Underworld: Blood Wars follows on from Underworld: Awakening which opened up the ongoing Vampire\Lycan war to the wider human world and introduced the daughter of our vamp heroine, Selene (Kate Beckinsale), and Vampire\Lycan hybrid beau, Michael Corvin. In this new entry to a franchise that has been running for 13 years now, Selene must protect her daughter from new Lycan villain, Marius (Tobias Menzies), who requires the hybrid sprog’s blood for his nefarious, master plan.
The film fan in me loves the Underworld movies whilst the film critic in me says, “Why on earth do you subject yourself to this nonsense?” Yes, it’s easy to be critical of this franchise but the truth is I have a soft spot for Vampires and Werewolves combined with action violence, and a somewhat less soft spot for Kate Beckinsale in heels, skin-tight black vinyl and twin fully automatic pistols.
The plot is strictly by the numbers and the horror quotient is probably lower than it’s ever been in this series (bar, perhaps, one or two moments) but the fantasy action keeps things interesting enough. Some stunning continuity errors mean you probably shouldn’t follow the proceedings too closely but rather just enjoy the ride.
In the end, Underworld: Blood Wars is an average entry into an increasingly tired franchise (which isn’t done yet!) and is really just a stopgap for its existing fan base.
Stuart Jamieson
www.sonypictures.net
