Vampires vs werewolves

Underworld: Awakening (2011)
Certified: 18
Duration: 88 minutes
Directed by: Måns Mårlind and Björn Stein
Starring: Kate Beckinsale, SeleneIndia Eisley, Theo James, Michael Ealy, Stephen Rea
KRS release

Underworld Awakening is a must-see film for all the Underworld fans who seen the previous three instalments.

Humans have finally discovered that they are caught in an ancient war between the vampires and the Lycans (werewolves) and they only want one thing: the destruction of both species.

Vampire Selene (Kate Beckinsale) is caught in this war and is placed in suspended animation by Dr Jacob lane (Stephen Rea) and son Quint (Kris Holden-Ried) who have their own malefic plan.

After 12 years she is liberated by a young girl called Eve (India Eisley) who is actually her daughter. She was conceived from her relationship with the werewolf half-breed Michael from Underworld, the first film of the series.

Selene finds help from David (Theo James), a vampire whose father Thomas (Charles Dance) leads a vampire revolution-ary movement. However, he does not trust Selene for herpast actions that had harmed their kin.

Meanwhile, Eve is attacked by werewolves and captured.

Selene makes a psychic connection with her and sees that Dr Lane has acquired a hold of her and is going to start experimenting on her. Lane is actually a werewolf who wants to make a vaccine that will make werewolves immune to silver. Selene sets out to stop him, accompanied by Detective Sebastian (Michael Ealy), a policeman who is friends with the fanged ones.

Underworld: Awakening is a return to the strengths of the first two movies. Kate Beckinsale is back in latex and form-hugging corsets, seeming like a girl from one of the Rammstein videos.

This film is not really about the characters but more about evil sophistication vs brute animal strength. It helps that the two directors know the genre well and thus present its audience with some really strong gun battles and slowmotion hero sequences, with Ms Beckinsale always in focus as she battles fierce gigantic werewolves with back flips, kicks, bullets, copious slicing and dicing. Stephen Rea plays it cool while Charles Dance is suitably regal.

The producers behind Underworld know this is no longer about widening the net but more about keeping one’s fan base, reinforcing it and giving them the desired mayhem which keeps them coming back.