Cinematography:
Scott KevanComposer:
Paul HaslingerCast:
Kate Beckinsale, Charles Dance, India Eisley, Michael Ealy, Stephen Rea, Theo James, Sandrine Holt, Dan Payne, Kris Holden-Ried, Catlin Adams, Daniel Boileau (more)VOD (3)
Plots(1)
Underworld: Awakening brings a stunning new dimension to the epic battle between Vampires and Lycans, as the first film in the franchise to shoot in 3D. Kate Beckinsale, star of the first two films, returns in her lead role as the vampire warrioress Selene, who escapes imprisonment to find herself in a world where humans have discovered the existence of both Vampire and Lycan clans, and are conducting an all-out war to eradicate both immortal species. (official distributor synopsis)
(more)Reviews (6)
I feel that Kate Backinsale is made for the world of Underworld the same way Mila Jovovich is made for Resident Evil. It is and always will be that way, and it will always have a lot to do with latex. I haven’t seen Underworld in a very long time and I missed some instalments, but despite that I thought I might watch the latest one and that it might surprise me. The action wasn’t bad, but it was the only thing saving an absolutely terrible screenplay. It’s simply a horrible bullshit.
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With its fast pace and short running time, Underworld: Awakening provides non-stop fun. In comparison with the first two instalments, however, it only follows proven templates without trying to bring anything new to the table (moving the plot from forests to the city and the corridors of a modern building seems inspired by Resident Evil or the first Matrix). It is a B-movie that does not offend, but it does not offer any memorable action scenes such as the one with the truck in the second instalment. The effects are sometimes fine, sometimes below average. Kate Beckinsale’s tight-fitting suit and blue eyes framed by brown hair are still cool, though. Exactly between two and three stars. Last year’s Priest was visually more original and bolder.
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The return of Latex Kate to the series is just a total washout and what's more, probably the beginning of more and more sequels. Her costume is nice, but something might as well start happening in those movies since it's a set now. But replacing a potential lover with a potential daughter? That’s no way to improve things. But the presence of Stephen Rea (Neil Jordan's favorite, who was especially excellent in Interview with the Vampire) and Sandrine Holt (Once a Thief, Mutant X, and The L Word) was a pleasure.
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No mythology, no juice, no beginning, no end. A very peculiar film where you can enjoy decent action, editing and sound, an excellent Kate Beckinsale and a few of her moves, which are truly worth it. Otherwise, it's a disgraceful made-in-Hollywood routine. Everything is further intensified by the short running time that doesn’t leave room to attempt anything. The first one was good, it was more stylish and larger, which is ironic considering the budgets.
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I found the fourth installment of the Underworld saga to be the grittiest and bloodiest yet. The plot this time follows more the first and second parts, which was not a bad thing at all, although some might argue that the drastic jumping in time between the episodes does not benefit the series, but it didn't. I welcomed the return of Kate Beckinsale, as I didn't really like Rhona Mitra very much, and Kate is already a part of this series. What bothered me most were the somewhat poorly done effects in places, which were most noticeable with the lycans, but the superlycan was handled well visually. Aside from that, I must point out that in terms of logic, Awakening was the most stupid episode so far (Selene manages to both tip over a van and shoot her way through the bottom of a rapidly falling elevator in a matter of seconds), but my weakness for this series prevents me from giving it less than an average three stars. At times the plot is a bit wilder, but it still has a proper dose of action, chases and shoot-outs (albeit sometimes very out there and into the void).
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Awakening? More like Falling Asleep. The script was weak, the dialogue lackluster. Although Kate Beckinsale entered the scene like a Terminator, clad only in her determination, she couldn't save this dysfunctional piece of crap. Why Theo James was cast in the film is beyond me. His character did nothing to help the plot. Similarly, the casting of Charles Dance, who was clearly supposed to replace Bill Nighy, didn't work for me. And the rest – the daughter, the giant Lycan, the huge war against vampires – make for a very unappealing combination.
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