Movie Review: Underworld: Rise of the Lycans (2009)

I hope you liked the opening action scene from Underworld: Evolution, because this movie is basically 90 minutes of that. Set in the Middle Ages and heavily utilizing the franchise’s signature blue tint (kind of like day for night), this movie’s action-packed, and really not all that good, though that’s kind of what I’ve come to expect.

I continue to enjoy Bill Nighy a lot in the role of Viktor. He’s chewing the scenery, but still somehow pretty classy. It’s a very fun performance.

Without Kate Beckinsale as our protagonist, though, there isn’t much to root for. The lead is Michael Sheen, returning as Lucian. Not that Selene is the most interesting character or Beckinsale the most charismatic performer, but there’s just a bit more in her than there is in Sheen in this movie.

I will give this movie credit for its impressive sets. You’d have thought this came out after Game of Thrones with its dark medieval sets, but apparently it predates that series, so I guess the inspiration is probably more The Lord of the Rings. Anyways, it looks pretty nice.

Rating: 3/10