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Underworld: Rise of the Lycans
Hang on a minute! That's not Kate Beckinsale! What's going on?
Amazingly, he's the guy who played Tony Blair in The Queen, and David Frost in the currently showing Frost/Nixon - we're used to seeing him with a Cheshire cat grin, not a toothy snarl. Now I come to think back to the previous Underworld movies, yes, that was him all along. I remember the poppy eyes. He's really good here, but then he always was, it's just taken a bit of exposure for us to notice. It takes a while to realise that he's the good guy, and it takes even longer before the penny drops as to how come Bill Nighy (Viktor the Vampire) is still around after being sliced to pieces in the first instalment. If you're as slow on the uptake as me, it'll be towards the end that it becomes clear ... ah, it's a prequel.
Underworld: Rise of the Lycans is fine. You want werewolves and vampires, you got 'em. Kate Beckinsale's shiny arse is sorely missed, but it's worth checking out just for Michael Sheen. He's going to be huge - expect to see him in a Hugh Grant role any day now. I enjoyed this film: I think the average moviegoer will enjoy it: Testosterone Satisfaction Rating: - Satisfyingly gory in places, but no nudity or swearing whatsoever. To enjoy this film: Drink in Bill Nighy's malevolence and Michael Sheen's intensity, forget the plot.
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That was sneaky. I've seen the trailers, I've seen the posters. Not once did I twig that shiny Kate isn't in this
episode. In fact, two of our group came out the cinema thinking they'd been watching Lenny Godber Junior throughout.
Yes, she looks similar, especially in this dim light, but this is in fact Rhona Mitra, who you may remember from
Michael Sheen ... now where have we seen his name recently ...
Len Wiseman doesn't direct episode three - instead Patrick Tatopoulos is given a shot. He's more of a special effects
man, judging by his CV, which makes it all the more peculiar that the effects are a bit pants. Nowhere near the
standard already set, the werewolves in particular all move very badly, though once they stop jumping around and get into
close-up, they more than pass muster. The washed-out deep blue theme remains, which is good for the atmosphere but
bad for picking out detail, and the story did take at least one unexpected turn, even if it wasn't the most innovative
plot.
