DVD Review: Underworld Rise of the Lycans

Prequel in Popular Fantasy Series A Treat For Fans

May 22, 2009

Following the first two films directed by Len Wiseman, special effects wiz Patrick Tatopoulos jumps in the director's chair, in this fairly slow fantasy prequel. 6/10

A mix of swashbuckling violence and interspecies romantic love story (werewolf/vampire), Underworld Rise of the Lycans manages to satisfy fans of the series, who wondered about the origin of the Lycans (werewolves who can easily revert to human shape at will), as well as their ruthless vampire masters.

It is a time long past (shall we daresay the Middle Ages, perhaps?), and the European countryside is ruled at night, by a coven of highly ruthless and aristocratic coven of ageless vampires, who offer noble countrymen protection against attacks from werewolves, obviously at night.

When the current ruler of the vampires, the ostentatious Viktor (Bill Nighy, reprising his role from the first film), discovers a female werewolf giving birth to a human looking child, he realizes that his is looking at the first of a new breed -- a Lycan -- and decides to raise him as his slave/prized pupil, hoping to make more of him with the goal of creating a protective army.

As the years pass, this gifted and agile Lycan, Lucian (Michael Sheen, Frost/Nixon) comes into his own, and starts dreaming of freedom, after half a lifetime of slavery and servitude. Unbeknownst to Viktor, Lucian is secretly meeting Sonja (Rhona Mitra), Viktor's daughter, a Death Dealer.

As these star-crossed lovers engage in secret meetings, a much larger threat looms over them: the werewolves are getting more bold and daring with each attack, and could soon overtake the vampire stronghold.

With mounting pressure from the noblemen to do more protecting and less scheming, Viktor and his clan must contend with ensuring their own survival, as well as a possible rebellion from Lucian and newly made Lycans.

The potential resulting battle can signify the beginning of the centuries-long Lycan-Vampire war, as seen in Underworld and Underworld Evolution.

This film is by no stretch of the imagination a classic or a successful continuation of the first two films. As a prequel, it is limited by the need to establish and flesh out an existing storyline, with a pre-determined conclusion already revealed in the 2003 original film.

And so, Rise of the Lycans is a chance for industry veteran Patrick Tatopoulos (who is responsible for several Hollywood creature works, from the monster in Godzilla, to the aliens in Independence Day) to expand on the existing lore of the series, having worked on the Lycans' bestial forms in the first two films.

Using a script by previous director Len Wiseman, and writer Danny McBride, Tatopoulos gets a chance to explore what the vampire society was like, ages ago, before they turned into modern hunters against their somewhat canine adversaries, in later centuries. A lot of fun creatively, given the time period, and the opponents' supernatural nature. In short, a veritable playground for Tatopoulos.

Alas, there is only so much storyline one can fit within this context, and so the failed romance and rebellion doesn't get too much of a chance onscreen, giving way to bloody chases, and hand to hand combat sequences.

Chief amongst the cast is British actor Bill Nighy, who reprises his role of Viktor, the steel-eyed overlord, who controls his coven with an iron fist. Nighy tends to let loose while playing this character and so any semblance of overacting is deliberate, and equally entertaining.

Michael Sheen, who was most recently seen in the highly acclaimed film Frost/Nixon, coasts through his original role of Lucian with ease, as an outsider with a different destiny. Ironically, he had portrayed Lucian prior to taking on more serious roles, having also played former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, in The Queen. It's simply surprising to see Sheen explore such different roles, given his recent high profile characters.

Rhona Mitra is rather forgettable as Sonja, and is too remindful of Kate Beckinsale's Selene from the first two films. In this latest installment, Mitra is reduced to a handful of scenes where she expresses her rebellious, hiding her secret relationship with Lucian. Too bad she didn't get more screen time, as there must have been more to Sonja that simply being daddy's stubborn little vampire girl.

Look for an appearance half way through the film, by Kevin Grevioux, who reprises his role as the colossal Lycan Raze. A fan favorite from the original, it is fascinating to see the dynamic of how he meets and then later joins Lucian's quest.

In a manner of speaking, this film suffers from a mild case of "prequel-itis", in that most of its running time is earmarked for the sole purpose of offering copious exposition to the audience, so they know what to look for in stories that follow. As such, though Rise of the Lycans starts out seeming like it has teeth (or fangs), once you realize you already know how it ends, you are secretly wishing you were watching the first two films again.

Note: The single disc DVD version comes with little to no extras of significant value, except for a music video and a brief making-of segment.

Recommended only for fans of Nighy, Sheen, or hardcore fans of the first two films.

6 out of 10, for a predictable, yet visually impressive prequel, filled with cheap dialogue. Minus points for casting Mitra, who fails to make a mark at all.

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