Underworld (2003)
Average Rating: 4.7/10
Reviews Counted: 159
Fresh: 50 | Rotten: 109
Though stylish to look at, Underworld is tedious and derivative.
Average Rating: 4.5/10
Critic Reviews: 35
Fresh: 6 | Rotten: 29
Though stylish to look at, Underworld is tedious and derivative.
liked it
Average Rating: 3.6/5
User Ratings: 457,262
My Rating
Movie Info
A young man who has pledged his life to helping others finds himself in a pitched battle between two gangs of supernatural villains in this blend of horror story and action thriller. Michael Corvin (Scott Speedman) is a medical student who is heading home after a long day of school and work when he unexpectedly finds himself in the middle of what appears to be a rumble between two well turned-out street gangs. What Michael doesn't know is he has witnessed a skirmish between two deadly
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Cast
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Kate Beckinsale
Selene -
Scott Speedman
Michael -
Michael Sheen
Lucian -
Shane Brolly
Kraven -
Bill Nighy
Viktor -
Erwin Leder
Singe -
Sophia Myles
Erika -
Robby Gee
Kahn -
Wentworth Miller
Dr. Adam Lockwood -
Richard Cetrone
Pierce -
Kevin Grevioux
Raze -
Zita Görög
Amelia
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Underworld Trailer & Photos
All Critics (160) | Top Critics (35) | Fresh (53) | Rotten (113) | DVD (46)
These vampires have no teeth -- hell, they don't even fly.
Top Critic'Your incompetence is most taxing,' says the chief vampire (Bill Nighy). A line that pretty much nails this rusty Blade.
The sort of movie in which the head vampire telegraphs his evil by using a cell phone and dressing like the Kinks' Ray Davies in the early '80s.
I've been waiting a long time to see a Shakespearean werewolf vampire movie and here it is.
125 minutes is a long time to stare at a movie that's basically in bleached blue-and-white with occasional splotches of brick red.
By any reasonable standard, this dark vampire epic -- all massive overacting, cologne-commercial design and sexy cat suits -- sucks.
Pulpy, punk-ish story with some intense violence.
...a hybrid horror and action film that succeeds as neither.
It's ultimately entertaining, exciting, and stylish with great direction and enough of both worlds that will satisfy any horror and or action fan.
...a relentlessly unpleasant fantasy epic...
Tony Pierce-Roberts' cinematography perfectly captures the gothic comic-book feel.
[Underworld] could use more plot and deepened characters and less vapid expository dialogue, flashbacks and ballets of bullets.
This mostly mediocre movie is a painless enough time-waster, thanks to slick production values and some impressive stunt work, but it never lives up to the potential of its premise.
All style, and just not enough substance.
The script unfurls a lot of backstory we don't care about illuminating plot mysteries we also don't care about.
The film even has the nerve to set itself up for a sequel. Of course, the ending is so sloppy, that this may have just been an oversight.
In the end, it's more a role-playing game scenario than a plot -- although there someone would have worked out rules that make sense.
I gave Underworld a firm 3 out of 5 stars upon its original theatrical release, and I'm not ashamed to admit that I've since upgraded it to a solid 4.
[Beckinsale's] detached, no-nonsense demeanor helps give this chilly adventure an S&M-inspired eroticism.
The special effects are not greatly innovative, but they are extensively and rousingly applied, and the action scenes are justified by the moderately complex narrative.
Endless sequences of posing and posturing by Beckinsale and fellow fangsters.
Audience Reviews for Underworld
Super Reviewer
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- Viktor: Time to die.
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- Lucian: I've tasted his flesh. Just two days till the full moon. Soon he will be a lycan. Soon he will come looking for us.
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- Kraven: Let me tell you a little something about your beloved dark father. He's the one that killed your family. Not the Lycans. He never could follow his own rules. Said he couldn't abide the taste of lifestock. So, every once in a while, he'd go out and gorge himself on human blood. I kept the secrets, and cleaned up the mess. But he's the one who crept room to room that night, dispatching everyone close to your heart. But when he got to you, he just couldn't bear the thought of draining you dry. You, who reminded him so much of his precious Sonja, the daughter he condemned to death.
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- Viktor: There is a good reason why these rules were created, and they are the only reason we have survived this long!
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- Viktor: Your incompetence is becoming most, *taxing*.
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- Singe: For years, we've been trying to combine the bloodlines. And for years, we've failed. It was useless. Even at the cellular level, our species seemed destined to destroy each other. Yet the key, we knew, was to locate the rarest of bloodlines. A direct descendant of Alexander Corvinus Hungarian, a warlord, who came to power in the early seasons of the fifth century. Just in time to watch a plague ravage his village. He alone survived. Somehow, his body was able to change the disease, mold it to his benefit. He became the first true immortal. And years later, he fathered at least two children who inherited the same trait.
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Latest News on Underworld
August 14, 2009:
Beckinsale Returning for Underworld 4?Is Kate Beckinsale returning for the fourth installment of "Underworld"? According to Bloody...
April 2, 2009:
Five Favourite Films with Bill NighyThere can be few actors better suited to starring in a film about the golden age of British rock and...
January 21, 2009:
RT Interview: Bill Nighy talks Underworld: Rise of the LycansRT travels to New Zealand onto the set of Underworld: Rise of the Lycans to chat to star Bill Nighy...
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The main problem with this is the quite dreadful CGI effects. I realise it would be hard work to create all those werewolves real time but at least make an effort with the computer work guys. The motion capture is really quite awful throughout the film looking more like large rats scampering all over the walls and ceiling.
Up close its not much better really with poor facial designs and bad hair work in my personal opinion. Such a contrast to the vampires which do look exquisite facially with their pale skin, piercing eyes and slick hair. Easier to achieve granted but I REALLY wish they had gone more down the road of real time effects for the werewolves. Imagine what this film could of been with 'Werewolf in London' lycan effects! its painful to think what it could of been.
I like the fact they tried to do something without CGI with 'Corvin's' hybrid character but its just looks too plain, nothing thrilling a tall plus they just seemed to spray him all black..that's its, nothing more!?.
The film still reasonably rocks and comes close to a new 'Crow' style flick (if it had some harder tunes in there). Beckinsale is gorgeous and Nighy is excellent as the skinny gaunt 'Viktor'. Close to greatness but just misses, but because it's vamps and werewolfs I just cant say no hehe.
Kudos for handling two major horror franchises together in a face off with relative success, unlike 'AvP'. Its just a shame it does feel too much of a hybrid of other sci-fi/vamp films. 'The Matrix' does stand out to be honest, didn't wanna go there but you have to really.