Underworld: Rise of the Lycans

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. (07/31/2012)

The change in director didn’t significantly benefit the film, but it also didn’t undermine it, and it managed to maintain its standard under the guidance of a different name. This entire saga deserves a better script and a slightly bigger budget because the mythology is truly fantastic. I don’t mean to say that the film didn’t turn out well—not at all—but it’s just not something that will stay in your memory. The setting in the early conflict between Lycans and Vampires gave the film a fresh touch, and it was interesting to see how the creators handled the authenticity of that time period, and I must say, they did a great job. Bill Nighy clearly stole the show in his role—his character is so cold that, at times, you even find him likable (which is quite strange). Rhona Mitra, as a one-off replacement, did a decent job. However, there’s one thing I don’t quite understand: with each new installment, it seems to me that the visual quality is declining, at least from my subjective perspective. It’s hard to believe, but it’s true. It’s worse than the previous films, with a more flawed script, and the characters’ actions are becoming increasingly illogical. However, you’ll still enjoy the film, and that’s what matters. I give it 62%. (09/14/2017)

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. (01/22/2009)

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. (02/01/2012)

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. (04/17/2017)