Underworld: Rise of the Lycans - Movie Review and Synopsis

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Category: Movies. Tags: Action, Bill Nighy, Fantasy, Horror, Michael Sheen, Patrick Tatopoulos, Rhona Mitra, Screen Gems, Thriller.

Underworld: Rise of the Lycans An origins story which reveals the cause of the centuries-old blood feud between the Death Dealers and the Lycans. Lucian (Sheen), a powerful and influential Lycan, rallies his race in an uprising against the vampire king Viktor (Nighy). Joining Lucian is his secret lover, Sonja (Mitra), a vampire who empathizes with the Lycans and looks to help free them from slavery.

Exactly how Rhona Mitra’s name has become synonymous with ill-advised horror projects is something for her and her agents to figure out, but it’s not like she doesn’t make sense in this role — it’s the movie’s existence itself that has us, and many, many others, asking questions. And not to kick a once-powerful franchise when it’s down, but the footage showed at Comic-Con back in July didn’t necessarily rally the masses to this cause, though in this age of direct-to-DVD sequels, something tells me this isn’t the last we’ve heard of the war between Lycans and Death Dealers. (Or Selene — she appears in this one!)

Rated R for bloody violence and some sexuality.

Director: Patrick Tatopoulos
Stars: Rhona Mitra, Michael Sheen, Bill Nighy
Studio: Screen Gems
Release Date: 23 January 2009 (USA)