Anthony's Film Review - Underworld: Awakening (2012)

The Underworld saga continues with the action-packed fourth entry...

Underworld: Awakening, the fourth movie in the Underworld series, definitely tries to shake things up and make the series a bit more interesting. All along, the Underworld movies have centered on a war between vampires and werewolves, called Lycans, that has taken place for centuries, amidst the human world without any human knowing about it. That all changes with this movie, when humans discover the two species and send in the military to annihilate them. So now, humans have entered the war, fighting against vampires and werewolves.

This movie takes place where the second Underworld movie left off (the third is a prequel that sheds more light on a backstory told in the first movie). It does not really require viewing of the previous Underworld movies, though it helps a little. That's because Underworld Awakening begins with a brief prologue providing a very quick overview of the first two movies. For those of you new to Underworld and starting with this fourth movie, all you need to know is that the vampire warrior Selene (Kate Beckinsale) is the central heroine whose lover, at this point in the series, is a vampire-Lycan hybrid named Michael.

There is already a lot of action in the beginning of Underworld: Awakening. Selene attempts to escape being shot and killed by the military who have already killed a lot of vampires and Lycans. It is not long before she is captured. Later, Selene wakes up in a laboratory cryochamber, which is followed by more destructive action. Once Selene escapes, she discovers one astonishing fact: she was frozen in the laboratory for twelve years. Of course, that doesn't stop her from embarking on a search for her lover, Michael.

On the way, Selene discovers a young girl who, it turns out, is the one who freed her from imprisonment in the laboratory. Unfortunately, the girl is bitten by a Lycan, and not just any Lycan. The Lycan is a super Lycan that is twice as large, twice as strong, and twice as fierce as any Lycan the vampires had ever battled. Suddenly, Selene faces the threat of both humans and this new Lycan breed while protecting the child who is, in fact, Selene and Michael's biological daughter. (Recall the lovemaking scene from Underworld: Evolution.)

Also entering the scene is Detective Sebastian, played by Michael Ealy. He doesn't really have much of a role in the first half, but later, it is revealed that he has important information that helps shed light on the eradication of vampires and Lycans. In fact, he and Selene form an unlikely human-vampire alliance, which is possible because the detective has an unexpected personal reason for not fearing vampires. What Selene discovers about the Lycans is rather intriguing. After this rather interesting plot, the movie goes back to high-octane action when it reaches its climax.

This is not the end of the Underworld saga. In fact, expect to see a fifth Underworld movie that continues where this one ends. I have no idea how many more Underworld movies will be made and how it'll ultimately end. But until that happens, I'll keep my eyes open for the next one. This movie, and the series thus far, is interesting enough to watch. It may not be anywhere close to high art, but at least it's entertainment.

Anthony's Rating:

For more information about Underworld: Awakening, visit the Internet Movie Database.

In addition, check out my reviews of the following:

The Underworld Films