Underworld: Rise of the Lycans (2009)

You would think that movie villains would eventually learn their lesson. If you keep a people bound and inflict daily cruelty upon them, it’s only a matter of time before one charismatic member of the slave population rises up to lead a rebellion. Haven’t any of these people ever watched Spartacus? Well, now we have a new cautionary tale for would-be cinematic baddies to learn from.

Underworld: Rise of the Lycans is the third film in the franchise’s history, and it serves as a prequel to the two movies which have come before. This installment documents the birth and early life of the Lycan known as Lucian (Michael Sheen), the first werewolf able to take a human form. Kept in servitude like the rest of his kind, he is forced to toil as both common laborer and blacksmith for the cruel vampiric ruler Viktor (Bill Nighy). But Lucian’s courage in the face of a lifetime of bondage captures the heart of Sonja (Rhona Mitra), the undead daughter of Viktor, setting in motion a chain of events which will lead to the bloody wars between the vampires and Lycans for centuries to come.

Fantasy geeks everywhere were no doubt jumping for joy at the thought of another match-up between the cunning and precise vampires and the powerfully bestial werewolves. They’ll get their wish, too, as Rise of the Lycans is filled with a series of showdowns between the opposing forces. Throats are ripped out; skulls are crushed; and numerous bodies are penetrated by flying wooden stakes.

One thing that always irritated me about the Underworld series was how ineffective most of the no-name vampires and werewolves seemed to be. I know our heroes have to be the best of the best, but doesn’t the doomed Vampire #1 possess the same heightened senses and reflexes? If the franchise keeps spawning sequels, maybe one of these poor bastards will finally get his moment in the sun (uh, scratch that last part).

As it is, Underworld: Rise of the Lycans provides plenty of action but not much in the way of anything else. Directed by Patrick Tatopoulos, the film heavily leans on computerized effects for the Lycans, and the results are far cheaper-looking than the first two films.

Even the amazing Bill Nighy–so great as Viktor in the original Underworld–seems somehow less effective this time around. That’s a shame, because Nighy should’ve had even better material to work with, considering his only daughter betrays the vampiric coven by bedding down with Lucien. Still, Bill Nighy at half strength is still better than most actors at 100 percent, and it’s always a pleasure watching the cadaverous Brit skulking around with those computer-enhanced blue eyes.

Michael Sheen’s Lucien, last seen in Underworld, finally gets a chance to step into the spotlight. He previously took a backseat to Kate Beckinsale’s character, but this film takes place long before Selene was “turned.” He seems appropriately charismatic for the leader of a rebellion, and Sheen manages to grant Lucien a respectable level of pathos. His romance with Sonja is somewhat lacking, but this is mostly the fault of the script and Tatopoulos. Instead of watching the two characters slowly falling in love, we’re simply presented with their forbidden union as an accomplished fact. This dulls the romance angle, but it was no doubt sacrificed in order to squeeze in additional beheadings.

The weakest link in the film has to be Rhona Mitra’s Sonja. It pains me to say that, too, since I consider her an absolute knockout (she was, after all, the first woman to serve as a model for the video game character Lara Croft). I’m still unsure if it’s Mitra’s acting abilities which are lacking or the parts she keeps getting. All I’ve got to go by are her roles in such genre films as Skinwalkers and Doomsday, and nobody’s going to accuse those movies of being classics. Of course, it might’ve helped to show why Sonja fell in love with Lucien in the first place (I’m assuming it wasn’t just the fact that he had long hair and a habit of going shirtless). This is a major emotional stumbling block for Mitra‘s performance, and later scenes seem hollow without an explanation to back it up.

While there’s plenty of action, most of it’s handled in a by-the-numbers fashion (especially when compared to the first film of the series). Patrick Tatopoulos has a long way to go before he can craft a supernatural beatdown like Len Wiseman, but he’s already ahead of Uwe Boll, so there’s always hope.

For fans of the franchise, Underworld: Rise of the Lycans provides a passable, if somewhat shallow, addition to the mythology. For everyone else, you’d be better off starting with the first film and building up a tolerance.