Underworld 4: Awakening (3D)

If you have seen the earlier Underworld movies you must be aware that the visual tone of these movies is dark so take this as a warning sign and ve... read more

If you have seen the earlier Underworld movies you must be aware that the visual tone of these movies is dark so take this as a warning sign and venture into a 3D version at your own risk. I was lucky enough to watch it in 2D.

What's it about? - 4th in the series and in this one Selene ( Kate Beckinsale) is back after a gap of 5 years since Underworld Evolution in 2006. She escapes from Antigen where she awakes after 12 years. She finds a girl called Eve ( India Eisley). She is the key to find out what happened and what is happening? This time around the threat to both Vampires and Lycans are from humans.

How is it? - timepass

Why? - even though i have seen all the movies in the series i can't recall a single movie in it's entirety. I remember them in flashes. This one too didn't engage me in the story but rather kept me waiting for the action sequences which are there in breaks. The good part was to see Kate Beckinsale back in those spandex gothic uniform of hers which makes her look extremely sexy. Len Wisemen the director of the first two in the series stays as a writer/ producer. It looked like his entire creative energy was in making the remake of Total Recall. He should have taken the director seat because the new director duo don't offer anything new here. India Eisley comes across as a promising actor but sadly has nothing much to do here. Her lycan/vampire avatar is straight out of a 'girl possesed in a horror film' . I was more intrigued to find out the reason she was named India than how she will survive in this movie.

Final few words : this underworld should not have been awakened. Only for the true blue fans of the series.

Rating - **

Ticket Meter - worth 150 bucks.

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Underworld Awakening - the sequel to Underworld Evolution, is another horrid attempt in carrying forward the inept franchisee, which actually has a... read more

Underworld Awakening - the sequel to Underworld Evolution, is another horrid attempt in carrying forward the inept franchisee, which actually has a certain group of admirers, randomly scattered all over the world (All previous films have had a decent run at the box-office, triggering the series). If the previous films can compete for the title of the worst-of-three, you must extend the competition to include this one and guess what, it might just emerge as the tie-breaker. Only difference, its uglier and overflowing with cheap thrills of the B-grade variety.
A lousy script which acts as an excuse to make another film for the same franchisee, the film stretches on the eternal war between Vampires and Lycans (from the Jacob ilk) but only in parts, as its time they acknowledge the humans. Or contrary, rather.
Kate Beckinsales immortally robust Selene and her mysterious lover (who is a hybrid) get captured by the humans in an elaborate chase sequence, (orchestrated only to add the ingloriously painful CGI). Later, she wakes up in a glass refrigerator of sorts, to realize that its been 12 years since. Dodging bullets and knives, and killing as many humans as her sight can behold, she flees. Attempting to locate the boyfriend, she comes across Eve, who was frozen in a neighboring cubicle, and is a hybrid too.
Now Kate definitely must be the mother.
Okay, no unnecessary convulsions, the basic plot is that humans have discovered the existence of Vampires and Werevolves and the hybrid ones too, and since we are humans, we are selfish and we want none of their embellished mess around, so we will simply chop them off the picture. This is not acceptable to their clan and they wouldnt give without a fight. While o the other hand, the tension between the Werevolves and Vampires (especially and only Kate) is an all-time high because the new-born hybrid (whos grown up over the 12 years) is a potential threat that could destroy them all. So there are a lot of ugly bashes, where the camera-person aided by the directors vision deliberately takes close-up shots of the most disturbing bits. Like when the syringe penetrates the skin or the screw-driver ruptures the chest. You get it. This is the genre. And Im definitely not the target audience.
However, as open-minded as I was, before the film started, the makers just bulldozed my skull with imagery that doesnt even attempt to thrill. Its pure celebration of blood and gore, which is fine, if sequentially placed. But reels of film dedicated to over-exaggerated violence with graphic detailing and that too in 3D, serves no purpose other than sadistically exploiting cinema.
But, like I mentioned the franchisee has got a decent number of loyalists who clearly arent perturbed by a contrived plot or lousy acting. Hell, can they not be frustrated by the shabby dialogue? (I am made to instantly heal, Oh, check this)
I truly wonder who these people are. For now, watch only if you are used to nonsense.
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nice 3D effects

must watch it