Underworld: Rise of the Lycans

The third Underworld is more traditional "comfort fantasy" than the first two, which put a cool contemporary spin on a new mythology about vampires, werewolves, and the humans who love 'em. This time the story moves forward into the past, with a Dark Ages prequel that's all flashing swords and giant crossbows instead of high tech firearms and car chases.

Fans shouldn't mind the change of century, though, because three of the best characters from the first movie are featured, all played by the same actors who embodied them in 2003: Lucian the Lycan human-werewolf hybrid (Michael Sheen), his massive second-in-command Raze (Kevin Grevioux), and the contemptuously evil vampire Viktor (Bill Nighy). Steven Mackintosh, the duplicitous vampire historian Tanis in 2006's Underworld: Evolution, is also back. All of the characters are the next best thing to immortal, after all, so they were around for hundreds of years before the first two movies took place.

Unfortunately, the events in Rise of the Lycans predate the arrival of the leather-clad death dealer Selene, played by Kate Beckinsale in Underworld and Underworld: Evolution. Beckinsale only appears on-screen here in a very short clip from the first flick. But as those familiar with the Underworld canon know, Viktor adopted Selene because she reminded him of his daughter Sonja. Accordingly, this movie's lithe and lethal Sonja (Rhona Mitra) could pass for Beckinsale's tough as steel sister.

In classic forbidden romance fashion, Sonja is in love with Lucian, despite being a member of the vampire elite while he is one of the castle's werewolf-human slaves. Lucian rallies the "Underworld" underclass and escapes, knowing he must return for Sonja. This means gathering an army that includes the savage pure werewolves populating the surrounding forest, and those are some extremely uncivilized creatures.

Sheen and Nighy are great at playing their characters without a hint of condescension, classing up the monster-mash by taking things right to the top without ever going over it. Sheen manages to deliver lines like "Any man who fights with me shall have his freedom—and, if he wishes it, immortality!" without a trace of irony. And Nighy is genuinely chilling when he tells Sonja, "You have betrayed me…to be with an animal." There's no winking at the camera by anyone involved, and only two lines of dialog in the entire film could pass for comic relief.

First-time feature director Patrick Tatopoulos, creature designer for all three movies, doesn't bring as much Matrix-lite flash to the proceedings as Underworld and Underworld: Evolution director Len Wiseman did. But Tatopoulos' more old-school approach works fine within this old-world setting. Also, Wiseman and Danny McBride have been among the writers on all three movies, using characters created by Grevioux, which has been good for both continuity and consistency.

It's not necessary to have seen the previous Underworlds before taking in Rise of the Lycans, because it works fine on its own. Even better, this installment will be enjoyable even for those who have followed the series from the beginning and know what's going to happen, thanks to flashbacks within the other movies.

As werewolf/vampire movies go, this one doesn't bite…or suck!

—James Dawson
01.23.09

The battle between pleather-bound vampires and scrunchy-faced werefolk rages on, this time in a medieval setting, in Underworld: Rise of the Lycans. This time, FX guru Patrick Tatopoulos takes the directing reins and, in doing so, crafts what could be the best that the series has to offer. While still far too serious for its own good, this entry manages to thrill without falling back on its second-rate Matrix roots. With no frenetic gunplay and tight close-ups of latex-covered rumps, the picture is freer to focus on its mythology, which was always the best thing the B-flick series had going for it. Boosted by a fantastic performance by Bill Nighy, Lycans has just enough bite to keep one interested as the backstory is fleshed out in this singular take on the clash between the top two creatures of the night.

Filling in the tale first told in the original Underworld flick, the prequel recalls the time when vampires had enslaved the half-man, half-beasts known as the Lycans. The plot picks up where Viktor (Bill Nighy), the leader of this particular bloodsucking tribe, spares the life of the first Lycan he encounters, Lucien (Michael Sheen). As the years go on, the vampires take advantage of this new race by breeding them as their slaves and protectors. As fate would have it, Viktor's daughter, Sonja (Rhona Mitra), falls in love with Lucien, which inevitably leads to the revolt of the Lycans, with Viktor on one side and the forbidden union of his kin and Lucien on the other.

As with many prequels, the trick is keeping an audience's interest despite them already knowing how it will end. In this case, Rise of the Lycans is fairly successful. The change to a medieval setting certainly helps things, as do the meaty acting chops of its warring leads, Sheen and Nighy. Mitra once again does a formidable job, as does the impossibly deep-voiced Kevin Grevioux, as the future co-leader of his monster tribe. Though the story does fall more into archetypal forbidden love territory, it's the cast -- as well as the razzle-dazzle FX -- that really keeps one's interest. The inclusion of straight-up werewolves is a big plus, even if the difference between them and Lycans isn't nearly as clear as it should be.

One the downside, the picture is really missing that vampiric bite that it should have. While previous entries were hampered by their bloodsuckers manning handguns, this picture similarly falls back on swords and armor to get its toothy villains through the fight. Thankfully, one should know what to expect out of this series by now, which is partly what works best for this third feature. By switching things up just enough, Tatopoulos keeps the acting true while delivering on the massive action one would expect from hoards of lycanthropes storming castles filled with debutant vamps. While it may not be "Citizen Canine," Rise of the Lycans tells its tale competently and without the derivative nature of its predecessors. While the genre world will still pine for a rock 'em-sock 'em brawl between the pillars of the monster world after seeing this, they could certainly do a whole lot worse than what's on display here. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide