Underworld

Reviewed by George O. Singleton

Kate Beckinsale

Scott Speedman

Shane Brolly

Michael Sheen

Directed by Len Wiseman. Vampire, action, horror. Rated R (for strong violence and some language). Sony Pictures. Running time: 121 minutes.

Skin Tight

Two things come to mind when I see the vampire warrior Selene (Kate Beckinsale) in her skin tight black leather outfit. First, is this the Elektra movie spin-off from "Daredevil?" The other is this sure is a departure from Beckinsale's sweetheart roles in "Pearl Harbor," "Serendipity" and "Laurel Canyon."

Selene is part of a group known as the "death dealers," vampires fighting the enemy werewolf Lycans. Examining videotape surveillance of the Lycans, she suspects that the Lycans are trying to capture a human named Michael Corvin (Scott Speedman from "My Life Without Me"). When she tells this to her superior Kraven (Shane Brolly) she is dismissed as being foolish. As things unfold, we learn that Corvin is a descendant of a family dating back for centuries, which has a connection to both the death dealers and the Lycans. He may carry a mix of blood that if injected in the right being, could change the fundamental nature of the ongoing battle between the warring clans.

There is plenty of action, some of the "Matrix" nature and at other times unintentionally laughable as it relates to the story. The plot is hard to figure out at first but it does become clear later on and that helps redeem the apparent silliness of much of the action.

Fans of vampire tales may be intrigued by the story. The special effects are top notch. In spite of the fact that Beckinsale is good with her two-fisted gun toting, and posturing with a stern look as she battles her enemies, she comes across like Lara Croft in a tongue in cheek "Tomb Raider" movie, rather than the darker tone projected in this story of evil. Every scene is at night, often with light coming from a bright silvery source that makes this sinister business intriguing and oddly uplifting.

With "Hulk" like transformations, a complex plot, loads of action and some spiffy special effects, while the film did not engage me emotionally or scare me (which is not real hard), I felt the film could have been a lot better. Though overall I did not like it, "Underworld" is not an awful film. That's a left-handed compliment meant in the best way.