The prequel story traces the origins of the centuries-old blood feud between the aristocratic vampires and their onetime slaves, the Lycans. In the Dark Ages, a young Lycan named Lucian emerges as a powerful leader who rallies the werewolves to rise up against Viktor, the cruel vampire king who has enslaved them. Lucian is joined by his secret lover, Sonja, in his battle against the Vampire army and his struggle for Lycan freedom. Written by

Plot Synopsis:
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The film begins with a voice-over monologue by vampire Selene, telling the story of the lycans and vampires. It has been 20 years since the war between them has begun (set several years before the first Underworld movie). Viktor (Bill Nighy) has built up an army of vampires to fight off the threat and have begun the process of exterminating the lycans. It appears that when someone is infected by a lycan, they transform into werewolves, but do not change back and appear to behave like vicious animals rather than people. However, one day, in a prison cell, Viktor hears the cries of a human child, and investigates. What he discovers is a human child born of a lycan later named Lucian. Viktor contemplates killing the child, but could not bring himself to do it.

Lucian grows up, and appears to be stronger and more focused than others of his kind; this is evident when Viktor tests him by making him fight vampires. Viktor decides to make more of Lucians kind (the new lycans that have human form). Viktor uses Lucian to make more like him by starving him and letting him feed on human slaves. The ones that survived became the new lycans, a new slave race to serve the vampires. The vampires think they have control of the lycans, but this may not be the case for long.

Note: there are two types of were-wolves in this film, ones that are permanently in wolf form and wild, and ones that can transform when its a full moon and are in service to the vampires. I will refer to the former as wolves, and the latter as lycans.

Cut to the present, a horseman is riding through the woods at night, pursued by something. At the castle, Viktor is discussing politics and finances with his advisors, Coloman (David Ashton) and Orsova (Elizabeth Hawthorne). The wolves have been attacking the human slaves, which Viktor replies with some variation of I dont give a crap, however, human slaves are their principle source of food and income (the human nobility pay Viktor for protection against the wolves), so they have to take action and hunt down the creatures.

Back with the rider in the woods, wolves are pursuing the rider through a dark canyon but he is able to fight them off but there are an increasingly larger number of them. The situation looks grim but as the rider approaches the castle, the other vampires are prepared. They arm huge crossbows and mow down the lycans. One of the wolves lunges at the rider but is killed mid-air by a crossbow bolt from Lucian (who is still serving the vampires).

The rider removes his helmet, and it turns out to be Sonja (Rhona Mitra), who is less than grateful to Lucian for saving her life, and just bosses him around. Viktor on the other hand, believes in giving credit where it is due. Viktor asks if Lucian minds killing his own kind, who replies that they are just animals and not his own kind. Lucian stares at Sonja, and Viktor reminds Lucian that is a servant, and should keep his eyes on the ground.

Sonja and Viktor argue because he wants her to stay in the castle and leave the wolves to the death-dealers but Sonja is a great fighter and very stubborn. Sonja is Viktors daughter, and a council member, and Viktor does not want her to come to harm, and is grooming Sonja to become an elder; but she is endangering her position on the council by being a renegade and disobeying Viktor and missing council meetings.

Outside, Lucian is burning the corpse of the dead wolf which he killed when it was chasing Sonja through the castle gates. As the corpse burns, it changes back into human form. The other lycans are being whipped, beaten, and forced to work for the vampires. One vampire guard gets a little too enthusiastic with the whip and Lucian tells him to stop. The vampire takes this badly, calls Lucian a dog, and leaves angrily Lucian is Viktors favourite servant and holds some power in the work yard. The other lycans seem to respect him.

In the council chambers, Viktor is speaking with the other Coloman and Orsova regarding how to handle the situation with the wolves. Viktor doesnt think of it as such a big deal but Coloman note that the wolves are killing humans, which is destroying their main food source. Although they dont seem to be killing off too many humans, the fact that the vampires of this region are losing their crop, makes them look weak to the human nobles, who give the vampires people (for food) and money/gold for protection. Coloman suggests letting the lycans patrol outside during the day (since vampires cant do so). Viktor is very much against this suggestion as it would be granting the lycans more freedom, and increase risk of losing control. Coloman suggests making a privileged class of lycans, with better accommodations, rations, and status, led by a lycan that they can trust Lucian; this way, they will have one of the lycans controlling the others, and have the ability to control the wolves during the day. Viktor is still against the idea, but without Sonja there to support him, he has no choice but to take the suggestion under advisement. The human nobles will arrive the next day and Viktor will have to make his decision soon.

Outside, the work shift is over, and the lycans are herded back into their cages. Lucian sneaks off, and gets into the sewers. He takes these passages and gets outside the castle, climbing up to a ruined sentry post, where he is met by Sonja. It turns out that they have been lovers the whole time, and Sonja acts cruel to Lucian in public to prevent suspicion. They kiss rather passionately. After some lovemaking Lucian asks if Sonja would go with him if he leaves (escapes). Sonja doesnt think its possible as he would be hunted down by Viktor and his army. Lucian reveals a crude key that he has made to remove the collar on his neck. All lycans in servitude have a collar with spikes pointing inward to prevent them from transforming, if they do, they die from impaling themselves on the spikes. If Lucian can get out of the collar, he would be able to fight the Vampires and escape. Sonja does not want Lucian to risk his life, but he believes that his kind should be equals, not slaves as both lycans and vampires are descendants of the Corvinus bloodline, brothers that took different paths to immortality.

When Sonja and Lucian part, they are spotted by Tannis, one of Viktors lieutenants, sent to watch over Sonja. He realizes that Sonja and Lucian are having an affair, but does not tell Viktor.

The human nobles arrive and Sonja goes out to escort them in. Lucian is worried and does not want her to go. Tannis has orders from Viktor for Sonja to not leave the castle walls, but she just ignores him. As Sonja leaves, Tannis sees Lucian, and subtly lets Lucian know that he knows their secret.

Sonja and more vampire guards arrive to escort the human nobles and their slaves, and they hear howling in the distance. Lucian hears the howling and knows that there are more wolves than Sonja and her men can handle. Lucian tries to warn the others, but no one listens to him, so he runs out to save Sonja, disobeying orders and knocking out some guards along the way.

Cut back to Sonja, wolves are pouring in from every direction. The vampires are holding them off, but there are too many. One of the human slaves appears to fight wolf and actually survives its Raze (Kevin Grevioux) from the first film, but as a human. Sonja is injured, but Lucian arrives in time and defends her. Lucian uses his key to open his collar and transform. The transformed Lucian gives off a deafening roar that drives off the wolves. Raze sees this and appears impressed. Viktor and his men arrive and Lucian changes back to human form. It is forbidden for a slave lycan to transform and Lucian is beaten and arrested, even though he saved Sonjas life. Sonja tries to plead with Viktor, but gets nowhere.

Back at the castle, Viktor feels betrayed. Lucian is sentenced to a severe lashing by the same guard that he had angered earlier. The whip is tipped with huge hooks and tears up Lucians back. Sonja hears Lucians screams of pain and is devastated.

After his punishment, Lucian is dragged back into his cage, next to a prison cell with the human slaves. Raze is in the cage next to Lucian, and gives him water to drink.

Viktor is suspicious of Sonja for pleading to Viktor to release Lucian, but she claims that she was just showing gratitude for saving his life.

Lucian and Raze talk, and Raze notes that he saw what happened in the forest- that the wolves appeared to obey Lucian when he transformed. Lucian begins talk of escape and freedom and the human slaves, although afraid, are intrigued. Just then, Sonja appears and Lucian and tells her that he has to leave. There is no one else that the two can trusts, except maybe for Tannis, since he knows their secret but did not tell, it means that he wants something. Lucian asks Sonja to speak to Tannis and figure out what he wants.

Viktor meets with the nobles who are expected to pay tribute for protection from the wolves. This years tribute is low, and Viktor expects more due to increased attacks from the wolves. One of the nobles is fed up and proclaims that Viktor and his army are losing ground, and can barely keep the wolves from their own door. Viktor kills the nobleman and sustains control through fear.

Down in the dungeons, the vampires are amused by the sight of the lycans fighting with one another over the food given to them. Lucian cant take any more of this and rallys the lycans for rebellion.

In Sonjas room, she has a flashback of Viktor giving her a medallion, the same one featured in the first two films. Sonja goes to Tannis and, holding a dagger to his throat, asks him why he did not reveal the truth to Viktor. Tannis explains that Viktor isnt good with taking bad news, and that it is not yet the time for him to use this information to his advantage. Tannis wants a council seat, and there are only 12 seats and vampires dont die, which means that he cannot get onto the council unless someone relinquishes their position. Sonja agrees to give Tannis her seat on the council for his help.

Sonja goes to Lucian and tells him that Viktor plans to execute him the next evening, and that he has to leave at dawn if he is to survive. They agree to meet in the forest in three days. As Tannis walks by, he tosses a collar key to Lucian.

The human slaves are brought out and are purposely bitten by a transformed lycan to change them into lycans so they can serve as slaves and guards for the vampires. Lucian talks to the newly transformed lycans (including Raze) and talks them into joining him in escaping/revolting.

As the guard (the one who whipped Lucian) comes in to check on the slaves, Lucian removes his collar, transforms, and shreds him. The slaves break free, subdue their guards, and make a break for it. The guards notice this pretty quickly and turn their crossbows on the lycans. Many of the lycans are killed before getting very far, and many others are separated by a barrage of arrows. Lucian has no choice but to escape with the few slaves that got free, but vows to return for the others. Lucian continues to charge outward, running into two vampires and throwing them and him out a window and out into the open. As they fall from the top of the castle, the guards turn to dust (its daytime), and Lucian lands safely on the ground. The few other lycans follow Lucian and make their escape.

Viktor is rather angry and notices that the collars were unlocked. He had given Tannis the key that Lucian had made, and believes that Tannis has betrayed him, but he claims that he had locked the key in the armory and asks Viktor to check to prove his innocence.

Outside, Lucian and the four other lycans have made it to the surrounding forests, but instead of fleeing, Lucian plans to return to the castle to save his brethren. They have no weapons and are few in number, so Lucian asks Raze to lead him back to the noblemans estate so they are get the supplies and soldiers they need.

At the castle armoury, Tannis finds the key that he had put away. Viktor believes that Lucian must have made another one and Tannis gets off the hook.

Cut back to Lucian and the other lycans. Lucian has freed the human slaves that belonged to the nobleman (the one that was killed by Viktor). Lucian asks them to volunteer to help them, and if they choose to, be granted immortality through becoming a lycan. The freed slaves agree and they prepare for battle making weapons and arming themselves. Lucian sends Raze to other estates to recruit more soldiers.

Viktor is back at the castle, pacing about and steps over a loose metal grate, the same one Lucian used to sneak out and meet with Sonja. He follows the passageway to Sonja and Lucian's secret meeting place.

Back to Lucian, he heads into the woods and meets/recruit the wolves. The wolves do not attack Lucian and seem to listen to him.

Viktor goes to Sonja's room, and questions her about Lucians escape. Viktor does not believe her and drinks her blood to see her memories. Viktor goes into a complete freak-out as he realizes that his daughter has betrayed him. Sonja is imprisoned in her chambers and Viktor storms out.

At the lycan camp, Sonja is supposed to meet Lucian, but her absence worries him. Lucian insists on waiting for her, but the others do not want to wait; the longer they wait, the more likely they will be found.

At the castle, the council have found out that Lucian is rallying the slaves and making more lycans, and the council pressures Viktor to do something about Lucian. Viktor knows that Lucian will return for Sonja, and prepares for the inevitable attack. Viktor sends one of Sonjas friends to tell Lucian that Sonja will be executed soon. Lucian knows it is a trap and heads back to the castle alone, giving Raze command of the troops (lycans and wolves).

During the night, Lucian sneaks into the castle, dispatching the guards one by one. He reaches Sonja and they attempt to escape together. Lucian and Sonja run through the sewers but encounter heavy resistance. Up top, Viktor and his men pour oil into the sewers and set the tunnels on fire. Lucian and Sonja jump through a small hole in the ceiling and battle the vampires. Lucian is outnumbered and getting pummelled but Sonja is doing a good job fighting them off (partly because they want her alive). Viktor comes in and fights Sonja, and she has no choice but to defeat her father. Sonja pleas for Viktor to release Lucian for the sake of her child (shes pregnant with Lucians child). Viktor grabs Sonjas dagger and subdues her. Viktor sees the child as an abomination and believes he has no choice but to punish her as well. Lucian regrets escaping but Sonja tells him that it is not his fault, and that the choices are her to make.

Sonja and Lucian are dragged out for a trial. The guards shoot two silver arrows into Lucian's back, so that he cannot transform. Sonja is convicted of treason by the council, and even Viktor declares Sonja as guilty, even though it visibly pains him to do so. Lucian pleads with Viktor to release Sonja, but its no use. Sonja and Lucian are brought into a chamber where Sonja is strung up on a pillar and forced to watch as Lucian is chained and whipped severely. The whipping ends and all the vampires leave. It will be dawn soon and Sonja will be executed by sunlight. The ceiling opens and Lucian tries to break free to save her, but cannot because he still has the two silver arrowheads buried in his back. Sonja says goodbye and is instantly fried by sunlight. Viktor is grieving rather heavily as well.

At sunset, Lucian is still chained to the floors of the sunlight execution room. Viktor comes in to see the remains of his daughter but does not notice the full moon.

Lucian is furious at Viktor and the moonlight gives him the strength he needs to force the arrowheads from his back and transform himself. He then breaks free, grabs Sonjas medallion and tries to escape. Lucian is being pummelled with arrows and is severely injured, but is able to let off a vicious roar, signalling his men, before weakening and returning to human form.

Viktor gets his knife and is prepared to kill Lucian but notices that something is approaching a hoard of lycans and wolves charging towards the castle. The vampires man their crossbows and fire but there are just too many of them. The wolves climb up the walls easily and quickly overruns the vampires. Raze finds Lucian and helps him. Lucian tells Raze to free the others. Raze frees the other lycan prisoners and give them the keys to their collars. The lycans transform and fight their way out.

Viktor gets Tannis to retrieve the other elders (hibernating in their coffins) and then heads out to face the lycans. Viktor proves to be a very powerful warrior and takes down many lycans. Lucian spots Viktor and heads right for him.

Down in the sewers, Tannis has the elders in a boat and row them to safety.

Lucian catches up with Viktor and they fight. Both of them fall into a pit, hanging from chains. Lucian is able to weaken Viktor with sunlight (he broke a hole through the wall) and ties him up in the chains. Viktor says he should have killed Lucian long ago, but is interrupted by a sword through his mouth. Lucian, thinking that he has killed Viktor, tosses his chained body into the water.

Outside, Raze claims that its finished, but Lucian says it has just begun. This is the beginning of the second vampire-lycan war.

On a ship off the coast, Viktor has been recovered by Tannis, and is put into his coffin to sleep/recover while the next elder reigns over the vampires.

The film ends with the first minute of the first film, with Kravens (Shane Brolly) speech to Selene (Kate Beckinsale) revealing that Viktor had killed her family, and that he kept her alive because she reminded him of his daughter.

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The_Amazing_Spy_Rises from United States
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Very rarely do prequels match up with their predecessors. As I'm not the biggest Underworld fan, I can honestly say that I wasn't expecting much. However, I should've expected more, as the latest, yet earliest installment is easily my favorite in the series. It ain't art, but it's the shining example of why we go to the movies: to escape into a world of mythology, fantasy, and crazy vampire/werewolf action.

For the first time in the series, the filmmakers have decided to leave out the rock that probably was the reason the films have been successful: Kate Beckinsale. I'm guessing this was a production risk/choice, but it seems to have paid off. Selene's absence from the story is necessary to tell the story of how the Lycans rose to power, how Viktor was driven insane (though we pretty much already know how), and, as off topic as it may be, how simply awesome Michael Sheen is.

Very rarely do the actors make an action movie good. Most action movies rely on explosions and (surprise!) action to enhance the quality and generally feature run of the mill copycat characters. Sheen's Lucian and Bill Nighy's Viktor will always stand out in the realm of action/fantasy characters to me, and it's easy to see why. Sheen's turn as Lucian is fierce, determined, and one of my favorite performances in an action movie I've seen in years. Despite playing a (mostly) villainous role in the first film, Lucian is the hero of this film, and it totally gives you a new spin on things. Sheen's brave and dedicated performance really makes the character work, while Bill Nighy is once again effectively creepy as Viktor. Rhona Mitra's presence as Sonja is welcome, though she doesn't carry the same charisma that Beckinsale does, making her an ill advised choice to be Selene's replacement (as she so obviously is).

The action in Underworld, though obviously restrained by a lower budget, is once again great. There's some nice dueling, the obvious gore and blood galore, and a nice Lord of the Rings style battle at the end. What it comes down to is that Underworld does nothing new, but does everything right in maintaining a steady river of entertainment. I was never bored, and I don't think you will be either.

The film does answer a lot of questions and provides some nice insight to the Lycans (which were my favorite parts about the first two films), though it suffers from the same fate as most prequels do...even a casual viewer of this series knows which characters will live, which will die, and how it will end. The film isn't really about the resolution, but rather the journey to the end. In fact, it's made in such a way that you can certainly watch the trilogy in chronological order.

When it comes down to it, I liked 'Lycans' a lot. It's a worthy installment in the series, and certainly not a disappointment to me. It's got good action, a wonderful lead performance from Michael Sheen, and should satisfy fans of the series and fans of mythological stories altogether.

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overcrest2000 from Canada
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I came back about an hour ago from the 3:45 showing here in Toronto. I've seen the first two movies, and I have to say I'm glad they brought back Michael Sheen and Bill Nighy; the second film just wasn't quite the same without those two. Lucian is the character you love to sympathize for and Viktor is the character you love to hate.

I'm so very glad the story was more focused on Lucian as it's a nice change from Selene and Michael being in the spotlight (not to mention Michael Sheen's arguably superior acting ability). As for Rhona Mitra, I won't say she was better than Kate Beckinsale but I can't say she was any less of an asset. Not only did she look great, but she executed her lines superbly. I will however say that I find Sonja's character much more interesting than Selene's. The chemistry between Lucian and Sonja was much better than that of the chemistry between Michael and Selene.

The story was much more intriguing, emotional and tragic than that of either of the previous two expeditions (this being of course subjective), as many who recall the flashbacks presented within will agree. It was also faithful to the material, and it's good that they didn't compromise for the sake of "improving" the story.

Overall, I can't think of another prequel that brought such raw emotion to the table, and regardless of the fact that Len Wiseman was not directing this one (though he was at the helm in other ways), you wouldn't know by watching it as it did a good job maintaining the same feel as the first two. The score also added to a lot of the emotion.

In regards to the possibility of a 4th movie: if they choose to continue on from this prequel as I think they should, they should bring in Amelia as she is one of the few characters that has yet to be explored fully.

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Elswet from .: Fiendish Writings in the Dark :.
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What I wanted...I wanted an epically filmed visceral movie wherein thousands of Lycans are pitted against thousands of Vampires in full armor on horseback. Wow! What a great movie THAT would have been.

What I got...was somehow...better. I honestly can't say that I'm disappointed, although I just KNEW I would be if they left off that bit. What they give us is story-driven rather than effects or action-driven. I know that sounds ridiculous when talking about a movie in which action and effects are completely necessary in order to properly tell the story, but in all too many cases, they end up overshadowing the story and eliminating any sense of storytelling. I am happy to say that such is not the case with Underworld: Rise of the Lycans.

I won't spoil the movie as so many have. I will say that the obvious parallels between Sonja and Selene's characters are endearing, and Sonja's love of Lucien is breathtaking. The overall feel of the movie is as dark and Gothic as the original work, beautifully echoing the brilliance of that film which caught us so by surprise in September of 2003.

This still leaves a few small questions, and I would have loved to see Kraven make the deal with Lucien and cut Viktor's mark off of him, but you can't have everything, and all in all, this will run back to front with the original. All that's left now, is an extension of the Story of Underworld: Evolution; one that either gives the viewers a satisfactory ending, or perpetuates the species...of Underworld films, that is.

All in all? This ROCKS!

It rates an 8.4/10 from...

the Fiend :.

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bdc141 from United States
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If you are a fan of either of the first two Underworld movies you are going to like this one as well. This movie seems to take place a short time after the creation of both races but some time before the events that open Underworld Evolution. The entire story of the feud between the vampires and lycans is told in 90 minutes with plenty of action interspersed throughout. My only complaint is that the movie could have been longer with more character development. An hour and a half is hardly enough time to tell a love story, which is what is at the heart of this movie. Also, a little more depth could have been given to Raze's character as his origins are shown but not in much detail. These plot points are sacrificed to keep the action scenes rolling but the action is great. There are several clashes between vamps and lycans that put those of the first two movies to shame. The special effects are amazing as usual. My hope is that Rise of the Lycans will do well at the box offices and we will all be treated to an extended directors cut on DVD. The plot themes of slavery, forbidden love, and revolution could use a little more screen time in my opinion. Oh and lets all hope for another sequel.

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SophomoreSlump from Malaysia
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In a nutshell:

The GOOD: The storyline is great. It's a very appropriate prequel for the Underwolrd series. DEFINITELY for fans, and also for anyone that want to start getting into the series. There's a BONUS at the end.

The acting is believable and somehow very emotional. Although, nothing Oscar-worthy, it's really worthy of your time.

The special effect is quite amazing. Looks like those 1980's horror flick. Very classic, in a way.

The tone is everything! I really love the moody tone of the movie. Very effective in this type of movies.

The BAD: Although I mentioned some goods there are a few bads. Everything just wasn't enough.

The castle looks very small. Hence, really takes away the epic feeling to it.

The war was also quite small. Walking into the theater, I was hoping for an epic war between the Vampire and the Lycans. But no, the fight focuses on the main characters.

I was also expecting more for the special effects and costumes. Especially in this era of movie-making. The filmmakers should've gone a step further in bringing us the realism of the picture.

OVERALL: Underworld: Rise of the Lycans is a great movie to catch. Full of drama and action. Definitely worth the money and time, especially for fans.

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FilmFan777 from Hollywood, California
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I was hoping it would be good yet I didn't expect it to be 'this' good.

Honestly, this was 'so' well paced. Actually got me anxious, and thats a bit of a rarity. And in a good way.

First off the story was very interesting from start to finish and the script very well crafted. All of the elements... Love, machismo, heroic, underdog, special abilities, honor, suspense, scandal, comradeship, good vs bad just so many elements. However the difference with this film is they were all intertwined so well. Not the usual 'chemistry cocktail' roll of the dice.

The cinematic hat trick... acting, directing and the written story itself all melted like cheese on a hot Philly steak.

I understand the "Category" this film falls near however, over all very well crafted. Some other "Film Makers" should take a few lessons.

I hope there's another.

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kalideva9 from United States
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I was going to wait until Sunday to go see this with my niece and her friends but I was a little apprehensive about how violent it was and wanted to check it out first...Okay, okay, that was part of the reason. The other reason I went to the first matinee showing on opening day was because I was so *nervous* about this film. I so wanted to like the Underworld franchise. I love fantasy, sci-fi and especially vampires and werewolves. I am always anxious to see how another writer, actor, director or other artist brings them to life (er, so to speak). I, however, have never been quite so underwhelmed and disappointed as with the first two of this series. I can appreciate what Len Wiseman and Patrick Tatapoulos were trying to achieve with their new version of werewolves - "lycans" - but I was actually embarrassed by their world's version of vampires. What a bunch of poseurs! Well, Bill Nighy aside. Even Kate Beckinsale, whom I do like as an actress, failed to give me, a female, that "you go girl" pumped-up feeling about a tough-as-nails heroine. In fact - and I'm not so sure this hasn't been the intention all along - it gave me a whole new appreciation for werewolves. Oh yes, and Michael Sheen.

I'm not even really going to touch on Underworld: Evolution because it was excruciating to sit through and, except for Tony Curran (Marcus) and getting to see the proto-werewolf, William, it was a waste of celluloid. Underworld 3 *should* have been Underworld 2 (or 1, even).

So, hence my apprehension. I really wanted this movie to be good, but had already been fooled twice by this franchise. What brought me back? Three things: Len Wiseman *wasn't* directing, Kate Beckisnale's Selene character was *not* an integral part of this plot, and Michael Sheen's Lucian was. Lucian and Viktor (Nighy) were the only things that kept me in that theater seat in the first installment. (The second I watched on a Starz movie channel, couldn't even bring myself to rent it.) Well, I went and saw it and my anxiety has abated and I somehow feel...vindicated. This movie seriously rocked it out. First of all, it made sense. I had to watch the first movie a few more times (in pieces) to really get a grasp of the whole story. Second, the characters were engaging. Rhona Mitra, while not really allowed to show off much but her gorgeous figure and face, was still a much more sympathetic character than Selene ever was. (Edit: After a second viewing, I've had a new appreciation for Mitra. She plays a perfect tough but tender kinda broad and that final scene between her and Sheen...guhhhh! Ripped my heart out.) And maybe this is because I'm a girl but I seriously missed the romance from the first two. (Truly, the Sonya/Lucian angle was the only one - forget whatever that was between Selene and Michael...and what *was* that???) Third, the creatures are absolutely fantastic in this. Rarely did I ever get that feeling in this film that I was playing a video game. And fourth- well, actually fourth and fifth- Michael Sheen and Bill Nighy. I don't know if it's their British accents (to my American ear) that allow them to bring gravity to an otherwise sparse script, or the fact that I'm still trying to rectify in my mind that these are the same guys that I just saw in "Frost/Nixon" and "Notes on a Scandal", respectively. Michael Sheen a sex symbol? Yeah, believe it. I'd love a nice life-size Lucian poster for my room. *blushes* Ahem, anyway, where was I...

...Right. The movie is only an hour and a half long and it flew by for me. The other two were hovering closer to two hours and they both felt twice as long and I was fidgety in my seat the whole time. It is a violent movie, natch, but with the bullets replaced by arrows, it was no less bloody but maybe a bit less jarring and a little easier on the eardrums. And maybe I enjoyed it a bit more this time with a nice balance of romance. It's no Academy Award winner, but then again I don't put much faith in Oscar these days. If you've never seen the other two movies, don't feel you have to see them to appreciate this one. It is a prequel but should have been first. It is a nice bit of fantasy escapism. If you are delicate about violence and gloom, this might not be for you, but I for one am looking forward eagerly to seeing it again on Sunday.

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unbrokenmetal from Hamburg, Germany
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"Rise of the Lycans", on the surface, makes a perfectly well working prequel. The loss of Kate Beckinsale and Scott Speedman is compensated by a great Rhona Mitra and especially Michael Sheen's titanic effort. The look and the action are amazing, considering the somewhat lower budget, and the story makes sense to prepare us all for the things to come in the other two movies. All in all, the trilogy is round now and does not disappoint in any department, unless you are taking everything a bit too literally and wonder how werewolves can make babies.

It is interesting, however, to peek below the surface. The makers mentioned in interviews they see similarities to "Romeo & Juliet" insofar as Lucien and Sonja are lovers not allowed to get together. One crucial difference, however, is that Romeo and Juliet came from two noble families, whereas in "Rise of the Lyans", Sonja is a member of the aristocratic pale vampire rulers, who are sipping glasses of blood on the castle, while Lucien is with the ugly, hairy slaves, the werewolves exploited as cheap labor force. We don't really get to see what this work consists of except carrying stones around. Also the love story isn't explained enough in the running time of not much more than 80 minutes PAL until the credits start to roll. But the point is that "Rise of the Lycans" is a hardly disguised class struggle story. Similar to the Italian socialist cinema of the 1960s which would show the rebellion of poor farmers against the rich property owners, the working class has to realise their value (in Lucien's words: "we are more than animals") and claim their human rights. When Lucien says "this is just the beginning", it may seem to the audience that he jokingly refers to other other two movies which have shown us already how the story continues after this prequel. In the subtext, though, he is making a very serious statement that freedom is the foundation of a life worth living, and everything else will be built up now upon this basic condition. It's a pity that the movie doesn't elaborate more on that and doesn't spend some additional time on the character development, either, because it could have been the best of the trilogy. Alas, I voted almost equally 8-7-7 for the three movies.

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Underworld: Rise of the Lycans : In this prequel we get little of Romeo and Juliet and a dash of Spartacus. The vampires have bred themselves a race of Lycan slaves to guard them during the daylight hours, but when Lucian, the favored pet of Viktor the ruling vampire, falls in love with his daughter things go bad rather quickly. The CGI werewolves are leaps and bounds better than their previous incarnations in this series and the only CGI complaint I have is to the occasionally bad CGI blood spray. Rhona Mitra makes for a hot vampire, and Bill Nighy and Michael Sheen return to chew up some nice scenery. After watching the big battle one is forced to ask the question that pops up after watching any of the Underworlds movies, "How did the Lycans lose the war?" Seriously, the vampires in these films are as fragile as a 1978 Ford Pinto.

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Again the eternal fight between vampires and werewolves in this exciting prequel set in the Dark Ages. This original and gore-soaked vampires film begins centuries ago. Unknown to humanity, centuries old blood feud raged between aristocrat vampires and subdued legion of werewolves known as Lycans who work as slaves. For centuries Sonja ( Rhona Mitra ) is a loyal soldier of the vampire clan, but she falls in love with the Lycan Lucian ( Michael Sheen ). The tale traces the origins of the confrontation between a ruling class of bloodsuckers and their onetime slaves, the werewolves . A young Lycan named Lucian emerges as a powerful rebel who rallies the rebellious werewolves to rise up against Viktor, Sonja's father and the brutal vampire king . Lucian is joined by his secret lover, Sonja, in his struggle against the Vampire army and his fight for Lycan freedom . Neverheless , the war was not as it had seemed. In one night, the lies that had united the kind vampire had been exposed. Sonja has formed a secret alliance with Lucian, ruler of the werewolf clan to overthrow Viktor ( Bill Nighy ), vampires leader who has enslaved them . But Viktor's lust for power and domination has failed. As Viktor was not the savior they had been led to believe . Soon the hunt would be on for his killer . As the war between vampires and werewolves get more personal and deadly , they decide to launch a full-scale attack on the hideout in order to extinguish the race.

This amazing movie displays noisy action , thrills ride, stirring fighting , graphic violence , brief nudism with mild sex scene and is pretty amusing . It packs large loads of guts and gore , there's a huge body count, this one actually knocks off an immense amount, several vampires and werewolves are staked bloodily in the chest, even more impaled with large claws. There's really savage decapitation, plenty of bodies ripped in scraps and half, including some of the most tears ever, that spill lots of blood and numerous get shot up with arcs . Most of vampires, Lycans and humans victims are relegated to being bitten in the throat and neck and the breathtaking fighting scenes are realized with magnificent special and visual effects as well as excellent make-up department . The film blends horror, suspense, struggles, rip-roaring action, terror and lots of gore. Set design is of first class , settings are stylized, Gothic scenarios , and spooky and ghoulish atmosphere. Specials effects are breathtaking, part of them are made by means of computer generator and part by make up . Bone-chilling and atmospheric musical score by Paul Haslinger and colorful and dark cinematography by Ross Emery. Spectacular and moving direction by Patrick Tatopoulos. He's author of set design and production design of Underworld I and II and known blockbusters, such as ¨10.000 BC, Indepencence day, I robot, Resident evil, Pith black ¨, among them . The interesting screenplay is written by Len Wiseman, who directed the former entries , along with Danny McBride and Kevin Grevioux . All actors and technicians participated in the previous outings with exception Kate Beckinsale , being well replaced by Rhona Mitra as relentless action woman . Recommended to those who amuse those kind of vampires-werewolves films or those enjoy in general.

vampire|slave|battle|werewolf|warrior|escape|dungeon|castle|prisoner|prequel|woman riding a horse|forbidden love|incineration|archer|speech|treasure chest|flogging|suit of armor|transformation|starts with narration|child pornography|martial arts|violence|stylized violence|vampire versus werewolf|showdown|combat|hand to hand combat|monster|sword fight|sword and fantasy|battlefield|whip|pregnant vampire|death of expectant mother|death of pregnant woman|pregnant woman executed|persecution in ravine|12th century|torch|sword|slavery|silver|road in the forest|misty forest|male rear nudity|lashing|hiding in the forest|guttural voice actor|full moon|fortress|drinking blood|digital animation|dark road|crossbow|counsel|contact lens|cliff|cgi|candlelight|blacksmith|axe|arrow|aristocracy|fight for food|pregnant woman murdered|whipping|fictional war|sunlight|protector|pregnancy|father daughter relationship|death|collar|attack|

AKAs Titles:


Certifications:
Argentina:13 / Australia:MA15+ / Austria:14 / Brazil:16 / Canada:18+ (TV rating) / Denmark:11 / Finland:K-15 / France:Tous publics (with warning) / Germany:16 / Hong Kong:IIB / Ireland:16 / Italy:T / Japan:R-15 / Malaysia:18SG / Mexico:B15 / Netherlands:16 / New Zealand:R16 / Peru:14 / Philippines:R-13 (MTRCB) / Portugal:M/16 / Singapore:M18 / Singapore:PG13 (edited TV version) / South Korea:18 / South Korea:15 (cable rating) / Spain:18 / UK:18 / USA:R (certificate #44577)