User reviews

Kate Beckinsale and Scott Speedman reprise their roles as leather-clad, ass-kicking vampire warrior Selene and vampire / werewolf hybrid Michael in this decent sequel. The story picks up where the original movie ended; now Selene and Michael are on the lam and determined to obtain exposition regarding the centuries-old war between blood suckers and bloodthirsty canines. Relentlessly pursuing them is thoroughly evil bad guy vampire Marcus (Tony Curran); Selene and Michael attempt to get some help from the legendary Alexander Corvinus (Sir Derek Jacobi), the man who got the ball rolling on this conflict so many years ago.

"Underworld: Evolution" is okay as far as this kind of entertainment goes. It depicts a bleak, stylized environment that refrains from many primary colours, going for the gusto in terms of action and gore, and trying to deliver a poignant moment here and there. The CGI can be ropey at times - as we all come to expect from this sort of thing - but there is fortunately some practical work as well (like Brian Steele in costume as the fearsome werewolf William, who's been imprisoned for centuries).

It really helps to have a largely British cast with such a tale; they lend gravitas where it might not have been delivered otherwise, and the actors all give it their best effort. Curran is a vivid villain, and it's a real treat to have Jacobi in a pivotal role in a modern genre crossover of a movie. Steven Mackintosh is a hoot as a seedy beast who's been the historian for the two clans, but was forced into exile. Some cast members from the original film, like Bill Nighy as Viktor, Shane Brolly as Kraven, and Michael Sheen as Lucian, appear briefly.

Director and co-writer Len Wiseman keeps the story moving forward adequately, spices it up with a bit of sex, and gives us a finale where Selene and Michael are fighting their adversaries side by side.

Not bad overall, but if one is NOT a fan of the first "Underworld", this sequel probably won't get them to change their minds about this series.

Filmed in Vancouver.

Six out of 10.

Selene (Kate Beckinsale) wishes to expose the truth about the death of Viktor to the first true vampire Marcus (Tony Curran) that is hibernating. However, Marcus has already awakened and wants to release his savage Lycan brother William (Brian Steele), who has been imprisoned for centuries. When Marcus tries to get the medal possessed by Lucian from the hybrid Michael (Scott Speedman), Selene decides to visit Andreas Tanis (Steven Mackintosh), the exiled official historian of the covens, to understand his interest. When Selene and Michael meet Tanis, they disclose the truth about their bloodlines, and later with the support of Alexander Corvinus (Sir Derek Jacobi), Selene faces the powerful and evil Marcus as the last hope left for the mankind.

It is very difficult to see good sequels, but "Underworld – Evolution" gave me the sensation that together with "Underworld", they are one good movie split in two parts. The viewers like me that enjoyed "Underworld" will certainly like this sequel very much. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Anjos da Noite – A Evolução" ("Angels of the Night - The Evolution")

Note; On 28 January 2017, I saw this film again.

Good Start up to the new saga of movies. If you are a fan of horror and the underworld series themselves then it's worth a watch, action packed from pretty much start to finish and delivers a good story that moves on for the first lot. Kate is great as always and brings along others to perform a good hour and forty minutes of vampire/werewolf mayhem!

Just imagine if your brother was lupine, while you devoured blood, like it was claret wine, he loved to howl and bark, you just loved being in the dark, a psychotic and neurotic frater line.

Selene is being hunted for her blood, batty Marcus needs to find where William's stood, he wants to build the family, there's some new anthropology, to explain why they enjoyed their childhood.

It's only downhill from now on, as the franchise ruptures, the bloods gone, not quite knowing when to stop, perpetually draining a good plot, leaving a husk, a shallow spectre of what was.

Be nice to know what the point of it all is too, aside from megalomania.

This original and gore-soaked vampires film begins in 1202 a.d., eight centuries ago. Unknown to humanity, a blood feud raged between a ruling class of vampires and rebellious legion of werewolves known as Lycans. Legend tells that the war began with two brothers, the immortal sons of Alexander Corvinus(Derek Jacobi). Marcus(Tony Curran) bitten by bat became the blood leader of the vampires. William(Brian Steele) , bitten by wolf became the first and most powerful Lycan. For six centuries Selene(Kate Beckinsale) was a loyal soldier of the vampire clan, but she was betrayed. The war was not as it had seemed. In one night, the lies that had united the kind vampire had been exposed. Kraven, the second-in-command had formed a secret alliance with Lucian, ruler of the werewolf clan to overthrow Viktor(Bill Nighy), vampires leader . But Kraven's lust for power and domination had failed. But Viktor was not the savior they had been led to believe. He has betrayed them all. Soon the hunt would be on for his killer. Selene has but one ally left : Michael(Scott Speedman), the human descendant of Corvinus. Neither vampire nor Lycan, but a hybrid. It's only a matter of time before they're found. Their only hope now is to awaken to Markus , the last remaining Elder and expose the truth, before Kraven tries to murder him while he's still in hibernation. Kraven knows he's match for him awake. Meanwhile, Selene and Michael are going to Tanis's(Steven Mackintosh) fortress for getting information. As the war between vampires and werewolves get more personal and deadly , they decide to launch a full-scale attack on the hideout in order to extinguish the race.

This exciting movie displays unstopped action, thrills ride, spectacular fighting, graphic violence, brief nudism with mild sex scene and is pretty entertaining. Packs large amount of guts and gore , there's a huge body count, this one actually knocks off an immense amount, several vampires and werewolves are staked bloodily in the chest, even more impaled with large claws. There's really savage decapitation, plenty of bodies ripped in scraps and half, including some of the most tears ever, that spill lots of blood and numerous get shot up with bullets. Most of vampires, Lycans and humans victims are relegated to being bitten in the throat and neck. Magnificent special and visual effects as well as excellent make-up department. Bone-chilling and atmospheric musical score by Marco Beltrani and colorful and dark cinematography by Simon Duggan . Spectacular production design by Patrick Tatopoulos. He's author of set design and production design of known blockbusters, such as 10.000 BC, Indepencence day, I robot, Resident evil, Pith black among them. The motion picture is well directed by Len Wiseman, Kate Beckinsale's husband . He's also the screenwriter along with Danny McBride and Kevin Grevioux. All participate in the following, a prequel in pre-production, titled 'Rise of the Lycans' directed by Patrick Tatopoulos and with similar actors. Recommended to those who amuse those kind of vampires-werewolves films or those enjoy in general.

I recently saw Underworld: Blood Wars in the theater and it inspired me to review the entire franchise. Two days ago I re-watched Underworld (2003) and today I watched Underworld: Evolution.

Well shame on me. I skipped right over Underworld: Evolution and didn't even realize or know. With that, I still was able to enjoy the three that followed this one (Rise of the Lycans, Awakening, and the recently released Blood Wars).

I didn't quite like Evolution as much as I did Underworld (2003) but it still held its own. This installment was about uncovering Vampire/Lycan history. More information and more secrets were revealed about both species. Again there were many bullets shot (so many rounds of ammo and so many guns) and again Selene (Kate Beckinsale) had to fight some ferocious beasts (both Vampire and Lycan).

A sound follow up and link to Underworlds to follow.

More gory and more enjoyable, this opus is much more action oriented than the first one. Obviously, the scenario is less interesting although quite correct. The special effects are better than the first, the actors play well and the action scenes are much more watchable. On the other hand, the film is a little short but it's still a very good continuation of a good saga.

After Kate Beckinsale's Seline character got around kicking massive rear in slinky black Lycra, we had Charlize Theron doing the same in Aeon Flux, and coming soon, Milla Jovovich in Ultraviolet. Sexy costumes, menacing weapons and killer moves seem to be the order of the day. It's no doubt that Underworld would have a sequel, since it was obviously hinted at after the end credits of the original, though it would be three years before it materialized.

And Kate Beckinsale still looked as hot as the pasty-white faced, black and blue eyed vampire known as a Death Dealer. Actually, that's one of the extremely few good things about this movie. We get to see her more, see her in action more (*ahem* love scene some more to keep the fan boys happy) with her twin rapid firing handguns, and flitting around action sequences without tearing her outfit.

The other good thing about this movie, is if you're a fan of blood and gore, you'll be kept happy with the many decapitations in various creative ways, piercings, shootings (at point blank), and endless gunfire.

Unfortunately, these good points were thin after a while, and seriously, you'll be clock watching for it to end. The movie starts off by going back to the early beginnings of the feud and tries to explain blood ties and brotherly love, in the times when the Death Dealers were wearing hand-me-down armor from the elves in Lord of the Rings. For those who are unfamiliar with the first movie, fret not, this movie does spend some time to try and explain the convoluted plot to you in a series of quick flashbacks. Sometimes so much that I think the entire first movie had been told here in fast forward.

And what a convoluted plot it is! Somehow you know that our heroes can't die - one's a superhuman hybrid never seen before, while the other is Seline the invincible who defied all odds to survive past the first film. But invulnerability makes a character weak, as it takes away the fun. Injuries heal in record time (ok, so they're vampires who recuperate in the darkness), and you'll really wonder if the Highlander way is the only way for a character to perish. The central plot about brotherhood, and the quest to unleash the very first Lycan was pretty boring stuff.

Somehow the production seemed a little lazy too. In the first movie, we had sets which are more in tuned to the present world, with the city and all. But this movie seemed to like darkness and worn out locations, and even the finale set looked suspiciously similar to the original's. And I learnt too that vampires can transfer abilities and skills by letting another suck its blood, much like Chinese Martial Arts films where the kungfu master imparts his skills to his disciples using internal strength - you'll become stronger overnight.

I had great hopes that the sequel would present itself as superior to the original, especially if it could develop a strong back story. However I was proved wrong, and this sequel, like many others, pale when compared to the original. I don't think there'll be another sequel given the characters becoming who they are at the end (almost a copy of X-Men 2's camera moving across a body of water shot with voice over), but then again, you'll never know.

Let's face it. If you're going to see this movie, you probably enjoyed the original and are looking for more. You want high doses of fight scenes, vampire and lycan lore, blood, violence, and Kate Beckinsale wearing leather or less. In short, this movie delivers all of the above in great excess, so if you liked Underworld, you're going to like Underworld: Evolution as much or more.

On the other hand, if you don't like blood, violence, action, mythology, or using a sword in a world full of guns, this movie is not for you, and it's NOT MEANT to be for you, so don't complain about it.

This movie surpasses the original as far as story development. We learn a good bit about each character's past, which helps justify all the extreme violence they engage themselves in. We're also introduced to some new characters and plot lines that add interest and new twists, rather than just rehashing all the familiar faces from Underworld.

This movie fails to get a 10 rating from me for the following reasons:

1) Not quite enough "stuff" to fill the time. Too many shots of Kate Beckinsale "looking intense". The movie could have been 10 minutes shorter if the number of these shots had been reduced from seemingly infinite down to 10 or so. Minor problem.

2) A few glaring continuity errors.

3) Too many flashback/explanation shots from the original Underworld. I suppose this is necessary so as not to alienate viewers who didn't see the original or who forgot it. However, this movie is obviously targeted to people who liked the original and want more, so give us a quick refresher and then hit us with new stuff. No need to keep providing Cliff's notes throughout the movie. Make us think a little!

4) There wasn't a standout power move comparable to the spinning/shooting through the floor in the original Underworld. Let's face it, half the people that went to that movie did so because that shot was in the trailer. This movie had lots of power moves, but none that stood out as the winner.

Underworld: Evolution is the second part of the underworld movie Franchise and is directed by Len Wiseman and stars Kate Beckinsale, Scott Speedman, Tony Curran, Derek Jacobi and Steven Mackintosh in the lead roles.

There is no doubt that the formula of second part is similar of the first with same violence, bloodshed, demons and vampires but the execution is praiseworthy. Kate Beckinsale is exceptionally good and deserves an applause.

The movie is fast paced although goes slow in the middle but comes on track pretty nicely on time. The movie also has a potion of romance and emotion which was missing from it's prequel.

The climax of the movie was nicely made and entertaining. Look forward for the next movie.

To start off, let me say that I'm a very big fan of the original. I think it did everything right; having a nice Gothic overtone, great characters, an original, intriguing and in-depth plot, fun action and an overall script that never once felt dull. Oh, and of course...it had Kate Beckinsale in tight leather, hehehe. Now does this sequel contain all these qualities that made the original so good? Personally, I'd have to say no, I don't think it did. Was the movie necessarily bad? Also no. It was highly entertaining but not that good of a movie overall.

STORYLINE: The story in this film was no where near as good or developed as the original. As it starts off with a war scene in the past, I found myself really enjoying it. We find out a little about the Corvinus family and the origins or Marcus, who was the very first vampire, and his brother, who was the very first Lycan. But after we witness these scenes and learn these few minor plot details, the story development pretty much comes to a dead stop. Honestly, nothing really happens in this movie. It's all just action and really nothing more.

CHARACTERS: The lead characters were good. Selene and Michael didn't exactly have any development but that's okay because they were developed enough in the first film. But what was slightly developed was their romance, which the first film seemed to be lacking. We really got to feel the connection between them and how much they really cared for each other. And it was great to see Michael show off his new hybrid abilities and kick some booty along the way. He was a lot cooler in this film than in the original. The new vampire leader, Marcus, was also pretty damn cool. He had a very sinister appearance, especially with the devil-like wings, and didn't seem to have any sympathy at all as he brutally disposed of anyone who got in his way. In the original, we had Lucian, who was a well developed bad-guy character and I actually found myself caring for him. Marcus, on the other hand, didn't strike a cord with me at all. He looked cool, sure, but besides that, he had absolutely nothing going for him and I really didn't care what happened to him. All the other characters in this film were also very undeveloped as well. We really knew nothing of them and as a result, felt unsure whether we should like them or hate them. So that's a major issue.

ACTION: The action, most the time, was very enjoyable. And I stress MOST of the time, not ALL of the time. There was some really fun action and fight sequences and a nice amount of blood and gore thrown into the mix. So it definitely does manage to entertain the action buffs. But then, at times, the action began to feel annoying as it got extremely repetitive. It was like they just kept replaying the same action scene over and over and just tweaked it a little in order to pass it off as a different scene. This was a problem because the whole movie seemed to base itself on action, rather than story, and the action wasn't even all that good.

ATMOSPHERE: Another good thing about this movie would have to be the scenery. Yeah, I know that's not really important in the movie, but it really did help with the overall experience. There were beautiful mountain landscapes, snowy woods, old style castles in ruins and gorgeous red colored twilight skies. So I think it actually helped a lot in setting the atmosphere and gets points for great eye candy.

OVERALL: The first film was an action-horror movie with a great original storyline. This sequel, on the other hand, felt more like a series of left over action scenes that were taken out of the first film. I think watching the two films back to back will make a great overall experience. But as a stand-alone, it doesn't quite work. It's fun for sure, but that's about it. It's not even remotely close to being as good or better than the original in any way.

I went into this movie with high hopes, but have to say I was fairly disappointed. The plot was way too straightforward and action was overdone with long drawn out sequences and lots of blood. Any shock value in the fighting was lost early on in the movie. Reminded me more of cop shootemup except with characters dressed up like vampires and werewolves.

The general concept, which made the first movie good, is still there, so I still enjoyed it more than most movies I've seen lately. But it could have definitely been better.

Kate Beckinsale and her smoking hot costume and piercing blue eyes bring the rating up from a 4 to a 6.

OK sequel to UNDERWORLD will appeal to its core audience and few others. Too many flashbacks to the first movie do little to explain what is going on in the sequel -- that is, to the uninitiated and people like myself who hasn't seen the original in awhile. The plot is thin, although the action is fast and furious as vampire/warrior Kate Beckinsale is again on the track of those who threaten to destroy the world. Good-looking nonactor Scott Speedman is back as her love interest, himself a combination of vampire and werewolf who is virtually indestructible. And knowing this takes away some of the fun toward the end when the big fight is on and the chips are really down. But enough said about that. Beckinsale looks great in skin-tight black leather, and has a quasi-nude love scene with Speedman. The gore quotient is fully realized, thankfully. The monsters are great-looking, and the atmospheric photography and sets are first rate. Nevertheless, recommended only for fans of the first.

Underworld evolution picks up right after the first movie and keeps the ball rolling. The storyline is well developed and the action is kept up throughout the movie. A successful sequel in that the action is suitable amped up from the first and the characters are further developed. Selene is a badass, and while Michael is a bit of a hapless dope it doesn't matter, Selene is the queen and always will be.

Just got back from watching it tonight, let me tell you, the first big surprise was how how many people turned out for it, for a Thursday night the place was packed as if Harry Potter had just come out, it's been a while since my local theatre was like that.

Now to the movie itself. I liked the first one but this one was an improvement. Mostly because of Scott Speedman's character Michael. The last movie only gave us a glimpse into what he has become, and here we get to see him kick butt alongside Selene as what is pretty much an equal. Watching him fight and take-down werewolves was great.

The action scenes were bigger, with great direction and camera-work. the special effects are also great, especially the scene with their winged-nemesis pursuing their truck. Make-up is amazingly well done. It was refreshing to see that the werewolves were still practical make-up creations rather than CG.

There was also the added bonus of sex scenes. one where a guy is having fun with a couple chick vampires, and one between the two leads. we get to see most of Beckinsale's lovely figure (MILF is an understatement) but no direct frontal shots. ladies will enjoy much shirtless Speedman action.

The opening segment makes it worth a look, i definitely recommend it to anyone who liked the first or thought it had promise.

Evolution provides a worthwhile continuation to the Underworld sage.

The film loses a little from the original but does a nice job of expanding the universe and the mythology.

What new secrets will be revealed?

Good fun :)

Who would of thought January would be a good month for movies? Two weeks ago saw the release of GRANDMA'S BOY, the funniest comedy to come out in the 2000s yet and this week brings UNDERWORLD: EVOLUTION, a sequel that is *gasp* better than the original. Finding a sequel as good or better than the original is, pardon the old expression, like finding a needle in a haystack. It just doesn't happen very often, which what makes UNDERWORLD: EVOLUTION such a treat. It's bigger and better the original. This is no doubt because the cast members are more suited in their roles than they were before and because with his second feature, Len Wiseman has grown as a director. Also improved are the special effects that appeared somewhat fake in the original film. If 'EVOLUTION' was only about special effects like mostly all action pictures today, it would be no good, but thanks to screenwriter Danny McBride and Wiseman, there is actually a good story behind the mayhem. Were there weak points? Just a couple. The chemistry between Selene and Michael seemed a bit off at times. 9/10