Underworld 3: Rise of the Lycans Released: 2009
Reviewed: 10.13.09
Star Rating: 3 of 5
Michael Sheen (Lucian), Bill Nighy (Viktor), Rhona Mitra (Sonja), Steven Mackintosh (Tannis), Kevin Grevioux (Raze), David Aston (Coloman).
Third in the series, this is actually a prequel to the first two films which explains the origins of the Vampire vs. Lycan war. When Viktor's daughter Sonja is found to be in love with Lucian, a Lycan, Viktor has him thrown in prison where Lucian promptly organizes a revolution and goes to war with the Death Dealer army.
This one does a good job of jumping right into the story without a whole lot of character development. The plot is pretty simple, a convoluted Romeo and Juliet type tale, but the story is complicated by the film itself as characters aren't explained well but rather just thrown in along the way. We are left with an interesting story but not much connection to the characters.
Acting was superb by Nighy in his role as the vampire ruler. Not only did he make you hate him but he made you fear him at the same time. Sheen was good in his role but didn't seem to have the energy with Mitra to support the story. Meanwhile Mitra just didn't work in her part at all, coming across as dry, somewhat lethargic, and perpetually angry.
Filming was done with a blue hue that did well to set the mood and make the film feel cold but it also felt a bit overdone. Many scenes in the film were so dark that they were difficult to see without being in a dark room. Special effects were nicely done though they did get a bit overused by the end of the film. Sets, background, and dialogue were all nicely done while sound was split between highs and lows requiring some remote use to maintain levels.
Overall this was a good story and decent film which moved along pretty well though it felt a bit repetitive by the end. Vampire, werewolf, or franchise fans will likely enjoy this one while everyone else will find it dark and brooding. Plenty of violence, supernatural creatures, and some sexuality so save this for older teens and above.
No comments:
Post a Comment