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nixonsmoviereviews · 6 years

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"Underworld: Blood Wars"- A mildly entertaining but ultimately mediocre installment in the long-running franchise. A solid script is let down by a weirdly uneven execution.

While never quite becoming a massive mainstream success, the long running and generally popular cult-franchise “Underworld” has for the most part been a great deal of fun to follow for the past decade-and-a-half. With its trademark gothic visuals and a flare for top-notch action, the ongoing saga about the battle between vampires and werewolves has remained consistently entertaining and engaging, even as it’s gotten progressively sillier with each new installment.

Unfortunately, after the films reached a surprisingly pleasing crescendo in quality with the third installment “Rise of the Lycans”, there was a noticeable dip in quality with the follow-up, “Awakening.” It began to lose sight of why audiences fell in love with the series in the first place. And that downward trend does sadly continue in the newest chapter- “Underworld: Blood Wars.” While by no means a terrible film, the fundamental issue with “Blood Wars” falls on one key issue- guidance. It boasts a pretty good story and some solid writing… but is drastically let down by a weirdly awkward and frankly clunky execution.

Kate Beckinsale returns as former Death Dealer Selene, now on the run with her friend and ally David, played again by Theo James. After being betrayed by power-hungry vampire heiress Semira (Lara Pulver), Selene and David are forced to take refuge with a clan of Nordic Vampires hiding out in the arctic. Here, they will come across revelations that could hold the key to turning the tide of the war between vampires and werewolves. But it may not be enough, as both species have become woefully misguided and bloodthirsty from centuries of pointless war, and been driven to the point of near extinction…

First things first, as always the cast is pretty darned solid. Beckinsale is as fiery and fierce as ever in her iconic role as the vampire assassin Selene, and I actually really enjoyed Theo James and how he handled the character of David this time around. Charles Dance brings a sense of class and gravitas in his returning role of Thomas, and we get a pretty good turn from Tobias Menzies as a Lycan lord named Marius. Menzies, best known for his roles in series like “Game of Thrones” and “The Crown,” does well with the part and gives it a nice sense of menace, even if he’s never really the main focus. The same cannot be said for Lara Pulver, however, who comes across as, well… a bit silly as the vampire villainess Semira. She plays the role as a spoiled brat, and it feels contrived and at odds with the other performances.

Writing duties are handled by series newcomers Cory Goodman and Kyle Ward, and I actually for the most part felt that they were a good fit. Their combined credits include a slew of odd and unusual films, and it benefits the story, which takes many intriguing twists and turns I might not have expected otherwise. Particularly fascinating is the addition of the Nordic vampire tribe, which have their own unique methodology and temperament… almost feeling more akin to spiritual monks than traditional blood-suckers. It gave the franchise a fresh new perspective that hearkened back to the originality of prior films, and was very much needed after the tonal inconsistencies of the previous installment.

Unfortunately, the film falls apart all too often due to the mixed efforts of director Anna Foerster, in her feature-film debut. Foerster, whom has worked on a number of high profile films in the past as a cinematographer and effects artist, sadly isn’t able to muster much excitement nor style with her first major foray into filmmaking. Her sense of scope and composition is limited and stilted, and the sense of pacing she constructs is so manic as to be distracting. The film moves far too fast for its own good, and lacks a clear focus on narrative and character. Foerster knows how to block a scene technically… but not how to convey emotion or story within that scene. It’s almost heartbreaking, because she doesn’t slow down enough at all to allow us to take in the sights, the feelings, etc. She’s just too pre-occupied on hitting beats and checkmarks. And it tanks almost every major sequence. With the exception of the admittedly well-staged action and a very fun climax, it’s just woefully not well made.

It’s frankly mind-boggling how the poor pacing and construction almost completely ruins what could have otherwise been a pretty decent entry in the series. And it just goes to show you how invaluable series co-creator Len Wiseman was to the success of those early installments.

“Underworld: Blood Wars” is a frustrating film. It has so much potential, but squanders much of it with its uneven and shoddy execution. And it only lessened my excitement for potential future films. My advice? Bring back Beckinsale and the series creators Wiseman and Danny McBride for one last film… hopefully one that will redeem the series after the weaknesses brought about by the one-two punch of “Awakening” and “Blood Wars.” Go out with a bang, guys. Otherwise, “Underworld” might very well be finished. I’m giving “Blood Wars” a middle of the road 5 out of 10. It’s just creative and entertaining enough to be worth a watch for series fans. But it’s thus far the weakest of the bunch.

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