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Starring
Michael Sheen
Bill Nighy
Rhona Mitra
Directed by
Patrick Tatopoulos
Final Grade:
C+Rated R for bloody violence and some sexuality
a review by Heith Carnahan
The Rundown
In this prequel to the underachieving Underworld films thus far, the Lycans (or "werewolves," to people who speak English) are a slave caste who live under the lash of an aristocratic sect of vampires known as the Death Dealers, headed by the evil and immovable Viktor (the brilliant Bill Nighy).
Viktor's daughter Sonja (Rhona Mitra) is headstrong and independent, and she often draws the ire of both her father and the Council (there's always a council) for her willful ways. Little does the council know that she has fallen in love with Lucian (Michael Sheen), a Lycan who has found favor in Viktor's eyes for his intelligence and hard-working ways. But when Sonja and Lucian are discovered, the council's reaction could separate the two forever, and Lucian must find a way to free the Lycans from their lives of slavery while protecting Sonja's unlife from those who would see her executed for treason.
Rise of the no-like-ems
Actually "no-like-ems" isn't quite fair, but it is witty, so we'll go with it for now. Underworld: Rise of the Lycans isn't what you'd call a crown jewel of the action/horror genre, but it is worth seeing once, and it's part of a series with one major unusual characteristic: both sequels have been superior to the original, and that isn't usually an easy thing to pull off... except in this case.
To begin with, there is far more story than anyone might expect from the third installment of the series, prequel or not, and I'd go so far as to say you'll want to finish your business at the concession stand before the film starts; once it's underway, it's not a good idea to leave. There is enough going on at once, and indeed, enough character names to remember, that you won't want to miss anything you don't have to. Rhona Mitra turns in a characteristically reliable performance as the powerful but somewhat understated Sonja, and of course, Bill Nighy is the real show, whose cold, sinister, calculating Viktor wouldn't feel right in the hands of a lesser actor. Michael Sheen as the slave Lucian is given little to do but scream at the top of his lungs, but in that respect, his performance is more than passable.
Unfortunately, where Rise of the Lycans disappoints, at least relatively speaking, is in its dark, nearly undecipherable fight scenes, having been so frantically edited that it's often hard to tell what you're even looking at. And while not short on plot (see above), the story fails to grab the audience and hold on in such a way that keeps us from forgetting the finer points once the film ends. Also, the CGI werewolves left quite a bit to be desired, especially in their morphing from man to beast; it's quite clear to the viewer that there is no one standing there, and that genuine effects have been replaced by an intern sitting at a keyboard. Films like these would benefit greatly from traditional but more expensive effects that didn't attempt to convince moviegoers that Lycans are made of rubber.
The Bottom Line
It is worth seeing once, but probably only once. If you're a fan of the series, you'll get your money's worth. Other than that, make it a rental if it's up your alley.
-- Heith Carnahan, heith @ movie-popcorn.com