Underworld: Awakening (2012) Reviews

• Just Not an Underworld Movie. . .

  tucker-4082012-01-19

  This movie was, at best, mediocre. The action was good, I suppose, but it simply wasn't as good as its three predecessors. The plot was underdeveloped and unsatisfying. Also, without Speedman, it was really just missing something. The story was, quite simply, lacking. It's difficult to explain this film's shortcomings without spoiling it, but, to say the least, they ignored elements that could have made a good movie and skipped to rather simple, unsatisfying plot devices. This movie was also absurdly short, testifying to its lack of content. In the end, it just didn't feel like Underworld. I would compare this to the way I felt about The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, and Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides - just an out of place fourth movie of a series. I really wanted it to be good, but it just wasn't.

• Amazingly Overrated!

  wiseman9872012-01-21

  I may be acting a bit rash in rating this film at 2 stars, but at the time of my writing, there are just too many shadow marketing reviews on this site to ignore. In a different situation, and if the first 2(3) underworld movies were not so good, I might rate this a 5. New writers, new director/directors, different movie. If you just want to see some cookie cutter CGI 'action' movie, then give this a look. If you are a fan of the earlier movies, if you know the story of Selene, Viktor, Corvinus, and the rest, you will be disappointed. It is not as bad as the crazy changes they made to the highlander movies, but they just decided to forget the past films and do something new. Actually they decided to rip off a few other stories, none of which were good the first four times you saw them. I am not going to go into every detail of what is wrong with this movie. For the most part, it is bad because it must be compared to the earlier films in the series. It just does not compare in any way. Acting, scenery, sets, writing, story, effects, all better in prior underworlds. Aside from all I have said, the production value is high, and the movie is watchable.

• Meh.....Okay I guess

  Filmaholic782012-01-23

  I'm not sure why this film seems to be getting fantastic reviews. I mean it was a good enough action flick but it didn't blow my mind. In fact it was a case of the same old stuff just done better. Brilliant to watch but not refreshing at the same time. The story was lacking in depth and character development and just felt like a filler for another sequel. I don't want to be all doom and gloom about it because Kate really did kick some ass and looked good doing it too so as far as action and eye candy goes its great. But any fan of the series knows that the Underworld saga isn't stupid. They always paid attention to script and story and that was lacking here unfortunately. I'm sure if you go and see it you wont be disappointed but just leave your brains at the door and watch the action commence.

• Disappointing!

  joshuasbrenner2012-02-04

  I saw the movie in 2D but to be honest, the low rating was not because of the lack of 3D but rather that it was very disappointing. I felt like the movie had a good storyline but it only touched on segments of it rather than expand on it. The Cryogenics with a 12 yr gap did not make any sense. If the little girl was her daughter than how come she had no memory of giving birth. If the hybrid was a test tube baby she would have still come from somewhere, unless the female scientist who looked after the child was the real person who gave birth to her? Also, when Selene met with Thomas, he knew who she was and that she was responsible for killing elders but it didn't really touch on how he knew even though he acted like he was an elder which I do not think he was. As for me, the special effects were so/so but it was more like watching the first Matrix movie. The scene where she storms the office building and attacks the guards was very similar to scene in the Matrix. It did not really leave much for the imagination. Towards the end of the movie where the bad guys get the upper hand and the plot of the movie, it is short lived. The ending of the movie was like when the Empire Strikes Back ended. Just when the movie was getting good, and they followed a lead to meet with her hybrid lover, the movie ended! Guess there will be another sequel! When the movie ended, I looked at my watch and realized that it was just under and hour and 1/2. There was so much more they could have done with this movie and cranked out another 20-30 minutes to complete the storyline. It just seemed as if they filmed the movie in a couple of months. I do not understand how there was a budget of $70 million when the special effects seemed below par. Yet, Underworld 3, was budgeted around $35 million. Naturally, Kate Beckinsale looked as sexy as ever, which probably the highlight of the movie.

• Not enough vengeance

  leobeckons2012-01-21

  For those who came in late, the Underworld series is all about the eternal enmity between the non-human species of Vampires and Lycans, the latter being an evolved race of werewolves. So far, we learned all about the centuries of bloodshed, and the absolute necessity for the 2 groups never to reconcile. At the heart of the narrative is Selene (Kate Beckinsale), who was once the pride and joy of the Vampire army, till she fell in love with a hybrid (part vampire part Lycan), and began to question the ethics of her tribe. Underworld: Awakening begins with a new development in the world that Selene and Michael inhabit. Thus far, the inferior human species has remained unaware of the existence of the other species. Now that covens and nests have been unearthed, paranoia strikes, and annihilation of non-humans becomes military priority. Selene and Michael try to leave the area by boat, but both are captured and frozen in a lab, for research. When Selene awakens, she manages to flee from her prison, only to find that it is now 12 years later. Lycans are almost extinct, there is a weapon that she has, and her enemies want it for their evil purpose. This installment of the Underworld franchise has the flimsiest plot, the least talented actors (except, of course, for Stephen Rea), and the most unsatisfactory climax. In fact, this has to be the first movie of the series that leaves loyalists not clamoring for more. The premise is so incredulous (and not in a good way), that you will stop trying to comprehend the sequence of events that leads Selene to the end of the movie. To make up for the lack of a credible story, the makers decided to intersperse every second conversation with visuals of ripped heads, severed body parts and plenty of blood. The gore in the movie is not only irrelevant, but also added for shock value, or so it seems. The icing on the cake is the presence of constantly flickering lights. The lab has them, the parking lots have them, the corridors have them - the civilized world does not seem to believe in proper lighting. What the audience is left with is a semi-hypnotized sense of being after sitting through all those lights. Kate Beckinsale goes through all the motions of being Selene with the ease of a professional. She has done this to perfection before, but this time, she seems complacent, and bored. To give her credit, she has maintained her figure, and looks no different than the Selene who first made an appearance almost a decade ago (in the first movie of the series). The very talented Stephen Rea plays a villain of sorts in the movie. He does look confused at times, as if he wonders why he signed the film. There is no sign of effort from any other member of the cast. The music is more like stock music, and production value is inconsequential (there's nothing in the film except walls and piers). The fight sequences are not engrossing enough, and the spurting blood and flying intestines are distracting. In short, the entire movie is a disappointment. If, however, you insist on watching Underworld: Awakening, avoid the 3D version, and maybe your headache will not be as bad. On a more positive note, there is always the hope that the next movie will manage to regain the lost glory of the series.