re:mote voices

Title: Underworld
Cast: Kate Beckinsale, Scott Speedman, Michael Sheen, Shane Brolly, Bill Nighy, Erwin Leder, Sophia Myles
Director: Len Wiseman

has been getting some seriously damning reviews, which perhaps in some ways have some justification. sure it has problems, it is not perfect, but it is certainly superior to many films that are churned out. underworld has an obvious visual impact, a lot of work has been put into that aspect of the film. the plot goes for the rapid and violent, with definite holes, but overall it is kind of fun.

a war has been raging for centuries. vampire against werewolf. the vampires have been winning thanks to the efforts of death dealer's like selene (beckinsale), dedicated to the eradication of their ancient enemy. however when selene discovers lycans tracking a human she stumbles on a plot that turns everything she knows upside down. of particular significance is the revelation that the lycan king is not dead, and that the vampire who claims to have killed him is behind a conspiracy to take power.

both sides have been developing new weapons, so there is a lot of gun play, each side firing bullets designed to play to the weaknesses of the enemy. with this there are times where what each character "is", is not entirely relevant, though one gets a feel from the dress sense of each character which side they are on - the vampires favouring victorian finery, mixed with lots of black and rubbers/pvc/leather styled wear, while the lycans tend to a more urban and ragged appearance. of course as many people will point out the skin tight outfits worn by kate beckinsale don't do her or the film any harm, no doubt being something of the films attraction.

one of the turning points for the film, one which the plot is based upon, as well as one that is used for the set up of a sequel, is the relationship between the vampire selene and the human michael corvin. a relationship complicated by the bite by the lycan king, which means come the imminent full moon he will be transformed into a wolf man. in particular this is one of the films real problems, the relationship happens in true hollywood fashion - which is to say it comes from nowhere because it is convenient and suits the film makers, regardless of how unbelievable it is. of course the front selene projects is one of inscrutability, she is calm, collected and totally focused. with that there is a certain amount of restrained chemistry from the looks the pair give each other, which could, if you were willing to give the benefit of the doubt, be allowance for the relationship.

of course this leads to examination of selene, who is, essentially the main character. which is kind of impressive in its own right, in an industry where the female lead is a token and trivial gesture, only included to avoid accusations of sexism. instead in this case beckinsale is undoubtedly the lead role, and sure there is an aspect of playing with her sexuality from the way she is dressed, but that isn't the whole picture. regardless, selene is a contradictory character, solid in many ways - defiant of kraven who is supposed to be the current head vampire - but also filled with doubt - desperate for the approval of the elder vampire who turned her. this leads to some bemusement with her character, is she more real because of the contradictions, or is this a flaw of the film? either way the appeal for approval from her creator seems simpering compared to the hard determination, a curious weakness in this character.

regardless of any negative reviews underworld is a certain amount of fun, the ending definitely sets us up for a sequel, one which i'll be surprised if it doesn't happen.