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MOVIE REVIEW: Underworld: Blood Wars

Garth Cremona (RIP)

Selene is back for another adventure in her skin-tight leather costume and this time some time has passed since her Daughter told her to go away and that she wasn’t her Mother.  Now the child is being hunted through Selene so that her blood can be used to win the war, for either side, in the never-ending battle between the Lycan and the Vampire.  As usual there is treachery aplenty to go around as you don’t know who is planning what.

To be honest the enjoyment of this film was slightly marred by the idiot two rows down at the press screening who kept looking at his facebook rather than doing his damn job.  I’m a fan of most of the Underworld films, they are silly over the top fun films, that any child could make, but they are entertaining for the most part.  When it comes to this film however there is little to enjoy.  Gone is the feeling of mindless action that goes over the top for no reason but knows that the audience is going to go along for the ride.  Also if you haven’t seen the previous films you cannot take this film on its own terms.  With the previous films, although the referenced the previous movies, you could always just take each one and catch up.  But you always try to look at a film as a stand alone film rather than a series.

I’m going to try explain my feelings about this film.  The action scenes are good for the most part but there is a disconnect between the story and the action.  Previous films in the series have always tried to make sure what little plot that they had been always tied to the crazy action.  There are also very few crazy stunt moments.  Even in the last film there managed to be some fun to be viewed.

The acting, which is B-Movie Horror level, should be higher, with Kate being joined this time by Charles Dance, and Sherlock’s Lara Pulver seemingly forgetting that they are performers and instead you get the feeling from most of the cast that this is an easy paycheck and lets just get through it.  Theo James returns and they try to write him a better part but he ends up being the eye candy of the film again.  

My biggest problem though is that I don’t care about the characters this time around, you don’t want to cheer on Selene and her side in the war, you hope that when the inevitable death of Selene and her coming back with new powers happens, well just want her to die.  I do have to give credit to the make up and computer effects people who manage to make Kate look like the immortal Vampire that does not age, apart from the close-ups where the process of time is clear.

I’ve paid in to see EVERY Underworld movie before now, even that one with Stephen Rea, which I thought was the low point in the series, until now.  I’ve also bought every single DVD released as the mindless fun of the series always is a good distraction from life or if I’m typing or badly drawing the Pogoroboto world is great to have them on in the background.  This film, called Blood Wars, as it seems strange to call it Underworld 5, gives us very little and fans of the series will be left a little cheated, I know as I’m one of them.  There are one or two set pieces that worked for me, but that’s about it.  I personally wouldn’t want to pay to see this in the cinema and won’t be buying the DVD on release.  I wouldn’t complain if it was on TV in three or four years and I tuned in, that is usually how long it takes for me to forget how bad a film is.  Hopefully this is the end of the series now, but the last few shots of the film seem to make out that it won’t be, but for me this is the end.

[yasr_overall_rating size=”large”]

Director:  Anna Foerster
Writers: Cory Goodman,  Kyle Ward, Kevin Grevioux, Len Wiseman, Danny McBride
Stars: Kate Beckinsale, Theo James, Tobias Menzies

See full cast & crew

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Garth Cremona (RIP)
Comic book creator and movie reviewer. You can find out more at www.dublinwriter.com
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