I thought it would be time for something, non web related. A quick review (sort of) and my thoughts about Underworld - Rise of the Lycans. Enjoy!
This series has been one of my favorites I thoroughly enjoyed. Albeit this type of movie and genre are the types of movies that spark my interest and inner child. Me and my dad would rent these movies and watch them all the time (no idea why we haven't bought them yet, lol!). So I may seem a little bit bias towards the movie, and its predecessors, but I'm just a fan who enjoys it. It has many likenesses to Van Helsing, which is another favorite of mine.
Now I will agree that the previous two movies left a lot to be asked about the Lycan and Vampire history. You learned a little bit more with the second movie in that you find out who the original Lycan and Vampire are and where they came from. What you didn't know is the details behind the feud (vague references to Lucian and Sonya's love) and how they got to this point. With the Rise of the Lycans, set hundreds of years before the first, you learn everything you need to know about Lucian, Viktor, and the bloodlines.
The next paragraph will be a quick rundown of the plot, spoilers ahead! The movie is set within a castle, that is built into the side of the mountain (very Helms Deepish), which is surrounded by a large field and forest. Lucian is born from a pure breed Lycan (who was slain quickly after), but instead of killing the child, Viktor keeps and raises him. Although he keeps him chained and bound, Viktor later decides to use Lucian to infect other humans, which in return are used as slaves and labor to mine the mountain and guard the castle during the day. A love story is intermingled between Sonya (Viktors daughter) and Lucian. They try to keep it secret but Tanis (a Vampire historian) spots them at one point and tries to use this to his advantage. While Sonya is out protecting a caravan of human nobles (humans pay the vampires for protection), a large group of Lycans ambush the caravan and Lucian knowing of this escapes and saves them (Lucian also meets Raze for the first time here). For his betrayal, Viktor orders Lucian to be tortured and killed. Sonya hears of this news, makes a deal with Tanis so that Lucian can escape in return for a Vampire council seat. Lucian escapes with a few other Lycans and awaits for the arrival of Sonya. Lucian is told that Sonya has been put in prison because Viktor has found out about her love for Lucian. While the other Lycans prepare for battle, Lucian sets off to rescue Sonya. Sonya tells Viktor during their confrontation that she is pregnant with a hybrid. Viktor is furious and sends them off to prison. After their capture and trial, they are sentenced to death. The next scene involves the death of Sonya by sunlight, Lucian grabbing her amulet and attempting to escape in his Lycan form (which we have seen as a flashback in the previous movies). During his escape, Lucian is badly wounded and roars loudly which awakens the pure breed Lycans. This sets the war in motion, with the strong advance of the Lycans on the castle and coven. The castle is overrun by the Lycans, the council was slain and Lucian sets off to kill Viktor. Lucian succeeds in driving a sword through Viktors mouth and throwing him into the river (which made me think wtf? seeing as how hes in the other movies). In the last scenes you see Viktor on board a boat, along with Tanis (presumably the only other survivor). Viktor proceeds to "get into" his coufin, alongside the other elders.
Now that you are hopefully caught up, lets begin. I love watching sequels that piece together previous movies storyline, and this did it beautifully. It showed the events of the birth of Lucian and how it led up to the war between the bloodlines. What I enjoyed most was Viktors character and his power as the Vampire elder. He stays true to the Vampire laws, even when it comes to condemning his daughter to death. Although the first 2/3rds of the movie is about Lucian and Sonya and explains a lot of the previous storyline, you do not see much action or fighting between the bloodlines. It is not until the end when the Lycans commence their attack on the castle, that you see much bloodshed; and boy do you see bloodshed.
The battle upon the castles walls is very reminiscent of LOTR's Helms deep, but why try something different when the previous idea worked so well. You see the Vampires upon the walls unleash arrows and ballistas at the hundreds of Lycans rushing forward. But with little to no effect to the numbers of Lycans, the Vampires are easily overwhelmed on the walls and torn apart. Nearly all the Lycans scale the wall and commence to pounce and shred all the Vampires in sight. During this battle, Raze frees all the remaining imprisoned Lycans, who then join the battle. The Death Dealers are sent into battle, but cannot hold of the large numbers and the ferocity of the Lycans. I always enjoy these types of battles, simply because its something you would never see in a real life.
Now I would say this isnt the greatest movie, but it is a great movie. It brings the storyline together well, has a good story itself, embodies some awesome fight scenes and makes good use of Animatronics and CG. I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys the Underworld series or movies set in this type of fantasy genre.
Other things I loved about this movie:
- The Vampires armor - Im a huge fan of medieval settings
- The Lycans apperance, movements and their ability to tear things apart
- How the castle was built to protect the Vampires from sunlight
One thing though that is not explained, is the deal that Lucian makes to fake his death (the part of his skin with the tattoo). Hopefully this is explained in another movie that continues after this point.