what the fight between vampires and werewolves is all about. With the mood set nicely we then move on to the battle royale which pits the two warring faction against one another. In the red corner we have the aristocratic Vampires with their designer clothing and expensive jewelry, and in the blue corner we have the vicious sewer dwelling shower dodgers, the Werewolves. For the same reason that 'Freddy vs Jason' was such a big hit, the fight scenes are the main draw for the film. Yes it does have a plot but it is merely a vehicle in which to travel to the next set piece and never stands out as being an important element, although it should. The action is, as you would expect, fast and brutal with some great moments that increase the pulse and get the nervous reaching for the cushion. The young lady that sat directly in front of me in the cinema physically jumped out of her seat at least 4 times during the film. This has to be a good thing for a horror film

On a slightly negative note, you could be forgiven for drawing dozens of movie comparisons between the films contents and others of a similar nature. To rattle off a few would bring up names such as 'The Matrix', 'Equilibrium', 'Batman', 'Blade' and oddly enough 'Romeo and Juliet', but the elements that do seem familiar are done exceedingly well, it's just that nothing radically new has been put into the movie.

Key Area	Rating (out of 5)	Comment
Action		Gun blazing fight scenes, frantic chases, hand to claw combat and amazing acrobatics all feature in what has to be the second selling point of the film.
Tension		Atmosphere and tension abound with the obvious monster elements adding a good deal of sudden fright moments and the dark passageways in which a number of battles unfold all make this a great butt clencher.
Violence/ Gore		Pretty gruesome stuff for a main stream horror featuring loads of fight induced injuries that are just too numerous to list.
Bare Flesh	None	Nope, but Kate Beckinsale does look hot in her jet black figure hugging leather outfit.
Plot		What was the plot again? errrm, well perhaps not the most outstanding element and you can't get away with saying "Vampires vs Werewolves is the plot and it's brilliant". There has to be something more to it than that.

Verdict This is one seriously cool number with a plot premise that entices more than it delivers. It's an atmospheric horror that offers a ton of gun blazing that heightens the action element's but suffers from a bit of an identity crises and as such becomes a little unforgettable once you leave the cinema. Still a great movie and well worth catching just to see the one unique element that got me in front of the screen in the first place. Vampires vs Werewolves!!!

Movie Pictures (Click picture to enlarge)