| Better action, a bit of sex, and gorier R-rated violence make Underworld: Evolution a reasonably satisfying sequel to 2003's surprise hit Underworld. Looking stunning as ever in her black leather battle gear, Kate Beckinsale is every goth guy's fantasy as Selene, the vampire "death dealer" who's now fighting to stop the release of the original "Lycan" werewolf, William (Brian Steele) from the prison that's held him for centuries. As we learn from the film's action-packed prologue, William and his brother Marcus (Tony Curran) began the bloodline of vampires and werewolves, and after witnessing centuries of warfare between them, their immortal father Corvinus (Derek Jacobi) now seeks Selene and the human vampire/lycan hybrid Michael (Scott Speedman) to put an end to the war perpetuated by Victor (Bill Nighy), the vampire warrior whose betrayal of Selene turns Underworld: Evolution into an epic tale of familial revenge. This ambitious attempt at Shakespearean horror is compromised by a script (by Danny McBride and returning director Len Wiseman, Beckinsale's real-life husband) that's more confusing than it needs to be, with too many characters and not enough storytelling detail to flesh them all out. Aspiring to greatness and falling well short of that goal, Underworld: Evolution succeeds instead as a full-throttle action/horror thriller, with enough swordplay, gunplay, and CGI monsters to justify the continuation of the Underworld franchise. If you're an established fan, this is a must-see movie; if not, well... at least it's better than Van Helsing! --Jeff Shannon |
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 This Is How BD DVD's Should be Looking! |
| Review Date: June 30, 2006 |
| Reviewer: Hitman777, |
The Blu-Ray disc of Underworld: Evolution is presented in 2.4:1 anamorphic 1080P widescreen, and is hands-down the best-looking Blu-Ray transfer of the bunch. From the opening sequence on, the amazing depth is unparalleled, and more importantly, the film's unmatched black level and shadow detail. This may be the current "best of" for video of all the current HD transfers, Blu-Ray or HD-DVD. Simply brilliant. No compression or artifacting is apparent anywhere.
The audio is available as an aggressive Dolby 5.1 track or reference uncompressed PCM track. The latter is so loud and dynamic that my system was worked to its peak, with crushing eargasms that had me removing earwax from my sidewalls. Dynamic surrounds are active throughout, with a wide soundfield and localized F/X that will keep you looking over your shoulder throughout. Truly awesome.
The extras are sparse, but with video and audio this good, it is irrelevant. Underworld: Evolution is a must-have BD title, and the must-have title on either of the competing formats. Excellent reference transfer.
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Excellence is watchable indeed. This movie is it.
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| Review Date: April 4, 2006 |
| Reviewer: Kait O., New Mexico |
The first movie was very good, but in my opinion, this movie blows that one away. The multitudinal plot continues to weave an even thicker blanket as reasons why certain things in the first movie were so came to light... why Selene was left alive was already apparently... but why Viktor killed her family... now that comes out in this one.
Kate Beckinsale, as always, is stunning and excellent, as is Scott and the rest of the cast. I found the character of Marcus particularly intriguing as well.
Anyone who liked the first movie will love this one unless they're... well, retarded maybe?
Anyone who didn't like the first movie, you're an idiot, but to put more fine a point on it, even if you didn't like it, you may very well like this movie. The story is great, if you follow it well enough through the first movie to this one. The action is excellent. The acting, and no, there isn't a ton of it, but you know what, audible acting is sometimes less important than physical and mental acting, which is a great fine high point in this movie.
I gave if five stars because I saw it once in theatres and I positively cannot wait to see it again. I plan on buying it on Pay-Per-View and buying this when it comes out.
The ending leaves room for a third movie, and I sincerely hope they make one because this film-franchise deserves a third wind.
And yes, as other reviews state, this does pick up right where the first movie left off, after a brief glimpse in to the past to set up the principle behind this movie as well as put some finer points on things discussed, but not really went in to that much, in the first movie. Overall, it is a worth-while watch... I plan on finding myself watching it several times the first day it comes out, because I seriously didn't want to leave the theatre when it ended because I wanted to watch it again.
Last but not least, just in the event that by some miracle Kate actually reads Amazon reviews, I love you Kate Beckinsale :-D You're awesome and keep up the great work! |
The Legendary Battle Rages On In Smaller Form........
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| Review Date: April 27, 2006 |
| Reviewer: Trunks1679, Saginaw,MI USA |
| First of all, let me say that the PSP hasn't had an abundance of good UMD movies come out for it. But every few new releases that come out, there is one great one among them. This time, that great one is Underworld:Evolution. Evolution, for those of you who don't know, is part two of the Underworld story, and an awesome movie to boot. It's very hard to say it, but U.E. is slightly better than the first movie. With even better action, an even more immersive story than the first movie (you finally get to see the oldest and strongest of the Vampire Elders, Marcus, in the flesh), and the same excellent cast from the first movie returning, you couldn't possibly find a better vampire/werewolf movie. Kate Beckinsale returns as well, reprising her role as Selene masterfully. Scott Speedman also reprises his role as the vampire/werewolf hybrid, Michael Corvin, a little better than the first time. I should also mention the great acting job done by veteran actor Tony Curran, who plays the Vampire Elder, Marcus. I would like to comment on the story, but I don't want to spoil it for those of you who haven't seen this yet. I will, however, say this: you learn a lot about Marcus, his history, and even more of the history that led to the war between the vampires & werewolves. Having said that, this movie is worth every bit of your time and money, whether you choose the dvd version or the UMD version. I'll say this, if you have a PSP, don't think twice, just do yourself a favor and buy this movie for it. You'l be glad you did, trust me. I hope I've helped any prospective buyers of this movie, and I hope, if you buy it, you love it. Enjoy!!! |
Perhaps even better than the first
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| Review Date: August 24, 2006 |
| Reviewer: Kevin Davis, Charlotte, NC United States |
| For those who liked the first Underworld movie, this follow-up is a must and sure to please. I can't over-emphasize enough the need to see the first movie in order to understand and enjoy the second. If you have never seen the first Underworld or it has been a while, then watch it before viewing Evolution. I believe that the negative reviews, by and large, are due to not viewing or not understanding the original Underworld. Also, keep in mind that the Underworld series is not for the lazy-minded. Amidst all the action (and there is plenty) is a well-thought and fairly complex narrative. Your attention, however, will be greatly rewarded. |
Evolution of Lycovamps
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| Review Date: May 16, 2006 |
| Reviewer: C. A. Luster, Burke, VA USA |
| It just keeps getting better. Any fan of "Underworld" should be very happy with this sequel. Those that missed the first one can watch this as a standalone but it will make more since if you go back and see Underworld first. I know I went back and re-watched Underworld before seeing Evolution. If you have never seen Underworld, but you are a fan of any vampire or werewolf movies you will probably enjoy these. Imagine a world where there are three races. Humans, Vampires, and Werewolves. Now imagine The Vampires and Werewolves are at war over an ancient dispute. The first Underworld clarifies why. The second Underworld is the evolution of lycans and vampires, reflection on past events, the the continuation of the relationship between a human that became part werewolf and part vampire and a vampiress, and a big Lycan vs Vampire showdown. Fans of the "Blade" trilogy should definitely not be disappointed. I recommend it for at least a rental to anyone that hasn't seen the first one and a go ahead and buy for those that enjoyed Underworld. |
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