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Underworld: Awakening

Totenkindly

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Wow. What a bad movie. Well, not horrible -- I'd give it 2 stars out of 5, maybe 2.5 stars if you know you're just there to watch the violence. And I wasn't expecting much, so I wasn't severely disappointed.

(I got two $10 vouchers cuz I bought the Underworld boxed set on BluRay last week, so technically I only paid $3 for my roomie and me to get into the 3D version.)

The movie was riffing on a bunch of other action pics, including Aliens and The Matrix trilogy. That didn't help. Selena seemed a lot more badass too. I guess before she was just killing lycans, who are superhumans, and so the violence seemed warranted; and she just fed on humans when she needed to; but here she was mowing through humans like grass and she just seemed pretty damned ruthless in a way she never came across as in the earlier movies.

There was quite a bit of computer generation, and much of it seemed fake -- especially when they tried to include Michael for a few seconds here and there.

I swear she dropped Wes Bentley out a window early in the movie. I have to IMDB it and see if it was him, since I didn't see his name in the credits. I thought it was funny seeing Stephen Rea here, since he's played vampires in other movies (like "Interview with the vampire").

I don't think it's worth paying full price for in the theater; but then again, in the theater you get larger than life images, surround sound, 3D (if you pay for that). But I wouldn't have gone except that I got the vouchers.

For being such a fast-paced movie, I feel like the movie didn't have as much a heart as the others, and thus it still felt kind of boring.

EDIT: Saw the 3D ads for John Carter on Mars -- again, lots of action that looks completely boring, like "Avatar 3D After Strip-Mining".

EDIT2: Rotten Tomatoes synopsis:
"There's more vapid action and less story in Underworld Awakening than previous installments, making the whole affair feel inconsequential."

Yeah. I'd agree with that basic assessment.
 

Tyrinth

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4 or 5 stars for the violence, 2 or 3 for the plot. :D

Did it seem really short to anyone? It did to me...

It almost seemed like the only point of the movie was to set up the next one. :thinking:

Well, I loved the scene where Selene goes crazy with the scalpel anyway. That part looked wonderfully painful. :devil:

Overall, I agree, not especially good, but not exactly horrible either.
 

Totenkindly

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Yeah, it barely cleared 90 minutes, if it did. Usually that's not a good sign for any non-Disney movie.

I think what makes it work is that Kate Beckinsale owns the part; I mean, she's just enjoyable to watch as Selene... and I guess the guys are even more in agreement with that. :doh:

Yeah, they really did set up the next movie at the end of this one. I also saw previews for the next Resident Evil movie, which is kind of the same deal.

EDIT: Yeah, that was Wes Bentley as one of the scientists, early in the movie. He was Ricky Fitts, in American Beauty.
 

highlander

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Too bad. I love those movies - think I own 3.
 

Totenkindly

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Too bad. I love those movies - think I own 3.

All three of them, or just Rise of the Lycans?

I'm affectionate toward them the same way i think of Highlander (the movie, i mean! )...maybe not high art, but enjoyable with some characters i much like.
 

The Ü™

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I stopped watching the Underworld movies after the first one.
 

Totenkindly

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I stopped watching the Underworld movies after the first one.

The first one was the best. They've always had decent actors involved, at least. I mean, Bill Nighy and Derek Jacobi and Michael Sheen? The movies would have been bad with B-rate actors, but the quality was elevated by those involved, as well as tone and atmosphere, and Selene is tough and yet has an underlying vulnerability, especially in the tragedy as part of her character concept.

The third movie probably never had to be made; and Awakenings felt more like a "take back" of things that happened in Underworld Evolution.
 

Qlip

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That's a shame about John Carter, I know a lot of the book series fans I know are excited about it. But, it is some ancient science fiction, I bet most of it had to be rewritten to capture modern tastes anyway.
 

highlander

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All three of them, or just Rise of the Lycans?

I'm affectionate toward them the same way i think of Highlander (the movie, i mean! )...maybe not high art, but enjoyable with some characters i much like.

In liked all 3. The 1st might have been the best
 
A

Anew Leaf

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I want to like these movies but I just can't. There is some interesting history that I enjoy... And that's about it.

I like the third the best because Kate-female-Keanu-reeves isn't in it for the plot.
 

Totenkindly

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I want to like these movies but I just can't. There is some interesting history that I enjoy... And that's about it.
I like the third the best because Kate-female-Keanu-reeves isn't in it for the plot.

Michael Sheen is cute, at least.
But really... Kate's a much better actor than Keanu. Which is scary. :(
 
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