Movie Review: Underworld: Awakening

One thing about doing a movie review is consciously detailing its ‘high and lows’ but it’s an entirely different story when you spill the beans on the movie’s entirety, so to speak.  Besides, it would be anticlimactic if we squeal on the ending and ruin everything for everyone, wouldn’t it?  It just won’t feel right.

Anyway… no spoiler alert on this one! Just the rub…here we go…

 Underworld: Awakening starts out with Selene (Kate Beckinsale) narrating on the age-old war between the Vampires and the Lycans. Of course, we already knew that. Scenes from the previous Underworld installments are flashed onscreen to drive home the point.

Fast-forward… years after the last installment. A tech-savvy group of the humans discover the existence of both supernatural forces.

The ‘new player’ is introduced to the fray annihilating both supernatural races to extinction. An empowered human race armed with weapons of hi-tech caliber succeeds in the task of what is known in the movie as ‘The Purge’…or did they really? At this point, Selene and Michael Corvinus (the hybrid Vampire-Lycan) attempts to escape the onslaught along with others but gets captured and subjected to suspended animation for, obviously, educational purposes.

Underworld: Awakening begins. Selene is thawed from cryo-sleep via the help of an unknown benefactor.  The vampire warrior is suddenly thrust in the future where she has no friggin’ idea about. As Selene searches for answers, a new plot for world domination is discovered. This is where the excitement begins. Questions start to figure in the entire scheme of things.

How does Selene deal in this future world?  Were the supernatural races totally annihilated?  Where does she fit, and is she the only one left? What if …? Nagging questions that keeps everyone glued to their seats. The movie definitely keeps getting better at this point.

Awakening not just succeeds in the story-telling department but does so likewise in the rendering.

Kudos to the creators… the movie never forgot to excite as was in previous installments. The action scenes are just impressive and relentless.

Yes, there is blood and the occasional gore but what is Underworld without it, right?
Unrelenting likewise are the ‘amped’ fight scenes that it somehow quenches the viewers’ lust for the final conclusion. The movie is just plain engaging with all the elements in its proper place.

And yes, Kate Beckinsale is the walking (and fighting) draw to the movie. This goddess is just eye-candy, well, the male viewers think so. Furthermore, what made the movie interesting is its 3D rendering. And did we say that a new addition to Selene’s own family tree is in order? (Laughter)

I won’t delve on it any longer… let your curiosity get the best of you. Let’s just say that the movie is worth your trip to the movie house… ’nuff said!

“Underworld Awakening” stars Kate Beckinsale,  Stephen Rea,  Michael Ealy,  Theo James,  India Eisley  and  Charles Dance. The film is directed by  MÃ¥rlind & Stein  (“Shelter, Storm”). The screenplay is by  Len Wiseman  (“Underworld”) &  John Hlavin  (“The Shield”), and  J. Michael Straczynski  andAllison Burnett  (“Untraceable”). The story is by Len Wiseman and John Hlavin; based on characters created by  Kevin Grevioux  and Len Wiseman and  Danny McBride.

Now showing in theaters nationwide, “Underworld Awakening” is distributed by  Columbia Pictures, local office of  Sony Pictures Releasing International.