Underworld: Evolution (2006) - Directed by Len Wiseman
Rated R for pervasive strong violence and gore, some sexuality/nudity.

Ever since the days of the Universal monsters, crossovers have become a common occurrence in horror films. From Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man to King Kong vs. Godzilla, these monster combos are often dubious in nature, relying less on a story than just the novelty of having the two creatures fight. Then in 2003, with the original Underworld, another of these crossovers arrived: this time between werewolves and vampires. With its boxoffice success now comes Len Wiseman's follow-up, Underworld: Evolution.

In Underworld: Evolution, vampire Selene (Kate Beckinsale) and Lycan/vampire hybrid Michael (Scott Speedman) continue were they left off in their quest. Meanwhile, Marcus--the first and most powerful of the vampires--is awoken. Now Selene and Michael must fight to stop Marcus from releasing his brother, William--the first and most powerful Lycan.

A pretty big fan of the macabre and of creatures of the night, I saw the first Underworld with big expectations. I remember liking it, but that's about it. To me, the first was a solid action film, but also highly forgettable. Therefore, I took a risk going into Evolution without first re-watching the original. A risk that probably reduced my enjoyment of it.

Underworld: Evolution starts off with a brief explanation of the plot via some scrolling text, but then throws the audience smack-dab into the middle of a jumpy origins flashback. From then on, I found myself questioning nearly every character, trying to remember their importance to the story. So, as far as sequels go, Evolution doesn't work well as a stand-alone story. Because even though we get a little intro to the basic premise, when the leading duo of Beckinsale and Speedman are introduced, there's very little reference to the events of the original.

There's not much to say about performances in Evolution. Beckinsale was competent, as was the strong supporting cast that included Derek Jacobi and Bill Nighy. Scott Speedman, playing the vampire/werewolf hybrid and love interest to Beckinsale didn't really do anything for me, though. When he wasn't in an unrecognizable wolf form, his appearance just seemed out of place and his performance uninspired.

Also, just as I forgot much of the original film, Underworld: Evolution just doesn't have a lasting value to it. So much so, that just writing the above summary proved difficult from memory. This blandness was saved only by a gritty realism and a few memorable gore shots. I think that had Underworld: Evolution been toned down for a PG-13 rating, it would be almost completely unremarkable. But its comparatively low budget, minimalist approach to CGI, and unique cinematogrophy/blue tinting makes it at least stand out to a degree.

In all, Underworld: Evolution is forgetful mediocrity, saved only by its R rating. It has a solid plot that many fans will find interesting, but just make sure you brush up on your Underworld lore before checking out the sequel.

Rating: