Written by: Danny McBride
Starring: Kate Beckinsale, Scott Speedman, Tony Curran, Shane Brolly, Steven Mackintosh
Rating: [3/5]
The history we get told versus what happened in all reality has some gaps considering the source seeing as those telling it may have a vested interest in omitting certain aspects. It makes the realization of this lying by omission shocking and something that sets the stage for the continual discovery our protagonist must continue to uncover continuing her journey in Underworld: Evolution. A noticeable step down from its predecessor but still entertaining in its own right.
Now on the run from both the Lycans and vampires, Selene (Kate Beckinsale) and Micahel (Scott Speedman) try their best to survive and take out Kraven (Shane Brolly). However, in the process an ancient vampire, Markus (Tony Curran) gets awakened and he begins his assault to try and accomplish a goal that lands him on top of the world.
With the groundwork established for the world and stakes involved, Underworld: Evolution comes in looking to further deepen the lore and history of everything involved in this blood rivalry between these two mythical creatures. These battles have occurred for centuries and with this film, we see how it all started and how the founding family kicked everything off, which in turn makes its way to the present with what Selene and Michael must now contend with. Now they must fend off this ancient battle in ways that delves deep.
As much as we receive in backstory and exposition in the first film, this sequel dumps a whole lot more on us as we receive even more information about the three brothers that set everything off in this feud between Lycans and vampires. Heck, it even involved paying a visit to a historian who spills it all out for us, but all of this goes to set the stage for what will transpire later down the road and where Selene and Michael will have to fight Markus and the plan he wants to unleash on the entire world.
Therefore, we have Selene and Michael on the run from everybody where they can barely find someone they can trust bringing this feeling of tension everywhere they go as they cannot fully rely on anyone around them at face value. With this journey, we learn a lot more about Selene’s place in all of this, which feels a bit silly, and also fortifies the relationship she has with Michael as they get much closer. They remain their own allies in a war that has a clearly defined line and one they have both crossed leaving them in a dangerous place. Selene dared to defy the order of things and now stands in a place where she must entrust her life in the hands of an inexperienced hybrid giving her the ability to show out.
With the introduction of different hybrids, this film, for all of its issues, employs some cool creature and makeup design when putting together the looks of these creatures. This happens mostly with Markus and how he shifts to a more ancient look of a vampire as compared to the cool and sleek contemporary version Selene represents. It further visually encapsulates this battle between the old and the new not only in fighting but the perspective of the world through these different characters. With that said, this feature ramps up the action in place by crafting more creative set pieces for Selene and Michael to engage in. Certainly having a vampire with wings that can pierce through stone allows for a different dynamic seen before allowing for Selene to adapt in how she approaches these fight sequences.
Extremely clunky in the way it delivers its information and dumps exposition, Underworld: Evolution has its flaws but still manages to carry a base entertainment value in the world it builds and the characters it introduces to hold my attention. We have Kate Beckinsale giving it her all in a character she has more than made her own. She certainly helps elevate the material through her work as Selene making her an action heroine worth talking about. We receive much more history, battles, and further twists on how this world will operate moving forward that ensures anyone already bought in will find enjoyment but those that do not should just back out now and move on.
Films with Josh 
