For a young generation today they could probably not imagine what life was like without social media and how it was to actually meet people and hang out, have real conversations and joke about anything you wanted. A lot of things have become so sensitive in today´s society, and it is harder to express yourself. But i can tell you that the early 2000´s had a lot of advantages compared to today. Back in those days you actually had comedians who could joke about everything without being cancelled, you could also make comedies such as Dude, Where´s My Car? and Freddy Got Fingered without causing chaos. The early 2000´s also had a lot of wondeful music releases from bands such as Korn, Papa Roach, Drowning Pool, Linkin Park and Limp Bizkit, basically when Nu Metal was still a thing. Unfortunately we did also have Victoria Beckham´s self titled solo album released in 2001. Let´s just say it is a pop album very easy to forget ( i should not even be talking about it ). The early 2000´s also released a lot of action movies and horror movies, who might have been fun back then. But when i look back at some of them today they may not be as fun now. A perfect example of that is the action comedy Hollywood Homocide with legendary actor Harrison Ford, Josh Hartnett, Bruce Greenwood, Lena Olin and many others. I still remember some of the reviews this film had in cinema back in 2003, and they ripped this film apart. I can understand why, because this film has not aged well. I didn´t enjoy this film for a number of reasons, such as the comedy scenes didn´t work, the action scenes was not anything special and the chemistry between Harrison Ford and Josh Hartnett just didn´t work. I had a look at this film again not that long ago and it´s actually worse now than what i thought back in 2003. Basically a film you have no reason to watch, so you can find something more interesting. One thing though that the 2000´s actually did manage to do was to bring vampire movies back on track. I enjoyed Dracula 2000, Blade II, 30 Days Of Night, Let The Right One In and many more. There are some terrible ones as well but overall i think the vampire genre did deliver entertaining films during the 2000´s. One of the films i especially remember is a action horror film called Underworld from director Len Wiseman ( who also directed Live Free Or Die Hard, also known as Die Hard 4.0 ). Underworld released in 2003 brought a new franchise to life where you had vampires fighting against lycans ( werewolves ). Actress Kate Beckinsale became a very beloved name thanks to the Underworld franchise as the character Selene and i realised that this first film turned 20 years this year. Since it has been a while since i watched the first Underworld film i decided to do a 20 Years Anniversary Review of this film, to see if i still enjoy it after so many years. Is the first Underworld still a great horror film to enjoy today, or has this film aged just as much as Donald Trump Jr´s epic meltdowns ?
For generations, a secret war have raged vampires and Lycans, an ancient species of werewolf. The vampires gain the upper hand when Lycan leader Lucian ( Michael Sheen ) seemingly dies at the hands pf vampire Kraven ( Shane Brolly ), who becomes the second-in-command to the vampires leading elders. Selene ( Kate Beckinsale ), an member of an elite group of elite assassins known as "Death Dealers", continues to pursue the extermination of the Lycans despite other vampires no longer believing them to be a threat. During a clash with the Lycans, Selene discovers that they are looking for Michael Corvin ( Scott Speedman ), a seemingly ordinary medical student. Ignoring Kraven´s insistence to ignore the situation, Selene decides to investigate Michael.
The thing that made the first Underworld film unique at the time it was released was that we got a chance to see vampires fighting against werewolves in a more modern world. Of course there is a long history between vampires and lycans and you do find out some details on why they are fighting against each other. I personally enjoy the idea of this battle going on in a bigger city, and it is especially the violent scenes towards each other that is really entertaining. During the film we also find out some historical facts that are actually quite interesting, that helps you understand this world and how it has evolved through history. When it comes to the characters we do have especially three highlights here. Let us begin with main character Selene played by Kate Beckinsale and talk about a perfect match. Kate does her character so cool that you forget about some of the other characters in the film. She´s tough, not afraid to use violence and she is not afraid to tell anyone what´s on her mind. Actor Michael Sheen ( who have done a lot of really good films, especially Frost / Nixon, a must watch ) as the character Lucian is really fun to watch. This is the kind of villain you want in a film like this, who have no sympathy for anyone or cares how many he kills. I also enjoy legendary actor Bill Nighy as the second most powerfulof the vampire elders named Viktor. You can tell he must have had fun making this character in hiw own way. There are a few other good characters in this film as well, but these three characters deliver something special on the big screen. How is this film from a horror perspective? I would say that it´s not that scary ( at least not if you have seen a lot of vampire films ), but i do think the combination of horror and action is what makes Underworld entertaining to watch. You get plenty of gun battles and other violent scenes where vampires fight against lycans, and it´s hard not to be pleased about this combination. Some of the special effects such as the werewolf transformations may not work as well as it probably did back in 2003, but i can accept it. Anything negtive about Underworld to say? Well, maybe that some of the acting from the smaller cast isn´t very good. There are a few smaller characters that you honestly don´t care about since they leave no bigger impact. Otherwise i think this is a great first film in this franchise and Underworld will most likely continue to entertain audiences worldwide. If you love vampires and werewolves combined, then this is definetely the film you should see. Pick this film up on DVD or Blu Ray for a popcorn night, and i promise you are going to have a fun time. Who does not want to see Kate Beckinsale kick werewolf ass? Exactly, we all do.
Rating: DDD
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