Underworld (2003 film)
| Underworld | |
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| Directed by | Len Wiseman |
| Produced by | Robert Bernacchi Gary Lucchesi Tom Rosenberg |
| Written by | Story Kevin Grevioux Len Wiseman Danny McBride Screenplay Danny McBride Characters Kevin Grevioux Len Wiseman Danny McBride |
| Starring | Kate Beckinsale Scott Speedman Michael Sheen Shane Brolly and Bill Nighy |
| Music by | Paul Haslinger |
| Studio | Lakeshore Entertainment |
| Distributed by | Screen Gems Pictures Lakeshore Entertainment |
| Release date(s) | September 19, 2003 |
| Running time | 121 min. (original theatrical cut) 133 min. (extended cut) |
| Country | Hungary United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $22,000,000 |
| Gross revenue | $95,708,457 |
| Followed by | Underworld: Evolution |
Underworld is a 2003 action-horror film about the secret history of Vampires and a type of werewolf known as Lycans (an abbreviated form of lycanthrope). It is the first film in the Underworld series. The main plot revolves around Selene (Kate Beckinsale), a vampire who is a Death Dealer hunting Lycans. She finds herself attracted to a human, Michael Corvin (Scott Speedman) who is being targeted by the Lycans. After Michael is bitten by a Lycan, Selene must decide whether to do her duty and kill him or go against her clan and save him.
While reviewers generally received the film negatively, criticizing the lack of character development and overacting, a smaller number of reviewers praised elements such as the film's stylish Gothic visuals, the "icy English composure" in Kate Beckinsale's performance, and the extensively worked-out vampire-werewolf mythology that serves as the film's backstory.
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Plot
Perched on the ledge of a building in a rainy night, two black-garbed vampires known as Death Dealers track a pair of werewolves who are walking on the street below in their human form. The vampires, Selene and Rigel, specialize in assassinating an ancient species of werewolves known as Lycans. Selene's motivation goes beyond duty; she also wants revenge, for she believes that Lycans slaughtered her family when she was a child. The vampires believe that they defeated the werewolves many centuries ago and killed their leader, Lucian, and that they must now kill off the survivors. As the vampires follow the Lycans into a subway station, the werewolves open fire with submachine guns, killing Rigel within moments. After the Lycans retreat from Selene's barrage of machine pistol fire and the arrival of a third Death Dealer, Nathaniel, she tracks them to their lair as Nathaniel is slain by Raze while pursuing the lycan and is ambushed. Raze overpowers Nathaniel by knocking his weapon away as he tries to reload and then goes to his full lycan form, killing Nathaniel off screen. Upon reaching the Lycan lair, she hears loud howling and finds out that the Lycans have developed a new high-tech bullet to kill the vampires, as seen with how Raze killed Rigel.
When Selene arrives at the vampire coven's ornate, gated mansion, she recounts the evening's events, and urges an attack on the Lycans, but the vampire regent Kraven tells her to drop the matter. After some research, Selene realizes that the Lycans may have been following a human, Michael Corvin, which would be very unusual behavior and secretly continues her investigation. Meanwhile, in an underground Lycan lair, a scientist named Singe is testing blood from kidnapped descendants of the ancient Corvinus family, to try to find a pure source of the ancient and powerful Corvinus bloodline. Soon after Selene finds Michael, the pair are attacked by werewolves, including Lucian, the original Lycan leader, who still lives. After Lucian bites Michael on the shoulder, Selene helps Michael escape, and the two become romantically attracted to each other.
Meanwhile, Selene discovers that when Lucian was supposedly killed, Kraven was the only witness. Sensing a conspiracy between Kraven and Lucian, she wakes a powerful elder vampire, Viktor, who has been in hibernation. Viktor is angered by his early awakening, as it was Markus's turn to rule in the cycle of the Elders, not his. Viktor chooses to believe Kraven and orders Selene to acquiesce to the vampire hierarchy. Meanwhile, Kraven has secretly planned to kill the Vampire Elder, Amelia, and her companions, with Lucian's help. Selene escapes from the mansion with the help of Erika, a maidservant enamored of Kraven.
Selene tells Michael about the feud and her past. She then chains Michael to a wall, fearing that when he changes at the full moon, he will kill innocent people. Later, Selene captures Singe while Michael is captured by Lycans. Selene brings back the wounded Singe, who admits to Viktor that the Lycans have been trying to combine the bloodlines of the two species with the Corvinus Strain to create a powerful hybrid. After Kraven flees the mansion (because Singe reveals that Kraven and Lucian are working together), news arrives that Amelia, who was coming to awaken Markus, has been killed by Lycans. Viktor kills Singe and gives Selene the chance to redeem herself for awakening him by killing Michael.
Meanwhile, in the Lycan lair where Michael is being held captive, he learns that long ago, Lucian and Viktor's daughter, Sonja, became lovers. When Viktor learned that his daughter had become pregnant by a Lycan, he condemned her to death to prevent any crossing of the two species, which led to the war. Selene arrives with a group of Death Dealers, including the Weapons Master and Chief Death Dealer, Kahn to bring an end to the Lycans and kill Kraven for his treachery. Lucian prepares to fight, but Kraven betrays and shoots him with a newly-designed bullet (a capsule containing a liquid form of silver nitrate, intended to kill by poisoning a lycan's bloodstream). Selene arrives and rescues Michael as her allies battle the lycan guards, but he is soon shot by Kraven. Kraven informs Selene that it was Viktor who killed her family, and that he would have killed her too if she had not reminded him so much of his daughter, Sonja. Afterwards, Kraven offers Selene one last chance to join him but Selene turns him down causing Kraven to point his gun at Michael to finish him off, but Lucian emerges, injures Kraven, and tells Selene to bite Michael. Selene complies, and Kraven flees, but not before killing Lucian. Viktor enters and throws Michael through a wall. Selene asks Viktor if what Kraven said was true. Viktor concedes that it was, but tries to convince Selene that he gave her more than what her human family ever could have: immortality. Viktor and the Hybrid Michael fight, but even if Michael's powers are greater than Viktor's, he still has far less experience than the Vampire Elder. In the end, Viktor gets the upper hand and attempts to strangle Michael. However he has forgotten about Selene, who sneaks up behind him and cuts his head in half with his own sword.
Selene and Michael flee the Lycan lair, now enemies of both Lycan and Vampire. Back at the mansion, Singe's blood seeps into the sarcophagus of the remaining Elder, Markus, a carrier of the original Corvinus Strain. When his eyes open, they are vampire blue but then turn pitch black, the eyes of a hybrid.
The Corvinus Strain
'Corvinus Strain' is a term coined by the fictional Lycan scientist, Singe, from the Underworld movie series in reference to a genetic anomaly that is a key factor in the movies' plots.
Description
The Corvinus Strain is a recessive genetic anomaly that uniquely has the ability to sustain and harbor both viruses carried by Vampires and Lycans. This characteristic is proved invaluable by the fact that it is the only known agent that is capable of combining properties from both the Vampire and Lycan Strain that would, otherwise, destroy themselves on contact due to the incompatible components contained at their cellular level. This recessive strain is made dominant once it mutates with the genes of one or more other species. The only known post-mutation examples of the Corvinus Strain are the Vampire and Lycan Strains.
When inherited in its active form, the Corvinus Strain gives its host immortality and superhuman strength, while, additionally, possessing the capability for another stage of mutation when subjected to gene-fusion. However, when inherited in its dormant form, it gives no interaction with the host, whatsoever; thus, giving no indication of its presence from third-party perspective. Still, there remains the capability for the dormant strain to undergo another stage of mutation, but this could only be accomplished if the strain is drawn to its active form by an independent source. One such source is the Corvinus Strain in post-mutation form, that is to say, either the Vampire or Lycan Strain because of their dominance. A fusion with either post-mutation strains would produce extremely potent results, as the dormant Corvinus Strain would be in its consanguineous form. Alternatively, a fusion with both post-mutation strains would produce even greater results, which would be regarded as a hybrid.
Origin
The Corvinus Strain is the result of a mutation that occurred when a virus from a plague was restructured by the unique genetic makeup within the body of a man named Alexander Corvinus upon infection. Instead of killing Alexander, the virus was, then, molded to his biological benefit, giving him unlimited youth and superhuman strength. As a result of this development, Alexander Corvinus became the first true immortal.
The nature of the particular virus that affected Alexander is unknown, nor is it known whether his body would've also adapted were it another virus that he was infected with.
Known carriers
Apart from Alexander Corvinus, himself, only two other persons are known to have inherited the Corvinus Strain in active form; thus, inheriting the same benefits: Marcus and William; the twin sons of Corvinus.
The Corvinus Strain was also carried by the descendants of Corvinus in its dormant form. The first person who inherited the Corvinus Strain in dormant form was Alexander's third and unnamed son. Through him, the Corvinus Strain was preserved in its pure and untainted form, and was eventually passed down to a man named Michael Corvin. Because of the simple ability of the Corvinus Strain to multiply from parent to offspring, anyone who is biologically related to Corvinus' third son is a possible carrier of the strain.
The Vampire, Selene, absorbed the Corvinus Strain through direct ingestion of Alexander's blood, reinforcing the residual Corvinus Strain in her Vampire Strain, and, thus, fusing the full strengths of both strains for the first time. Her strength and healing abilities were, then, phenomenally enhanced to a level equivalent to that of a hybrid, even being able to withstand direct exposure to sunlight. Because of this, it is reasonable to believe that Selene is, now, probably the most powerful vampire in existence.
Michael Corvin the first hybrid, was born with the Corvinus Strain in its dormant form, which only activated partially on the bite of Lucian. After then being bitten by Selene, the dormant Corvinus strain fused the Vampire and Lycan virus, which caused him to become the first hybrid. He similarly possesses nearly unparalleled strength and speed, being able to move faster than the eye can follow and the ability to regenerate even from death.
Cast
- Kate Beckinsale as Selene
- Scott Speedman as Michael Corvin
- Michael Sheen as Lucian
- Shane Brolly as Kraven
- Bill Nighy as Viktor
- Erwin Leder as Singe
- Sophia Myles as Erika
- Robbie Gee as Kahn
- Kevin Grevioux as Raze
- Zita Görög as Amelia
- Scott McElroy as Soren
- Wentworth Miller as Adam
According to Kevin Grevioux in an interview, Halle Berry and Milla Jovovich were both considered for the role of Selene before Beckinsale was cast. Wentworth Miller, Shane Brolly and Michael Sheen all auditioned for the role of Michael Corvin.
Legal controversy
The film 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 the World of Darkness setting, and the Sonja Blue vampire novels. 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] In September 2003, a judge granted White Wolf an expedited hearing. The lawsuit ended in a confidential settlement.[2]
Critical reception
Critics generally gave Underworld a negative reception. It scored a 29% approval rating at the film-critics' aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes. Roger Ebert said, "This is a movie so paltry in its characters and shallow in its story that the war seems to exist primarily to provide graphic visuals". However, some critics were more favorable: the New York Daily News praised it as being "stylish and cruel, and mightily entertaining for certain covens out there".
Salon reviewer Andrew O'Hehir gave mixed criticism and praise, stating, "[B]y any reasonable standard, this dark vampire epic — all massive overacting, cologne-commercial design and sexy cat suits — sucks". But O'Hehir also remarks that, "...at least it gives a crap", conceding that despite the movie's flaws, the complex vampire-werewolf mythology back-story "has been meticulously worked out".[3]
Kevin L. Nault writes that one "significant character, Kraven (played by Shane Brolly), was consistently flat or simply off. Almost without fail, he came across with an emotion that I didn't buy, given the circumstances, or merely came across emotionally flat when I was expecting real terror."[4] Nault goes on to note that "a powerful performance by Kevin Grevioux (also one of two writers for the movie) as the werewolf Raze was partially wasted by the fact that I constantly wondered who he was. He was clearly an important part of the werewolf group, but didn't appear to be exactly second in command or anything."[4]
Sequel and prequel
The follow-up story, Underworld: Evolution, in which Markus awakens, was released January 20, 2006. The prequel Underworld: Rise of the Lycans, which gives more detail as to the creation of the lycan species and Lucian's hatred, was released January 23, 2009.
Video games
In July 2003, Sony contracted with Black Widow Games for the production of Underworld: Bloodline, a Half-Life mod intended as promotion among video game-players.
A third-person shooter, titled Underworld: The Eternal War and based on the film, was released for the PlayStation 2 in 2004.
Soundtrack
| Underworld Soundtrack | ||||
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| Soundtrack | ||||
| Released | 2003 | |||
| Label | Lakeshore Records | |||
| Producer | Danny Lohner | |||
| Professional reviews | ||||
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| Underworld film series soundtrack chronology | ||||
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The film's soundtrack was produced by Danny Lohner and distributed via Roadrunner Records. Lohner (born 1970), a bass guitarist, guitarist and keyboardist who has recorded with Nine Inch Nails and Marilyn Manson, contributed several songs to the soundtrack under the pseudonym Renholdër. Lohner continued included a song by Skinny Puppy, a Canadian industrial band. Lohner also included a song by The Dillinger Escape Plan, a US band which performs an aggressive, technical style of hardcore punk called mathcore; a song by US alternative rock/post-hardcore band Finch entitled "Worms of the Earth"; a song by The Icarus Line, a band known for its abrasive form of rock music; and Lisa Germano, an American singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who specializes in alternative rock and dream pop.
Music critic Bill Aicher notes that the "soundtrack follow[s] in a similar gothic vein" as the visuals and states that it "does an excellent job setting the dark mood" by using "a veritable who's who in the genre" with an "impressive array of metal, hard rock, industrial, and otherwise gothic-themed tracks".[5] Aicher notes that since "a majority of the selections [are] written, produced, or featuring Lohner, the album retains a sense of cohesion throughout, making it much more a complete product than has generally been the case with similarly-themed products."[5] He states that the "album's highest point" is the song with Maynard James Keenan (from Tool and A Perfect Circle), David Bowie, and guitarist John Frusciante (of The Red Hot Chili Peppers), which is entitled "Bring Me the Disco King (Loner Mix)"; he calls the song "[d]ark, brooding, sad, and twitchy".[5]
- Track listing
| Track # | Song | Artist(s) |
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| 1. | "Awakening" | The Damning Well (featuring Wes Borland, Richard Patrick, Josh Freese & Danny Lohner) |
| 2. | "Rev. 22:20" | Puscifer (featuring Danny Lohner) performed by A Perfect Circle |
| 3. | "Throwing Punches" | Page Hamilton |
| 4. | "Rocket Collecting" | Milla Jovovich & Danny Lohner |
| 5. | "Now I Know" | Renholdër |
| 6. | "Bring Me the Disco King (Danny Lohner Mix)" | David Bowie (featuring Maynard James Keenan & John Frusciante) |
| 7. | "Optimissed" | Skinny Puppy |
| 8. | "Down In the Lab" | Renholdër |
| 9. | "Judith (Renholdër Mix)" | A Perfect Circle |
| 10. | "Suicide Note" | Johnette Napolitano |
| 11. | "Baby's First Coffin" | The Dillinger Escape Plan |
| 12. | "Hover (Quiet Mix)" | Trust Company |
| 13. | "Falling Through the Sky" | Renholdër |
| 14. | "Weak and Powerless" (Tilling My Grave Mix) | A Perfect Circle |
| 15. | "Worms of the Earth" | Finch |
| 16. | "From a Shell" | Lisa Germano |
| 17. | "Death Dealer's Descent" | Renholdër |
| 18. | "On the Lash" | The Icarus Line |
| 19. | "All of This Past" | Sarah Bettens |
References
- ↑ Press Release 1Press Release 2
- ↑ Collins and White Wolf v. Sony Pictures
- ↑ "Underworld" - Salon.com
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Kevin L. Nault, "Jesse and Kevin goto the movies: Underworld a slightly-flawed gem," The Good 5c Cigar (10/9/03).
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "Maynard and Borland and Bowie, Oh My!". Music review by Bill Aicher http://www.music-critic.com/sdtrks/underworld.htm
External links
- Official website
- Underworld at the Internet Movie Database
- Underworld at Allmovie
- Underworld at Rotten Tomatoes
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Book:Underworld 
Category:Underworld 
Portal:Film / Horror
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