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UNDERWORLD
review by Joseph B. Mauceri
For centuries,
two races of immortals hidden within human culture have evolved;
their existence no more than a whisper of a myth. There are the
aristocratic, sophisticated Vampires, and the brutal, feral Lycans
(werewolves). Lifelong
mortal rivals, they are fighting a war until only one race is left
standing. In the midst
of struggle, a ³death dealer,² Selene (Beckinsale), discovers a
Lycan plot. They are searching for a young human doctor who they
want to kidnap. His genetics holds a key that could turn the tide
of the war. Selene
shadows Michael (Speedman) through the city, and when the Lycans
make their next move she is there to fend off their vicious assault.
As she tries
to unravel the Lycan intrigue surrounding him, Selene discovers
that the terrifying repercussions of the Lycanıs secret. They are
trying to awaken a new invincible species of predator that combines
the strengths of both creatures and the weaknesses of neither. REVIEW:
From his work in the art department
on such blockbusters as ³Godzilla,² ³Men in Black,² and ³Independence
Day,² to the critically acclaimed music videos he directed for bands
like Megadeath, Static X, and Paul Oakenfold, one could easily guess
that Len Wisemanıs directorial debut would be visually impressive,
and it certainly is. UNDERWORLD is a blending of genres
and styles. Wiseman is a big fan of comic art, action figures and
industrial music, and the film reflects his tastes. There are certain
elements of the film where one could easily point them out and site
a reference to another films, comic books, or music videos. However,
that similarity is a small piece that goes into the weave of this
epic tapestry. In developing the plot, Wiseman
is smart by not getting bogged down in an attempt at reinvent the
mythology of these creatures. I think modern audiences are well
versed in the nature of werewolves and vampires. Still, the writing
team manages to instill a few new and insightful moments into their
mythology, but mostly focus on the makeup of these characters to
help carry their plot. What background elements the writers focus
on is the battle at hand. Due to a series of events near the middle
(I hate giving the plot away so please allow me to be vague here)
of the film, we find a sense of reality that centers the film. In
essence, the filmmakers concentrate more here on the action and
the drama than the genre elements. I think the audience becomes
more emotionally involved with the characters and the drama. I like
the feel, but come the filmıs climax you can help but see signs
of a ³franchise.² The story of UNDERWORLD succeeds
or fails on its main character; a female vampire ³death dealer²
named Selene. Taking the lead to fill those fangs is actress Kate
Beckinsale. Looking a bit like Carrie Ann Moss in ³The Matrix,²
and projecting a strength and presence much like Sigourney Weaverıs
Ripley in the ³Alien² films, she has that rare combination of hustle,
muscle, and charisma to be a female action star. She also manages
to maintain a sense of vulnerability, which she amazingly achieves
in her scenes with the elder vampire, Viktor. Itıs a great character
and Beckinsale effortlessly sells the part. Unfortunately, the rest of the
cast is either as good, or as bad. That is partly due to some of
the dialogue these supporting characters have to utter, coupled
with less than stellar performances. But I think that might be a
direct result of the lack of presence by the actors. Billy Shane
doesnıt seem like an old soul who has grown tired of the vampire
nobility. He seems like a spoiled child of the MTV generation, and
out of place with the rest of the cast.
In fact, some of his dialogue supports that feel. Then there
is this weird thing with Scott Speedman (I know he starred in ³Felicity,²
but doesnıt his name sound like a porn starsı stage name?). I get the feeling that his scenes where cropped. There is this
building of an emotional level to his scenes, which he manages to
project to the audience, but his dialogue feels shortened and it
feels like something is missing. Maybe his scenes were too wordy,
or maybe his body language overcompensated for the dialogue. Either
way, his performance almost feels inconsequential in the scope of
the rest of the narrative. Wiseman has his hands in all
the various elements of this production. First he uses the city
of Budapest as the backdrop for the film and, through the lighting
and cinematography, breathes so much life into the locations that
it becomes another character in the film. In fact, everything in
this film is unique enough to stand on its own, but still serves
the story. From the production designs, visual effects, creature
designs, costumes and the music, it all creates an intense visual
experience. Effects master Patrick Tatopoulos, who also worked on
³Godzilla² and ³Independence Day,² comes up with some great creature
designs. His work creates a resonating crescendo on top of Wisemanıs
visual style. From the costumes to the settings, it all adds layers
to the film. Oh, and I especially loved the music. There is a smooth
blending of score and soundtrack that properly enhances the film. OFFICIAL
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