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)
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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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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Rise of the Lycans is actually a prequel to the previous two installments, so if you had seen the original Underworld you knew how things would turn out. Even without it, the plot was clearly predictable. I get that vampires aren't allowed to go out in the sun, but still, I don't think the darkness needed to be so impenetrable, and it certainly didn't need to rain. If it had at least snowed, it might have brightened it up a bit. I was only going to give it two stars, if it hadn’t been for Bill Nighy and Rhona Mitra.
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It's nice that the Underworld world expanded into a proper action fantasy, but that doesn't mean it's something that really deserves much attention. A classic mainstream film that doesn't try too hard with its story, and it's not scary at all. Unfortunately, even the effects aren't anything noteworthy. If you like Underworld, you might like it, but maybe not even then.
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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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