Underworld (2003 film)

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Underworld
Directed by	Len Wiseman
Produced by	Robert Bernacchi Gary Lucchesi Tom Rosenberg
Written by	Kevin Grevioux Len Wiseman Danny McBride
Starring	Kate Beckinsale Scott Speedman Michael Sheen Bill Nighy Shane Brolly
Distributed by	Screen Gems (Sony)
Release date(s)	September 19, 2003
Running time	116 Min/128 min (Special edition)
Language	English
Followed by	Underworld: Evolution
IMDb profile

Underworld is a 2003 horror/action movie (see 2003 in film) about the secret history of vampire and werewolves, where the latter are referred to as "Lycan" as an abbreviated form of lycanthrope. While the film and its sequel opened to mixed reviews they have developed somewhat of a cult following, as films of their kind are seldom so ambitious. The main plot revolves around Selene (Kate Beckinsale) a female vampire "Death Dealer", one who hunts Lycans. She finds herself attracted to a medical intern, Michael Corvin (Scott Speedman), after saving him from the lycan master Lucian who bit him infecting him with the lycan virus, and must decide whether to do her "duty" and kill him or to risk her life to save him.

Contents 1 Corvinus Strain 2 Plot outline 3 Cast 4 Details 5 Trivia 6 Sequels 7 Soundtrack 8 External links

[edit] Corvinus Strain

In the Underworld mythos, Vampires and Lycans are not mystical creatures, but rather the product of a virus. Sixteen centuries ago, a man named Alexander Corvinus was the only survivor of a plague that wiped out his village. Somehow, the man's body was able to mutate the virus, and he became the first true immortal. Later, he had three sons, one of which did not inherit his father's immortality and was simply human. The other two were bitten, one by bat and one by wolf, creating the Vampire and Lycan lines. Corvinus' third son also carried the Corvinus Strain, hidden away in his genetic code — an exact duplicate of the original virus, passed along to his human descendants through the centuries. This, according to Singe, is the key to creating a Hybrid.

[edit] Plot outline

An unnamed European metropolis (which is probably Budapest) in the present day appears to be the setting against a backdrop of a centuries-old war between vampires and lycans (abbreviated form of lycanthropes, or werewolves); a war gone unnoticed by human society at large.

The movie opens with Selene, our narrator, perched on a tower ledge overlooking the city. Through narrations, she tells us that six centuries ago, the Lycan leader Lucian had finally been killed, a turning point in the war. The Death Dealers (vampire warriors charged to fight and kill the Lycan enemy) have been trying to wipe the Lycan race out completely ever since, a mission that is supposedly almost complete. Selene mentions that older Lycans can control their transformations, as opposed to younger Lycans who are affected by the full moon. She also comments that once the Lycans are extinct, she will no longer have a reason to live.

While scoping out the streets with a fellow Death Dealer, Rigel, she spots two Lycans; a large black man, Raze, and his smaller white companion, Trix. Rigel takes photos before the two drop off the towers and onto the streets; the hunt is on. While a third Death Dealer, Nathanial, stays behind as lookout, the other two follow the Lycan pair into a subway station, where Selene is briefly distracted by a handsome young man. It is clear the Lycans are after this particular human, but the vampires haven't noticed. When Raze senses the vampires nearby, he and Trix open fire. Trix hits Rigel, who is instantly killed, burned to ashes from the inside out by strange bullets containing a blue light. Selene fires back and hits Trix in the shoulder. Nathanial shows up and begins shooting at Raze, who soon runs out of ammo. Both Lycans escape (first Trix, then Raze) down the tunnel. Selene goes after Trix, but not before picking up Rigel's camera. Nathanial goes after Raze, but once both are out of human sight, Raze transforms and tears Nathanial to bits. Trix temporarily loses Selene, managing to pick the burning silver bullet out of his shoulder; apparently he couldn't transform because of it. Selene tracks him down a sewer where she empties her gun into his torso, killing him. She picks up his gun and examines the glowing bullets inside. But Raze is not far behind. Selene fends him off with four silver bladed mechanized shuriken, then flees. While hiding, she hears shouting and roaring from a pipe, correctly deducing the noise as a large Lycan den. Unfortunately, Selene does not have the opportunity to investigate. There is a gladiator-type fight going on between two fully transformed Lycans, Pierce and Taylor, which is broken up by the den's leader. A bearded man, he is considerably more sophisticated and dignified than the rest. Once the two fighters revert to human form, the leader suggests they put some clothes on.

Selene manages to escape the tunnels and makes it home: a large old manor, home to the dozens of members of her coven, civilians and Death Dealers alike. She immediately reports to the Death Dealers’ weapons expert, Kahn, about their "serious problem" and presents Trix's gun. Kahn examines the bullets and concludes they contain a liquid that emits ultraviolet radiation; "daylight harnessed as a weapon." Later in the film, Kahn copies this design and constructs silver nitrate bullets; "straight into the bloodstream and nothing to dig out." Selene is not aware Nathanial is also dead and despite the lack of any evidence is convinced the city sewers are crawling with Lycans; she insists that the Death Dealers be gathered to scour the tunnels. Kraven, apparently the man in charge, doesn't believe a word Selene says and dismisses her suggestions.

There are a few important elements to the plot that are either slowly or subtly addressed in the film: the vampire world is ruled by three Elders; Viktor, Marcus and Amelia. They take turns ruling (with a council) for a century each while the other two hibernate in mummified stasis in a special crypt. Amelia has ruled for the whole 20th century, and is about to be replaced by Marcus. Being Selene's sire, Viktor has been a surrogate father to her for her entire vampire life. She deeply resents the fact that Viktor is asleep while she has to tolerate Kraven. Kraven was left as regent of Viktor's household as a reward for slaying the infamous Lucian, leader of the Lycans, six centuries ago. Kraven is now obsessed with Selene, who despises him for his hedonism and lack of honor. Erika is some kind of subordinate of Kraven's, who repeatedly attempts to seduce Kraven, who is not the least bit interested.

Later that night, Amelia's envoy is expected at the manor. Instead of preparing to be a gracious host, Selene reviews Rigel's photos. She notices that the handsome man from the subway keeps appearing in the photos, just a few paces in front of the Lycans; she realizes they were following him. She tries to inform Kraven, but he is again skeptical.

Back in the Lycan's lair, a scientist, Singe, is working in his lab. There are live human men hung up like meat slabs and a bulletin board covered in ID cards and paper clippings. The name "Corvinus" appears often. Singe is performing blood tests for an unknown purpose. We find out the man from the subway is an American medical intern named Michael Corvin. Raze returns to the lair with Trix's body. The bearded leader scolds Raze for losing the "candidate" and then leaves to fetch Michael himself.

While Kraven is entertaining the guests, Selene bails. We see on her computer Michael's ID and address. Selene breaks into his flat and begins rummaging. Meanwhile, two cops (actually Pierce and Taylor in disguise) show up at the hospital to ask Michael about the shooting earlier that night, but Michael already left for home. Selene finds several photos of Michael's family, friends, and girlfriend, when he shows up. Selene pins him to the wall and demands, "Why are they after you?" On cue, several fully formed Lycans show up, and Selene starts shooting. Michael escapes out into the hallway and onto the elevator. On the ground floor, the Lycan leader is waiting for him. Before anything can happen, Selene makes it downstairs, by shooting through the floor, and shoots up the bearded Lycan on sight. He collapses onto Michael and bites him on the shoulder infecting him with the Lycan virus. Selene, not aware of what just happened, drags Michael out from under him. The Lycan spits Michael's blood into a vial, then concentrates on expelling the silver bullets from his body. One by one he pushes the bullets out of his flesh. Once done, he then catches up to Selene's car and jumps on. He begins stabbing the roof with an arm mounted, spring loaded blade until he hits Selene in the shoulder. She finally throws him off, then rams him with her car. He lands on his feet, unharmed. Once she loses him, Selene soon passes out from blood loss and crashes the car into the river. Michael is left to save both their lives. He drags Selene under a pier and performs CPR, before passing out himself. The bearded leader returns with the blood sample, pleased he marked Michael as a Lycan. Singe tests the blood; it is "positive"...

Selene wakes up under the pier in broad daylight. Although her shoulder is completely healed, she's not going anywhere till sundown. Michael is unconscious all day, having nightmares of an event out of chronological order, unable to make sense of it. He continues to have these nightmares throughout the film. He wakes up in Selene's bedroom the following night, only long enough to hear her name before passing out again. Erika asks why Selene brought him home, which she replies, "He saved my life." Kraven is raging, not only at her insubordination, but at the presence of the very uninvited guest. Selene pleads for Kraven to listen, but he keeps yelling, "Lucian wouldn't be the slightest bit interested in a human!" Selene notices this slip, and is immediately suspicious. Erika is left alone with Michael, where her curiosity gets the best of her. While examining him, she sees his shoulder bite mark and is horrified. Michael wakes up to a terrified Erika, clinging to the ceiling and hissing like a cat. Michael, equally scared, jumps out the window and escapes. Kraven slaps Selene for bringing the non-vampire to the manor, then subsequently allowing him to escape.

When Kraven leaves the manor, Selene breaks into the long-deserted library to investigate Kraven's history. She breaks into a locked cabinet to extract a particular chronicle. While reading about the fall of Lucian, she finds in between the pages a mounted piece of skin with a "V" (for Viktor) branded into it, supposedly the skin of the late Lucian. Selene then spots a portrait of Lucian. Although his face is ripped off the page, she recognises the distinctive pendant around his neck, the same pendant worn by the bearded Lycan. Erika finds Selene and tells her Michael is a Lycan. Selene refuses to believe her. Selene's suspicions are confirmed: the bearded Lycan is actually Lucian himself. Kraven and Lucian faked his death – the latter allowing the former to carve away the patch of skin bearing the 'V' brand as 'proof' – Kraven for political advancement, and Lucian for strategy. Kraven, however, is in the dark about Lucian's plans for Michael. Plus, this arrangement may not be completely played out yet. Selene decides she has no choice but to awaken Viktor. She sneaks into the crypt to feed him her blood. She comments on how only Elders have the skill to organize their memories into a cohesive vision, and as far as she knew, Selene is the only non-Elder to attempt an awakening by herself. Not only is her blood supposed to awaken him, but he can acquire all her memories through it; Selene is counting on this.

Michael tries to seek medical attention at his hospital, but Pierce and Taylor show up to arrest him. Luckily, Michael escapes; he realizes Selene is the only person who can help him now. He goes back to the manor and demands to speak to Selene via the intercom at the gate. Kraven threatens to banish her if she goes to him, but Selene fires back that Viktor will decide now he is awake. It's not until Selene's gone when Erika tells Kraven that Michael is a Lycan. Kraven finds Viktor walking in his crypt, his whole body being fed purified blood through several IVs. Viktor criticizes Kraven for being an incompetent leader, until Kraven informs him he has been awakened a whole century ahead of schedule. Outside, Selene picks up Michael in a new car and sees that Michael has indeed been bitten. Selene explains the war to Michael and that she has the right to kill him for what he is, but she needs to find out why Lucian wants him first. Selene takes Michael to a safe house in the city where Lycans are tortured and interrogated. Michael mentions his nightmares and Selene explains they are actually Lucian's memories. When Michael asks her why she hates the Lycans, she explains that when she was human, her parents, sister, and nieces were all killed by Lycans one night and Viktor fought them off and saved her. She tells Michael to stay put while she goes back to talk to Viktor, but Michael doesn't want to her to leave him alone. She impulsively kisses him, then cuffs him. She reminds him that it's a full moon tomorrow night and she can't let him loose to kill and feed.

Lucian has charged Singe to lead a battalion to follow Selene and capture Michael. They wait for her at the manor while she faces Viktor. He asks her why she thinks Lucian is alive. Selene insists that her memories provide all the evidence Viktor needs. He replies that her memories were unorganized and incoherent and he couldn't make sense of them. Selene is shocked that he doesn't believe that she shot Lucian. She begs Viktor for a chance to prove herself, but instead of listening to her, he focuses on the fact she broke sacred laws and is fraternizing with a Lycan, which in his mind is reason enough not to believe her. He informs her she will be under arrest until Amelia and the council arrive tomorrow night to judge her. While Kraven is locking her in her room, he refers to her as his "future queen", which Erika overhears; she is livid.

The next evening, Kraven informs Kahn that Soren, Kraven's right hand thug, and his team will pick up Amelia and the council from the train station, which Kahn is usually supposed to do. At the station, Amelia's train is ambushed by Lycans, while Soren turns his back. Meanwhile, at the manor, Erika shuts off the electricity. In the dark and commotion Erika enters Selene's room with two guns and keys to a car. When Selene asks why she is helping her, Erika replies, "I'm not. I'm helping me." Selene rushes to get to Michael before the full moon rises, with Singe in hot pursuit. Just as she reaches the safe house, a half dozen Lycans come up behind her. Shooting commences. Michael is forced to jump out the window, and surprisingly lands squarely on all fours like a cat. Pierce and Taylor pull up in a police car and throw Michael in before speeding off. Selene is left with a single surviving Lycan: Singe. In the car, Michael is in bad shape. The full moon rises and Michael begins to change. Taylor pulls over so Pierce can inject Michael with something. At the train station, Amelia is damaged, but alive. Raze appears, pulls out a syringe and extracts blood from her neck. When Kahn realizes Amelia is late, he sends his team to find her. They arrive at the station to find everyone dead.

Back at the manor, Viktor has completely regenerated. Kraven informs him Selene has fled and that it wasn't his fault. Just then, Selene arrives with Singe in custody. He is chained to the floor where Selene tortures him into talking. He explains that he had been trying to combine the two bloodlines, which proved impossible. So he did some research: Alexander Corvinus was a Hungarian warlord in the early 400s, who was the sole survivor of a plague that wiped out his entire village. He apparently had a unique genetic trait that allowed viruses and other alien DNA to mutate within him to his benefit; he became the first true immortal. Years later, he had three sons: one was bitten by a bat, one by a wolf, while the third had a mortal life and descendants. Viktor dismisses this whole story as a legend, and states that Marcus is actually a descendant of Corvinus. Singe goes on to explain he needed the original Corvinus Strain to make a vampire/Lycan union possible, which they found in Michael. Viktor is infuriated at the idea, and Singe defies him by saying Lucian is alive and will mutate himself to become a hybrid. By this time, Kraven has already fled, exposed as a traitor. Singe goes on to describe a powerful being: the best of both species and none of the weaknesses, which Lucian aspires to become. Viktor is horrified. Just then, Kahn comes in to inform Viktor of Amelia's fate. In a rage, Viktor kills Singe in one blow, spilling his blood all over the floor. Viktor then turns to Selene and tells her all she has to do is kill Michael and she will be exonerated.

Michael wakes up strapped to a slab in Singe's lab. He is greeted by Lucian, who explains he was given an enzyme to stop the change. Lucian then extracts blood from Michael and injects it into himself. While Michael watches him, he recognizes the pendant Lucian wears, and all of a sudden his nightmares make sense: a blonde girl wearing the pendant is chained to a column in a room similar to the Elder's crypt. In front of her is Lucian chained to the floor being whipped, while a group behind bars yell in protest. Viktor and the council witness the whipping, then leave the room. The ceiling is opened up to let in the sunlight, and the girl on the column immediately screams and burns. Lucian cries out "SONJA!!". Later that night, Viktor returns to pick the pendant off her carbonized corpse. He looks sad. Just then, the full moon rises, and Lucian and all the people behind the bars transform. Lucian breaks his chains, grabs the pendant, and escapes. Michael snaps out of it and says her name. "They forced you to watch her die." Lucian explains Lycans were once slaves to the vampires, their daylight guardians, and Lucian was born into it. He didn't hate vampires then, in fact he married one. Viktor caught them both and intended to kill them both for their abominable union. Sonja was Viktor's daughter, and Viktor is nothing more than a hateful racist.

Kraven and Soren's team show up, apparently having nowhere else to go. Lucian's men escorts Soren's into a chamber while Kraven and Lucian talk. Kraven is worried, but Lucian assures him he will soon rule the vampire nation and have "an ironclad peace treaty with the Lycans." Lucian is frustrated that Raze hasn't shown up with Amelia's blood yet. Then, Selene and Kahn's team attack the lair, with Viktor in tow. When Lucian turns his back, Kraven pulls out Kahn's silver nitrate gun and shoots Lucian. A very long, huge, complicated battle takes place. Raze shows up too late. He retaliates by attacking Soren, who pulls out silver whips, but that can't hold back Raze fully formed. Selene, initially leading the group, leaves Kahn to lead so she can find Michael. Lucian comes to; apparently a single round of silver nitrate isn't enough to kill him. Selene has to shoot her way through the Lycans in her path. Kahn is eventually taken down with his team. Kraven is trying to escape, but has to constantly dodge the line of fire. Selene eventually finds Michael and unties him. Lucian, crawling, sees them together, invoking a sense of déjà vu. Michael tells her everything he learned. When Raze is done with Soren, he goes after Viktor, but even at his peak, Viktor easily breaks Raze's neck and impales him on his sword. Countless vampires and Lycans are killing each other left and right.

Selene and Michael are looking for a way out when they come across Kraven, who pumps Michael full of silver nitrate. He is dying slowly. Out of spite, Kraven tells Selene the truth about Viktor: he slaughtered and fed on Selene's family all those years ago and there wasn't a Lycan anywhere close. Viktor is a closet hedonist who criminally indulges in human blood, and Kraven was his confidant. Viktor just couldn't kill Selene because she reminded him of Sonja, the daughter he executed. Just then, Lucian crawls up behind Kraven and stabs him in the leg with his arm blade. With Kraven distracted long enough, Lucian manages to say to Selene, "Bite him!" She remembers Singe's words, and bites Michael. Kraven gets to his feet just so Lucian can taunt him with ultimate victory, "You may have killed me, cousin, but my will is done regardless." Kraven replies by emptying his gun into Lucian, killing the Lycan. Kraven finally flees before Viktor shows up to kill Michael. He tosses Selene aside, picks up Michael and throws him through a wall into a flooded courtyard beneath. Selene sees Viktor for who he really is and confronts him with everything. Despite his guilt, he defends all his actions to the ground. He believes granting Selene immortality was payment enough for wronging her, and Sonja was having Lucian's baby; Viktor didn't hesitate to "protect the species."

While this confrontation is happening, Michael is changing. His whole body has become black and his eyes are obsidian as his bone structure morphs into something never seen before. When Viktor turns to finish Michael off, he meets his match: a creature so fast and so strong, Viktor is actually scared. But despite Michael's power, Viktor, as one of the oldest living vampires, gets the upper hand. He throws Michael across the courtyard so the Elder's bodyguards can shoot him. Selene is in a state of shock while all this is happening, but the sound of gunfire wakes her up. She rushes to defend Michael and drops the Death Dealers, her own kind. Viktor blindsides her with a vicious punch and she hits the ground. Michael roars in anger and rushes Viktor, only for Viktor to get him in a vice grip. He's about to snap Michael's neck when Selene snatches Viktor's sword off the ground and slices Victor's head in half in one sweeping blow. The battle ends abruptly. No vampire or Lycan is foolish enough to come near them after what just happened. Selene picks up Sonja's pendant and gives it to Michael to keep. They walk out together, speechless and numb.

Off camera, Selene narrates that she "cannot predict the future", but reminds us that Marcus is the only vampire Elder left alive and that the vampire nation will react to all that has happened. Selene believes she will become a target now that Viktor is dead. Back in the crypt, Singe's blood had poured across the floor till it reached Marcus's sarcophagus, where it seeps through, all over Marcus's body. His eyes flutter open, at first vampire blue, then hybrid black...

[edit] Cast

Actor	Role
Kate Beckinsale	Selene
Scott Speedman	Michael Corvin
Michael Sheen	Lucian
Bill Nighy	Viktor
Shane Brolly	Kraven
Erwin Leder	Singe
Sophia Myles	Erika
Robbie Gee	Kahn
Wentworth Miller	Dr. Adam Lockwood
Kevin Grevioux	Raze
Zita Görög	Amelia
Scott McElroy	Soren
Todd Schneider	Trix
Sándor Bolla	Rigel
Hank Amos	Nathanial

[edit] Details

Runtime 

116 minutes (1 hour, 56 minutes)

On May 26, 2004 the "Unrated Extended Version" was released on DVD. It has a total run time of 128 Min (2:08)

Genres 

Action, Fantasy, Thriller, Science fiction

Ratings 

MPAA: R for strong violence/gore and some language.

Australia:MA,Canada:18A, France:U, Netherlands:12, Norway:15, Philippines:R-18, Singapore:NC-16, South Korea:18, Spain:18, Sweden:15, Switzerland:16, Ireland:15, UK:15, USA:R, Japan:PG-12, Singapore:PG (edited version), Finland:K-15, Germany:16/18 (the original 121 Min cut was released with the rating 16, the extended "uncut" edition was released rated 18)

[edit] Trivia

• The movie was entirely filmed in Budapest, Hungary. The story itself takes place in Budapest.
• The movie was the subject of a copyright infringement lawsuit filed by White Wolf, Inc. and Nancy A. Collins claiming the setting was too similar to the Vampire: The Masquerade and Werewolf: The Apocalypse games both set in their World of Darkness setting: White Wolf filed 17 counts of copyright infringement, and claimed over 80 points of unique similarity between White Wolf's game systems and the movie. White Wolf, Inc. also claimed the script was very similar to a story entitled The Love of Monsters (1994) which they published and was written by Nancy A. Collins. [1] A PDF file of White Wolf's filing can be read here: [2] In September, 2003 a judge granted White Wolf an expedited hearing; this was the last White Wolf's press releases had to say about the case. [3] Given that there has never been any further news of this case, and Sony has proceeded to release DVDs and a sequel, it is possible that it was settled out of court under terms that prohibited any further discussion of the matter.
• Amy Lee of Evanescence sang in some of the songs by Renholder, but her voice was cut off the official soundtrack, due to legal problems with her record company.
• Director Len Wiseman opted to shoot several action scenes live, without the use of computer generated imagery. One such scene involves the Lycan Lucian seemingly running at high speed behind a speeding car. The scene was shot with actor Michael Sheen running upon a heavy cloth which was in turn being towed by the car he was chasing.
• The phrase "what the fuck is goin' on", said by Corvin as he leaves his apartment building immediately before the Lycan/car chase scene was used by Israeli Psytrance producer Astrix on "Techno Widows", the fourth track of his Artcore album.
• No special audio effects were used to alter Kevin Grevioux's voice. Grevioux's voice is naturally that deep.
• Actor Scott Speedman won the Face of the Future Saturn Award for his role as Michael Corvin.
• The name of the main character, Selene, is indicated in Greek mythology as being associated with the moon.
• The name "Michael Corvin" was the name used in the teaser trailers on the tombstone of Ashe, the lead character of The Crow: City of Angels. This trailer is avalible on some versions of the VHS of The Crow.

[edit] Sequels

The follow-up story, Underworld: Evolution, was released January 20, 2006. Another film is also planned. It will be a prequel and it will be released in 2009.

[edit] Soundtrack

Main article: Underworld (Soundtrack)

[edit] External links

• Underworld at the Internet Movie Database
• Underworld: Evolution at the Internet Movie Database
• Underworld Official Site
• Underworld Fan Board

Underworld
Films
Underworld (2003) | Underworld: Evolution (2006)
Untitled Underworld prequel (in development)
Music
Underworld soundtrack (2003) | Underworld: Evolution soundtrack (2006)
Books
Underworld - Greg Cox (2003) | Underworld: Blood Enemy - Greg Cox (2004)
Underworld: Evolution - Greg Cox (2006)