Underworld: Evolution (2006)

Picking up directly from the previous movie, vampire warrior Selene and the half werewolf Michael hunt for clues to reveal the history of their races and the war between them.

Director:

Len Wiseman

Writers:

Danny McBride (screenplay), Len Wiseman (story)

Stars:

Kate Beckinsale, Scott Speedman, Bill Nighy

2 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kate Beckinsale	...	Selene
Scott Speedman	...	Michael
Tony Curran	...	Marcus
Derek Jacobi	...	Corvinus (as Sir Derek Jacobi)
Bill Nighy	...	Viktor
Steven Mackintosh	...	Tanis
Shane Brolly	...	Kraven
Brian Steele	...	William
Zita Görög	...	Amelia (as Zita Gorog)
Scott McElroy	...	Soren
John Mann	...	Samuel
Michael Sheen	...	Lucian
Sophia Myles	...	Erika (as Sophia Miles)
Richard Cetrone	...	Pierce (as Rich Cetrone)
Mike Mukatis	...	Taylor

Storyline

As the war between the vampires and the Lycans rages on, the beautiful vampire, Selene, a former member of the Death Dealers, and Michael, the werewolf hybrid, work together in an effort to unlock the secrets of their respective bloodlines. In this ancient feud between the two tribes, they try to unlock the secrets, in a modern tale of action, intrigue, and forbidden love, which takes them into the battle to end all wars, as the immortals must finally face their doom.

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Plot Keywords:

vampire | werewolf | selene character | 2000s | titillation | 

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Taglines:

A New Race, A New Battle, A New Hero...

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Genres:

Action | Fantasy | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for pervasive strong violence and gore, some sexuality/nudity and language

Did You Know?

Trivia

Derek Jacobi and Tony Curran both previously appeared in the 2000 film Gladiator; Jacobi as Senator Gracchus and Curran as Assassin #1 (he holds the sword when Maximus asks to be given "a clean death...a soldier's death"). While neither shared scenes in that film, they do share scenes in this one.

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Goofs

(at around 27 mins) When Michael is at the pub and is being chased by the police, he jumps onto a police car and leaves a rather large dent. A moment later when he runs into the woods, there is a shot of the car and the dent is gone.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Marcus: My God. Brother, what have you done?

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Alternate Versions

Original workprint of the film had much longer and more graphic sex scene between Michael and Selene, which included more nudity from Kate Beckinsale. Blink-and-you-miss- it shot of her butt and other extra shots from the original scene are still in the film and can be seen during part when Marcus drinks Selene's blood if the scene is slowed down.

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Connections

Follows Underworld (2003)

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Soundtracks

Eternity and a Day
Composed and Performed by Paul Haslinger

User Reviews

If you liked the first one, you'll likely enjoy this one too.

Kate Beckinsale and Scott Speedman reprise their roles as leather-clad, ass-kicking vampire warrior Selene and vampire / werewolf hybrid Michael in this decent sequel. The story picks up where the original movie ended; now Selene and Michael are on the lam and determined to obtain exposition regarding the centuries-old war between blood suckers and bloodthirsty canines. Relentlessly pursuing them is thoroughly evil bad guy vampire Marcus (Tony Curran); Selene and Michael attempt to get some help from the legendary Alexander Corvinus (Sir Derek Jacobi), the man who got the ball rolling on this conflict so many years ago.

"Underworld: Evolution" is okay as far as this kind of entertainment goes. It depicts a bleak, stylized environment that refrains from many primary colours, going for the gusto in terms of action and gore, and trying to deliver a poignant moment here and there. The CGI can be ropey at times - as we all come to expect from this sort of thing - but there is fortunately some practical work as well (like Brian Steele in costume as the fearsome werewolf William, who's been imprisoned for centuries).

It really helps to have a largely British cast with such a tale; they lend gravitas where it might not have been delivered otherwise, and the actors all give it their best effort. Curran is a vivid villain, and it's a real treat to have Jacobi in a pivotal role in a modern genre crossover of a movie. Steven Mackintosh is a hoot as a seedy beast who's been the historian for the two clans, but was forced into exile. Some cast members from the original film, like Bill Nighy as Viktor, Shane Brolly as Kraven, and Michael Sheen as Lucian, appear briefly.

Director and co-writer Len Wiseman keeps the story moving forward adequately, spices it up with a bit of sex, and gives us a finale where Selene and Michael are fighting their adversaries side by side.

Not bad overall, but if one is NOT a fan of the first "Underworld", this sequel probably won't get them to change their minds about this series.

Filmed in Vancouver.

Six out of 10.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Sony Home Entertainment - DVD site [United States]

Country:

USA Canada

Language:

English French Hungarian

Release Date:

20 January 2006 (USA)

Also Known As:

Underworld 2: Evolution

Filming Locations:

Britannia Beach, British Columbia, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$50,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$26,857,181, 22 January 2006

Gross USA:

$62,318,875

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$111,476,513

Company Credits

Production Co:

Screen Gems, Lakeshore Entertainment, Vancouver Film Studios

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min 102 min (cut)

Sound Mix:

SDDS Dolby Digital DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1