Directed by:
Patrick TatopoulosCinematography:
Ross EmeryComposer:
Paul HaslingerCast:
Rhona Mitra, Steven Mackintosh, Bill Nighy, Michael Sheen, Shane Brolly, Tania Nolan, Kevin Grevioux, Elizabeth Hawthorne, Craig Parker, Peter Tait (more)VOD (2)
Plots(1)
Underworld: Rise of the Lycans delves into the origins of the centuries-old blood feud between the aristocratic vampires, known as Death Dealers, and the barbaric Lycans (werewolves). A young Lycan, Lucian (Michael Sheen), emerges as a powerful leader who rallies the werewolves to rise up against Viktor (Bill Nighy), the cruel vampire king who has persecuted them for hundreds of years. Lucian is joined by his secret lover, the beautiful vampire Sonja (Rhona Mitra), in his battle to free the Lycans from their brutal enslavement. (official distributor synopsis)
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Reviews (8)
As a prequel, it's not completely bad. Rhona Mitra was a safe bet and the rest of the cast is more or less consistently good. What didn't work as well in the third vampire adventure was the atmosphere and overall visual execution. After all, darkness and booming music work better in a modern city at night, where it's much more appealing and attractive, rather than in a medieval castle surrounded by walls and catapults. The special effects weren't particularly impressive either, but from the first moments, it was clear that they were cutting corners wherever possible. There are a few original scenes (with the wooden spears) and the final quarter of the film surprised me with its unexpected twists, which fit well into the story. If there's a fourth one, I wonder what it will be about. It feels like a closed trilogy that barely meets the standards of quality.
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When vampires and werewolves go at each other's throats in a medieval world, the love between two of them is definitely not going to have a nice ending. This prequel to Len Wiseman's action horror film offers very chaotic action, mediocre visual effects and a feeling that it doesn't belong in the cinema.
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I welcomed the idea of making a prequel to the first and second Underworld with open arms, as it was good to go back to the origins of the conflict between vampires and Lycans. I also welcomed the return of Bill Nighy, whose performance as Victor, one of the oldest vampires, was simply spot on. I was a little uneasy about the casting of Rhona Mitra in the lead role, as I don't really like her, but on the other hand I have to admit that the casting team managed to choose an actress who is very similar to Kate Beckinsale, which was the point – they really do look almost like sisters or cousins. The film doesn't lack for action, a few good scares and in this case a numerous horde of properly bloodthirsty werewolves. There was a jarring scene here and there – for example, the sex on top of the castle or Lucian's speech to the other Lycans in the cells – but that's kind of part of the franchise. All in all, a decent sequel (or rather prequel) to the first two parts, with a really good atmosphere thanks to the setting in ancient times.
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This is bad. It’s lost its mojo. I quite liked the previous two installments (the first more than the second), but I didn't like this one. Boring. And the dubbing?! Why did she call him “darling"? And why was he wearing the same coat he had been wearing several centuries before? And what was the black guy doing there? And why....? Never mind. A weak installment, a bad script, and overall a big disappointment.
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The idea of making the whole series as just one big flashback isn't entirely out of place, and I got quite a kick out of the acting. Rhona Mitra has been good since Season 3 of Nip/Tuck, I've been considering The Gates because of her. I'm always happy to see Elizabeth Hawthorne outside of series production, and the biggest hit of Rise of the Lycans was of course the "find all the footage with Craig Parker" game.
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