Seriously. If my title isn't enough for you to rush out and watch this film then nothing is. I'm a dude which means my haircare knowledge extends from Head N Shoulders to baseball cap, but in that climactic scene when Kate appears with her new 'do, I swear I went full tilt hairdresser and renewed my subscription to Cosmo. The point being, Underworld is, has, and always shall be, about the eye candy.
Whether "eye candy" comes in the form of slick vinyl body suits, strappy skin-showing mesh, or guns the size of your head, "Underworld: Blood Wars" delivers. But that's not all it delivers. Here in the final Beckinsale chapter of the franchise (according to her), we see a welcome return to the twisty turny plot intrigue that defined the original. Sure it begins with the same ole same ole: Selene (Kate) is being hunted by Lycans, Vampires and everyone short of a mob of duck hunters in Iowa. We think this is just going to be another mindless action romp except with A-list fashion designers. But stick around past the halfway mark when things get interesting, loyalties criss-cross, and this film becomes worthy of being the final Underworld chapter.
But I'm getting ahead of myself. The plot is about Selene on the run because both Lycans and vampires want to find the location of her daughter from part 4 "Awakening". With an interesting spin though, we realize in the first scene that Selene herself doesn't even know where her daughter is. Thus everyone is chasing her for nothing, and Selene herself doesn't even see the point in running. This is a subtle shift in Selene's character where, in earlier films, she was driven by a strong desire to fight. But here in the final chapter, she is at her most nihilistic: faithless, apathetic and downright suicidal. It adds tremendous depth to her character as we see that she's no longer a stereotypical superhero driven by truth, justice and the American way; but rather, she is reaching rock bottom and wondering what's the point in all these movies.
If that angle appeals to you, I think you'll really dig this flick. Like I said it's subtle, but once you realize what's going on in Selene's head, her character arc takes on an interesting new dimension. I can't help but think of the cool 90s trilogy "The Prophecy" where the archangel Gabriel (Christopher Walken) undergoes a profound evolution from start to finish. Here in Underworld we see Selene undergo a similar transformation as she comes to grips with her own personal story.
Rounding out the tale we have a pair of truly badass adversaries. On the Lycan side is Marius, an intelligent, strategic villain who keeps you guessing as to whether he's a cruel monster or actually someone with a logical, efficient solution to the endless conflict. No one even seems to know where he came from, but that's part of the surprise. On the vampire side is Semira, the coldest, most sinister and sexiest vampire since Ingrid Pitt played Elizabeth Bathory (or for you real old schoolers, how about Amanda Donohoe in "Lair of the White Worm"? homina homina). Thus the film presents one of the greatest 3-way conflicts since The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.
That, for my money, was enough to justify watching this flick. But when you throw into the mix the wardrobe and hair departments, I mean... *mic drop*
*picks up mic* Um, in other words, check it out.
