Change is Good
Evolution Takes Story to Next Level
Too often, sequels of blockbuster movies do little to advance the story. Instead of continuing the series, a sequel often falls into the trap of copying the first movie or discounting it entirely. With Underworld: Evolution, I feared it would merely churn out another battle in the centuries old war between vampires and lycans (werewolves, for the uninitiated). Instead, I found the sequel to be an enjoyable addendum to the original film, picking up only moments after the first story ended.
Written by: Danny McBride (screenplay) , Len Wiseman (story) & Danny McBride (story)
Starring: Kate Beckinsale, Scott Speedman, Tony Curran,
Derek Jacobi, and Steven Mackintosh
Rated
(for
pervasive strong violence and gore, some sexuality/nudity and language)Running time: 105 min.
FilmGuru's Rating : 7 out of 10.
When last we left Selene (Kate Beckinsale), she had killed her mentor, the master vampire Viktor (Bill Nighy), after discovering that he had been responsible for the death of her family. Her love of Michael (Scott Speedman), a lycan, made her an enemy of both clans. When Michael nearly died at Kraven's hand, she bit him. Only Michael's lineage as a descendent of Corvinus allowed his blood to merge the two viruses into a hybrid -- part vampire, part lycan.
At the beginning of Underworld: Evolution, Selene and Michael are on the run; Kraven is consolidating his power after the death of Viktor; and the only remaining master vampire, Marcus, has been awakened by the blood of a lycan. Within the first ten minutes of the story, there are more twists and turns than could be expected. The story takes on the quality of a giant car chase as Michael and Selene go on the road to escape while Marcus gives pursuit.
The awakening of Marcus becomes a pivotal issue in Evolution. Like Michael, Marcus is a descendant of Corvinus, so his infusion of lycan blood into his vampire body has made him a hybrid as well. As a master vampire, however, he is clearly the stronger of the two. A showdown between the two is inevitable, but it comes much sooner than expected.
Like the first film, Evolution is a web of different storylines all converging toward a center. I'm not ashamed to say that it took several viewings of the first film before I understood all the intricacies of the plot. This is no exception. Part of the film is a guessing game, trying to understand why Marcus is after Selene and what he wants from her.
Thankfully, the story does not merely dwell on the present. Instead, it fills in some surprising revelations regarding past events, including some about Selene's own family. The new information enriches the characters created in the first film without making the history seem rewritten for the sake of the current storyline. Each of the revelations fills in a blank, often in places where the audience didn't know a blank existed.
The special effects are once again top notch. The folks in makeup should get additional recognition for the job they did on the transformed Marcus. His bat-like features are superb and hideous. This is the stuff of which nightmares are made.
The most confusing thing about the film is the setting. The first film seemed to take place in an unnamed European city. Nevermind the fact that Michael, the other hospital intern, and the police in the original appeared to be American. I assumed it was set in London or Paris. In this film, however, they seem to be in Eastern European country (if the armed guards Michael encounters are any indication). The film was shot on location in Vancouver, British Columbia, but I seriously doubt those were intended to be Canadians.
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