|   Underworld | Kam
Sep 20, 2003 9:46 PM | | This one was VERY close to being a part of the crap movie genre and earning the title "Undercrap", but I guess i was in a good mood while watching it, because i didn't mind a great deal of stupidty and copycatting in it that usually bugs me or the execution of it was decent enough to keep it out of that category. There is a fine line between crap and decent fun, and a nudge in the wrong direction can send a movie into total crap. This one, thankfully, stayed out of the crap zone.
First off, it's a really good looking movie. Very cool shots, sometimes too cool as they got distracting. Seemed to be there just for the sake of having a cool shot rather then integrated well into the whole. The desaturated colors and heavy heavy darks in the film looked really nice. Sometimes the blacks seemed TOO black, but the underground and tunnel scenes all were very cool. And Kate Beckinsale in those outfits was just flat out unfair.
Story - the love story side of it came completely out of nowhere. It's obviously a West Side Story/ Romeo & Juliet with Vampires and Werewolves, and they set up the background of the animosity between the two houses really well, they just do NOTHING to set up why the two main characters should have any feelings for each other. Just simply, for the heck of it, she kisses him, and it's assumed they are in love with each other. The other vamps even say it before the kiss happens that she is infatuated with the human/lycan. Again, with no obvious evidence to indicate this. However, if you can get over this, (which i did for some unknown reason, usually something that nags me but just didn't this time, i guess because it is believable when you see kate in that outfit to just get bowled over) the rest of the love story is tolerable.
The rest of the story itself is a cool idea that just wasn't executed as well as it should've/could've been. Not that it was horrible, just kinda wished it was better. The dialogue was just a touch under being TOO cheesy, but everyone but the second in command vampire guy pulled off the lines. I mean, you are going to have cheesy lines in avampire/werewolf war movie, you just have to have actors cool and serious enough to pull them off. For the most part, they did that here. Just the second in command vampire guy was just... not believable.
Action - the werewolves are pretty darn cool. The special effects behind them were well done, the transformations just a little cartoony, but cool enough. When they had the prosthetics on, the werewolves looked awesome. Very good animatronics and stuff on them. And when they had them running along the walls and ceiling, very well done. They had cool ideas for weapons, the one that took the cake being twin silver whips a vampire uses against a werewolf, VERY nice touch. Unfortunately for them, the matrix really gave us SO much imagery that there was a TON of similarities between the opening subway sequence and the Lobby Fight in the matrix, intended or not, it was there.
Overall... fun, good looking movie, great idea, average execution.
peace
k2 |
| Worked for me | GrendelZ
Sep 23, 2003 9:56 PM | | Let me start by saying I LOVE vampire movies,I looked forward to this but didnt think it would be as cool as blade.I will say it is AS cool but could be a lot better,they definatly leave room for a sequel and it could get a lot better if this one does well(#1 this weekend).I mean this is a vampire vs werewolf movie so you have to give it some slack,but I really thought it was cool.I know the Matrix comparisons will be made but any movie with slomo gun sequences will be from now on.I will recommend this movie highly to anyone interested in this sort of thing,you will not be dissapointed. |
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