Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1748 in DVD
• Released on: 2006-06-19
• Rating: Suitable for 18 years and over
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 102 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Better action, a bit of sex, and gorier R-rated violence make Underworld: Evolution a reasonably satisfying sequel to 2003's surprise hit Underworld. Looking stunning as ever in her black leather battle gear, Kate Beckinsale is every goth guy's fantasy as Selene, the vampire "death dealer" who's now fighting to stop the release of the original "Lycan" werewolf, William (Brian Steele) from the prison that's held him for centuries. As we learn from the film's action-packed prologue, William and his brother Marcus (Tony Curran) began the bloodline of vampires and werewolves, and after witnessing centuries of warfare between them, their immortal father Corvinus (Derek Jacobi) now seeks Selene and the human vampire/lycan hybrid Michael (Scott Speedman) to put an end to the war perpetuated by Victor (Bill Nighy), the vampire warrior whose betrayal of Selene turns Underworld: Evolution into an epic tale of familial revenge. This ambitious attempt at Shakespearean horror is compromised by a script (by Danny McBride and returning director Len Wiseman, Beckinsale's real-life husband) that's more confusing than it needs to be, with too many characters and not enough storytelling detail to flesh them all out. Aspiring to greatness and falling well short of that goal, Underworld: Evolution succeeds instead as a full-throttle action/horror thriller, with enough swordplay, gunplay, and CGI monsters to justify the continuation of the Underworld franchise. If you're an established fan, this is a must-see movie; if not, well... at least it's better than Van Helsing! --Jeff Shannon

Synopsis
Bloodthirsty vengeance is measured out in buckets, not spoonfuls for this hard-hitting vampire movie sequel. The story picks up right where the first UNDERWORLD left off, in the midst of a war between Lycans (werewolves) and vampires, with the gorgeous death-dealer, Selene (Kate Beckinsale), on the run with her vamp-wolf hybrid lover, Michael (Scott Speedman). The film then leaps back three centuries earlier, revealing the separation of two ultra-bad brothers, one vampire and one Lycan. The Lycan gets locked in a hidden tomb/prison and the feud begins. In the present, the winged vamp brother Marcus (Tony Curran) is determined to find his Lycan sibling and free him, which would wreak unimaginable havoc on the world. Selene's got to stop it, and the result is mayhem. Kate Beckinsale looks great with her jet-black hair, skin-tight leather bodysuit, red lips, and glowing blue eyes. Director Len Wiseman obviously has a great love for this alternate universe; he keeps the action humming, the blood running, and the cast well stocked with seasoned British actors like Sir Derek Jacobi, Bill Nighy, and Steven Mackintosh. The sex and violence may still be a bit intense for youngsters, but for the vampire crowd, it's a moveable feast of generous, still-twitching proportions.

Customer Reviews

oh dear
after the very decent original comes this dreadful sequel that is full of badly edited action scenes, vapid gore and a hard to follow plot this is just awful

Underworld: Devolution

I was disappointed with the first Underworld. I loved the concept and there was of course Kate Beckinsale in that rubber hugging outfit. However I felt that I was so disappointed with the first that they may have managed to make the sequel better - they couldn't do much worse. I was wrong. Unusually Underworld: Evolution continues moments after the first film finished. Make sure you remember the story as you are only given a small not too great recap. The vampire and Lycan war takes a new direction in Evolution as hybrids are born (hence the title). Prepare for fight scenes a plenty, blood splattered over everything and a bit of flesh to give it that erotic edge. However the plot just gets ridiculous. Certain characters get described as becoming super and yet they never perform to this ability, certain characters you feel should do more, there is a big lack of explanation of some elements. As a whole Underworld: Evolution looks cheap. The splicing of live action with the CGI is too obvious and poorly done. Some of the set pieces are just shocking. Then there is the direction, lingering shots that make you wonder if the DVD is skipping in a loop, numerous closeups of female midriffs (we're talking overkill here), and the wire work is awful. But and this is a big but - Kate Beckinsale is back and that rubber suit is back, it even comes off for a short while. Scott Speedman declothes for the token male. Underworld: Evolution is another disappointment for this franchise. Blade had vampires, Blade had modded weapons, Blade has the kitsch costumes, Blade was first and did it better. Salvation may be a 3rd installment that takes the form of an origin story - just how did this Alexander produce a werewolf son and a vampire son??

A great action film
The special effects were good and it was fast paced. Great fight scenes. Nearly everyone I know enjoyed the 'Kate Beckinsale naked' bit. I was however disappointed by the lack of Werewolf Action. It spent most of the final battle trapped behind a wall, and didn't do much when it came out :P At least the lycans have been done well tho', which is more than I can say for a few films I've seen recently! :D