Rated R
Reviewed by: Jim
September 19, 2003		Released by: Screen Gems

A new breed of horror featuring a sexy Kate Beckinsale as a vampire warrior is called Underworld. Providing a Gothic futuristic atmosphere with stylish creature designs and heavily dark lensing.  Unknown director Len Wiseman may very well appeal to the "Blade" crowd, as well as the recently departed "Buffy" TV series.

Beckinsale, often cast in roles mainly for her romantic and dramatic talents, performs in a way that could have seen her character of Selene fit right into recent sequels featuring Drew Barrymore and Angelia Jolie.  In Danny McBride's screenplay, plenty of fighting and biting are imminent as Underworld appears to be a genetic reshaping of Shakespeare's "Romeo & Juliet."  Of course, there's less of the loving element and more blood and automatic gunfire.

Clashing for centuries are sophisticated vampires and brutal lycans (werewolves).  An evil plan is about to use the powers of both from the feral, clandestine underworld.  Selene, played by a lissome Beckinsale in tight leather, is one of the heads of the Death Dealers who happen to learn about this as the lycans are trying to capture a human physician, Michael Corvin (Scott Speedman of Dark Blue).  Speedman brings a certain naiveté to the part that works fairly well with Beckinsale's forcefully elegant vampire.  He's connected to both races.

Unlike The Matrix Reloaded, Underworld gives way to rich, albeit murky vampiric tapestry.  However, there's less GCI which audiences have come to expect and perhaps the unskilled transitions and some silly interludes take away from the blood-sucking parts that Beckinsale lets her teeth sink into.