In the cinema: Underworld Evolution

I finally got to see it on Sunday afternoon. We went to the theater on Hempstead Turnpike in Levittown. It's one of the few theaters left with large screens. We also wanted to go early to be assured good seats.

The movie runs one hour and forty five minutes. It's in the middle, in terms of length in an age where movie either run three hours, like Narnia, or one and a half, about everything else.

Considering how long this movie is, it flies by very quickly. It's action packed, fast paced, and a load of fun. It's rated R in the US, and it earns that rating right away. I won't go into detail just yet....

I'd say the movie was really great, and visually awe inspiring. It's far better than the original, which I thought was great. If you want to check out a fun film about supernatural topics, give this one a whirl.

Now...

If you don't want to read the spoilers STILL, then don't read any further...

***SPOILERS!!!***

I was surprised by the differences in the way things were portrayed in the film as opposed to the book which I finished reading some three weeks ago. Remember, the plot of the movie is that Marcus wants to release his brother William from captivity.

The first thing you see is the confirmation that the "child's tale about the children of Corvinus" is true. The first vampire was indeed Marcus, and not Viktor, and William was the first lycan.

The book starts off with Viktor killing Selene's family, then goes into the Death Dealers tracking down William Corvinus. The movie starts with the hunt for William, which was done splendidly. The feral zombie lycans were horrible abominations and the battle with them as they rose was chaos, as you would expect it to be. Too many films have the battle scenes way too organized. Was that really Zita's voice?

When Marcus first appears on the screen, he kills Kraven's men far quicker than expected and Kraven was braver than you would think. Still, you are happy to see Marcus drain him of his essence and then kill the regent with a blow to the head.

The hybrid Marcus was far more vile than I ever expected. He was also very well executed. Great effect.

The hybrid Michael grew more evil this time around too. He was looking more wolfen than in the first, but still not quite a werewolf.

The way Marcus went around extracting memories from people through their blood was freakish. His attacks make your spine tingle.

The skirmish between Selene and the cops was great. She's all over place, moving at preternatural speed and knocking out them out one at a time.

The first face off between Selene and Michael against Marcus on the truck was pretty good. You knew that Marcus was a force to be reckoned with for the rest of the movie.

The Cleaners were mysterious, but a nice touch. I good explanation as to how the public never became wise to the age old battle.

For the Kate Beckinsale fans, yes, Michael peels her out of that costume. It befuddled me how easily he got it off of her. I guess he drew her memory when he drank her blood. And yes, she was naked on the screen, completely naked, but somehow managed to be in the right position that no part of her was on the screen. I suppose strategic camera placement. I wonder if Len Wiseman, the director and Kate's husband, was off screen with brass knuckles just in case Scott Speedman's hands (or some other appendage) got the wrong idea.

At Tanis' monastery Selene and Michael battle some lycans. Selene kills two with a knife. That was a pretty neat trick. Michael snaps one's neck and the other has his lower jaw ripped off. Later Selene kills two vampiresses effortlessly.

The scene when Tanis imparts his knowledge is great. An enormous amount of Underworld history is divulged. For instance, I enjoyed learning of how Marcus came to Viktor the Warlord in his dying bed and seduced him to become an undead general. The Death Dealer were Viktor's army, also made undead. That answered a lot in my mind.

Cleaners vs. Hybrid elder. Cleaners get their clock cleaned. It was far more brutal on the screen than the book.

I cringed when Marcus gave Michael the beating that ended his life. That was a vicious way to die, being impaled on a rusty pipe under the pier.

Alexander Corvinus is fatally injured by Marcus. Alexander, the father of all immortals passes his blood to Selene and makes her into some new creature.

The faceoff at Viktor's former castle was great. William may be the first lycan, but it doesn't mean he's a brain trust. His strength was in his brute force, speed, and his ability to infect his victims with his foul spoor. After killing what was left of the cleaners they become zombie lycans. Michael revives just in time to assist Selene, as her bullets ran out. Michael makes quick work of those lycans and takes on William. Marcus shows up and battles Selene. Michael kills William by snapping his head clean off of his neck. Selene kills Marcus by forcing him into a rotar blade. Just then the sun rises and Selene isn't burned by it. She's been transformed by Alexander's blood into some new form of immortal.

The end. It was great.