Underworld: Evolution

Underworld: Evolution is a solid sequel to the first part, completing the rest of the puzzle and a fairly well thought out vampire-Lycanian mythology. I liked the concept of the first immortal and his sons, the founders of two houses that have been hunting and killing each other since time immemorial. I also have to mention the good connection to the first film and the flashbacks to the past, which broke up the time plane of the story so the plot didn't feel so monotonous. Similarly to the first one, the biggest weakness was the poorer script in places and some scenes that were made for effect without being logical. Despite this, though, and perhaps because of it, I like this series for its action-packed, purposefully goofy (which I mean no disrespect) look. A sequel comparable to the first one, which certainly doesn't put the series to shame and even stands out slightly from the pack thanks to its many flashbacks. (04/09/2016)

Compared to the first part, it is somewhat weaker. Above all, the relative originality and appealing visual concept of the first part does not bear the desired fruit in the sequel, and everything is mired in a large number of visual effects. These effects are better than in the predecessor, but the significantly disjointed screenplay buries everything under a ton of clichés. Kate Beckinsale is great (the erotic scene is beautifully shot), the rest is just some acting filer. The inventiveness is gone, the mythology is boring, and the action is quite inconsistent. The opening massacre of the village in some sequences reminded me of the opening battle in Gladiator, the editing and some camera shots, in particular, are quite similar (I love the blood splatters on the camera). There is more blood, but unfortunately, the quality has decreased. It's not necessarily bad, just somewhat dumber, and the most embarrassing part is in the end - the terminator-like monologue. (16/09/2006)

Better action, meaningful mythology, and even more attractive Kate Beckinsale still aren't enough for at least a solid film. The Underworld series will forever remain an unfinished great idea for me. Evolution, although aiming relatively high, is brought down by the tiresome crucial battle and trivial conclusion. (07/03/2006)

A cheaper, blue-filtered version of Van Helsing that becomes ever more predictable as it draws closer to the end credits. Thanks, however, to the shorter runtime and Kate Beckinsale’s great image, I found this less boring than Van Helsing. (02/03/2006)

I did take one star off, but only because it didn't bring anything new compared to the first installment. Then again, the things I liked about the first one didn't get spoiled by the second one, so I had a pretty good time again while mostly switching my brain off. I was just puzzled by the combination of Russian-speaking policemen driving cars with Hungarian signs. (17/04/2017)