Underworld: Evolution

The back story centers on the creation of the first vampire and werewolf, who were twin brothers—one bitten by a wolf, the other by a bat. Marcus, the vampire twin, awakens and is now on a mission to free his brother William from the crypt where he has been entombed for more than six thousand years.

The paths of Marcus, Selene, and Michael intersect when Marcus discovers Michael holds the key to William’s tomb and Selene is the only remaining being who knows the whereabouts of the imprisoned werewolf.

With the help of Corvinus, the father of Marcus and William, Selene and Michael fight a battle to stop the twin brothers from reigning in terror over the modern rule.

Matrix Comparison

This movie is reminiscent of the Matrix Trilogy in so many ways. If the giant leaps from tall buildings to land in deep knee bends don’t bring back flashbacks of Neo, then the overall dark, gothic feel of the movie and the way majority of the population is left in the dark about how the real world really operates will.

The sex scene immediately reminded me of the Matrix Reloaded sex scene. Unless there is another Underworld in the works, on in which Selene ends up pregnant with Michael’s baby, many will argue that it served no purpose other than to slow down the action. Admittedly, the chemistry between Selene and Michael was a lot more evident than it was between Neo and Trinity; still, it did little to further the plot.

Opening Weekend Numbers

According to The Numbers, Underworld: Evolution topped the charts at $27.6 million—that is more than twice what its nearest rival grossed. That is up from the $22 million Underworld grossed during its opening weekend in the USA in 2003.

Writer and Director

Len Wiseman is credited as the writer and director of both Underworld and Underworld: Evolution. Underworld was his first directing credit. He has since married his star Kate Beckinsale, who has also appeared in such movies as Van Helsing, Pearl Harbor, and Much Ado about nothing. The couple now lives in Hollywood.

Overall Vision

Wiseman did a terrific job creating a seamless transition between the urban settings in Underworld to the rural settings prevalent in Evolution. He effectively tied up the loose ends from the first movie while providing a back story that rivals the main plot in keeping the movie-goers attention. And for the $48 million budget, which is rather limited by Hollywood standards, he had to work with, he squeezed out a high energy, visually exciting sequel that has surpassed the expectation of both fans and critics.