Director: Patrick TatopoulusStarring: Bill Nighy, Rhona Mitra, Michael Sheen
Points: 65 out of 100
Rating: Teen (violence, mild nudity)
Comment: "Strong performance by Bill Nighy, sadly there's little else..."
It's difficult to say whether or not this is the best out of the Underworld franchise for I have yet to see the first two. But the good news is that, you don't have to be an avid fan of the franchise to enjoy this film. Sure, you might miss out on some details, but nothing that will refrain you from enjoying this one. However, it could also be a double-edged sword, for this is nothing you haven't seen before.
Just like the title suggests, this is a prequel to the Underworld series. It tells the tale of how the war between the Vampires and the Lycans began. It all started with the birth of Lucian, the first of the Lycans and how Viktor, leader of the Vampire discovered him. Instead of killing the offspring of his mortal enemies, he decided to keep Lucian and raise as a slave to the Vampires.
What is a rather bland plot is saved by a strong performance from veteran actor, Bill Nighy, famed for playing off-beat characters such as Davy Jones in the Pirates of the Carribean franchise, a human/zombie in Shaun of the Dead and now a vampire lord in the Underworld series; a role which I could not imagine being played by anyone else due to his gaunt facial feature and that stiff, awkward gait.
Movies such as this need a lot of special effects to be believable, and it certainly did not disappoint. Several technical errors can be spotted to the attentive eye, such as the day and night cycle, but errors such as these are hardly noticeable in one sitting.
Points Calculation
The Good [+100]
- Strong performance by Bill Nighy
- "Works" as a supernatural flick
The Bad [-35]
- Archetypal plot
100 - 10 = 65 points
Just like the title suggests, this is a prequel to the Underworld series. It tells the tale of how the war between the Vampires and the Lycans began. It all started with the birth of Lucian, the first of the Lycans and how Viktor, leader of the Vampire discovered him. Instead of killing the offspring of his mortal enemies, he decided to keep Lucian and raise as a slave to the Vampires.
What is a rather bland plot is saved by a strong performance from veteran actor, Bill Nighy, famed for playing off-beat characters such as Davy Jones in the Pirates of the Carribean franchise, a human/zombie in Shaun of the Dead and now a vampire lord in the Underworld series; a role which I could not imagine being played by anyone else due to his gaunt facial feature and that stiff, awkward gait.
Movies such as this need a lot of special effects to be believable, and it certainly did not disappoint. Several technical errors can be spotted to the attentive eye, such as the day and night cycle, but errors such as these are hardly noticeable in one sitting.
Points Calculation
The Good [+100]
- Strong performance by Bill Nighy
- "Works" as a supernatural flick
The Bad [-35]
- Archetypal plot
100 - 10 = 65 points
