User Reviews

I am a HUGE fan of the Udnerworld franchise and have been looking forward to this for so long so I am truly sad that my review is not better than this. Here's what I feel is wrong with this movie.

1. Marius - who is he, where did he come from? The explanation for his power came too late, too little to care and he was not as scary as previous Underworld villains. So is the other vamp chick who is supposed to be power hungry, kind of underwhelming at best.

2. Movie is way too short and too rushed. Everything is introduced too quickly and fits into the puzzle too easily. We have never heard of this Nordic vamps till now. There's no continuity, no cohesion. Its like its trying to bring something new BUT this is no. 5 or no. 6?

3. The white hair vamps. Seriously I thought the elves from LOTR is doing a crossover.

4. Selene went into the water metamorphosis and they didn't even bother to show her experience. Suddenly she's back from the other end of the world so fast and all ready super powered. It doesn't make sense and we don't understand her journey.

5. The CGI is really quite bad.

6. The whole point of the movie is all about finding Eve's blood and they attacked just fine without it. If Eve is not even going to make an appearance then talking about her for more than half a movie just feels like a plot filler.

7. Suddenly that other guy is the heir to the throne. Where did that come from?? I think the writers think this is going to be so cool but not if it likes a pie in the face kind of idea. Shock value goes whoa not huh?

8. Selene was invited to train vamps and I think it barely lasted a few mins of training before the treachery was unearthed. Could they not let the training last maybe a few days before they started juicing her?

9. Semira's right hand man never showed any indication that he might betray her but suddenly he did. Some build up would be great.

10. The elves need more screen time!

Kate Beckinsale and Theo James were still awesome but they could have used some better scenes to instill a better relationship. The movie was fun, entertaining and but it fell flat and it left me feeling all empty inside and for that reason, I am SAD.

I enjoy (good) vampire movies, dark movies, good screenplays, good production, good screenplay, good cinematography and characters like Selene. This means I really enjoyed the first three Underworld movies, provided we ignore the prequel which was no more than acceptable.

It also means that this movie ruined the franchise for me. Production was poor and clearly quite low budget (reuse of the same footage on a few occasions, etc.), the script was inadequate and, while Anna Foerster has put in some credible performances in TV, this was quite poor. Len Wiseman, or even Mårlind and Stein, could conceivably have turned this into a movie worthy of the franchise.

There is also a hole in the plot worthy of a B-grade horror.

SPOILER ALERT. And here comes the spoiler: The very premise of the movie is that Semira's coven is impregnable and Marius would be foolish to attack it without the blood of Selene's daughter. The werewolves specifically state that they "looked for any weaknesses and there are none". Then, later on in the movie, with no such blood, the werewolves walk in there like they own the place and it is clear that they would have taken the coven has it not been for the arrival of a transformed Selene with significant backup. The entire first 80% of the movie is rendered superfluous in one scene. SPOILER ENDS

And so the great Underworld franchise goes out with a whimper. Neither Kate Beckinsale nor the character of Selene deserved this, some heads should be hung in shame.

The Underworld movies are not classics, but if you enjoy hammy acting, vampires, werewolves and Kate Beckinsale in skin tight leather kicking ass then they can be a lot of fun.

Blood Wars is an end game of sorts, although it still leaves room for more films if the money men think it worthwhile. It would be a decent ending if they decide to close the chapter on this franchise now.

The plot is quite straightforward, there's some decent action and fight scenes and a few new characters and creatures introduced, and it doesn't drag on too long and outstay its welcome. Charles Dance lends some gravitas to the cast, and Lara Pulver has a lot of fun as the power crazed Semira, while Kate Beckinsale is as youthful and badass as ever.

If you enjoy the Underworld series then I'm sure you'll find this a decent addition.

Another film about Vampires and Lycans, yawn I hear you say. Even though it's 13 years into the franchise it still has a lot going for it. Mainly the mythology set up in the previous films about Selene and now her daughter Eve, whose blood is of importance to Vamps and Lycans. Luckily for Selene she doesn't know where her daughter is, which leads to the main story of Lycans vs Vampires vs Treacherous Vamps lead by Semira. Selene and David (vampire heir) escape to a Northern fortress where they are helped by another vampire faction, lycans arrive and their leader Marius kills Selene (or so he thinks). Leading to a big battle at Vampire HQ where Semira is killed by Varga, one of her followers. Marius is killed to by Selene and the lycans retreat. The film ends with Daniel as the new leader of the vampires and renewed hope for co-existence with the lycans.

The trailers already gave me some hints, I simply refused to believe until I saw it. That the Underworld movies are for the better part, dead and buried.

Yes. The action is still there, as is the gore. Betrayals are still alive and kicking. And the old vampire/lycan grudge is also present.

But is Underworld still Underworld...? Unfortunately no. Kate Beckinsale try as she may, she can't carry the movie alone, nor do I believe anyone was expecting her to. I was expecting that they'd finally replace Scott Speedman as Michael, with another one of literally dozens of possible and better choices. And finally bring the whole family together, into the fight.

But to my terrible surprise they simply killed off Michael. The way it was done was terrible to say the least. At the end of Awakening, Eve, is finally able to see through her father eyes. And we know that he simply escaped the facilities. But now in Blood Wars, we were given another (conflicting) take on what happened that makes absolutely no sense. So Michael exits the cryo chamber, severely weakened and finds himself captured by Marius. Taken to another place where Marius then proceeds to seemingly shoot him in the head, and strung him up head down to drain Michael of all his blood. Which he then uses to make himself into more of a Wolf-Man than a Lycan.

So, Michael is dead, and Selene for the most part from being considered an outcast through several events (and movies), she ends up basically where she started. Again a member of the Vampire Coven. Now risen to the degree of Elder together with David.

David (Theo James) try as he might, is no Michael nor do I believe that's his purpose. In fact the story at a certain point seems to try and connect him with maybe one of this movie biggest, if not the only, good surprise. Lena! Lena (Clementine Nicholson) is without a doubt one of this movie greatest assets. And if this was a movie about the next generation, and Michael and Selene daughter, I could see her character portrait as Clementine portrayed hers.

Eve does make an appearance in the end. But the movie had all but basically drained my last ounce of hope. To me without Michael there's no more Underworld. I got to confess. When Selene was giving her usual movie ending speech, I always hoped that we'd see that Eve had found her father, given some of her blood to him, and even killed a bunch of Lycans and placed their bloody bodies on top of Michael, and from that experience, as Selene had been changed/improved by her trials of ice, so too had Michael evolved into a new form. And both father and daughter were on their way to find Selene.

But no. The movie was at its best, mildly entertaining, with some interesting fight scenes, that weren't even that great. We got plots inside plots, and twists inside twists. But the core and heart of the franchise is in my opinion, dead!

So see it if you want to. But don't expect anything outstanding or exhilarating about this movie. In some ways it actually manages to be poorer than Awakening.

I still remember seeing the first Underworld in the theatre and enjoying it very much, though I didn't see any of the subsequent films at the cinema, only on DVD. I re-watched them in preparation for seeing this film and, as it stands, the original's still the best, with Evolution and Rise of the Lycans vying for second and third place, alternating between the two depending on my mood, while Awakening remains my least favourite. I'm afraid Blood Wars isn't much better. Whilst the fourth film felt like it was just non-stop gory action with little to no story, this film seems to have the opposite problem. Gorehounds needn't fear, there's still some quality violence (most of which the Lycans seem to wind up on the receiving end of, like being split in half and having their spines ripped out). The main problem is the vampire politics are brought to the forefront.

The other problem? Super sexy latex-clad vampire Death Dealer, Selene, feels as though she's no longer the focus of her own franchise (though at least she gets some memorable lines/moments). Let's be honest, most people come to see Kate Beckinsale rocking the black latex catsuit like nobody else can. So it remains a mystery as to why the writers appear to be slowly phasing out her character. Please note filmmakers: These films wouldn't be worth continuing without Ms. Beckinsale. Some tend to dismiss her acting ability, but she's what's held this franchise together. So it's disappointing her character is absent for what feels like long stretches. Blood Wars begins like Awakening did, with Kate's/Selene's voice-over (now with added echoing repeating what she's already said!) and clips from the previous films...though, really, if you haven't seen the others, why're you even here? Theo James's David character from Awakening has a much more expanded role this time (now fully replacing Scott Speedman's Michael as the franchise's male lead. Yes, Michael's dead. Barring some future "We only SAID he was dead/were only pretending!" reveal pulled out of the writers' arses, the Smurf is no more). Whether you're a fan of David or not will likely contribute to your enjoyment of the film, as he seems to take over the movie from Selene for significant portions.

I'll miss the Selene/Michael relationship, but am not opposed to David's character helping Selene, though it might rub some the wrong way how his backstory/ancestry's delved into so deeply it almost feels like *he's* the film's main star. Those who paid attention to the first films will appreciate references to a certain character who had minimal screen time, yet plays an important part in this film's storyline, while everyone else will be left wondering, "Who?". The blood of Selene and her daughter, Eve (who's referenced aplenty but only appears in the film's closing seconds), also proves important, as there's much exchanging of said blood between different characters. Other than Selene and David, the only significant returning character is Charles Dance's Thomas. Whilst not as memorable as Bill Nighy's Viktor, an actor of his caliber lends some weight/credibility to proceedings. His relationship with his son and heretofore untold connection with a past long-dead character is given prominence. Playing well off Dance is Lara Pulver, sporting constantly changing hairstyles as Semira. They do what they can with the material they're given. Semira's character also provides a cautionary tale in why you shouldn't treat your henchman/lover like crap, as we see play out between her and Bradley James' Varga.

Outlander's Tobias Menzies, as Lycan Marius, isn't given anywhere near the complexity of his character from that series, as here he's mainly just another complication in an already rather convoluted story. Nor is his relationship with vampire, Alexia, given much depth...though at least Daisy Head is quite striking, so you don't forget her character. Also memorable on account of their physical appearance are the Nordic Coven, the best of which is Lena (resembling a vampire Daenerys Targaryen). She kicks major arse with a sword and shield (apparently the Nordic Coven *do* bring swords to gun fights), plus also possesses a "teleport" ability of sorts. For a newcomer, Clementine Nicholson fares better with what little she's given compared to others who're given more. She also plays an important part in Selene's physical transformation (including her picking up that handy teleportation ability) to becoming 'more' than she already is...which is just as well, as poor Selene's put through the wringer this time around. It pained me seeing our heroine beaten up/knocked down more than ever, but allowed for a triumphant return, stronger/faster/better than ever...and now with white blonde highlights in her jet black hair.

The last couple of films' over-reliance on CGI versus the practical effects for the Lycans of the earlier films is to the movies' detriment, as the CGI creatures just aren't as impressive (and in the case of the Marius man-wolf creature, rather laughable/dredging up bad memories of the Scorpion King from The Mummy Returns...though not quite THAT bad). Note for future movies: Refrain from going half/half, either human or full beast is the way to go. Clearly this isn't intended as the franchise's final film, but assuming another one does indeed happen, that probably *should* be the last. The earlier Underworld films weren't exactly 'high art', but they felt like they had more substance to them than these last two. Given how much time was devoted to Eve previously, it's strange she's mainly absent here (perhaps she'll play a more significant role in the next movie?). I feel the franchise lost something after delving more into the world of men, but at least this one LOOKS more like an Underworld film than Awakening did (though the music/score's sadly lacking Wedard's 'Leidenschaft'). Say what you will about Len Wiseman, but I feel these later films' direction have suffered from his absence. My main hope for the next movie? That the filmmakers remember who this franchise's star is and give Beckinsale/Selene the attention/importance/prominence she deserves.

I love this series BUT the scriptwriters are making the plots pitiful. Selene is becoming more predictable and considering she's the #1 Lycan Killer she's showing a soft side. I would recommend seeing this ONLY IF you're an avid fan but DON'T pay full price!

Good: Selene continues to show skills and gets some new ones.

Continuity of characters.

Storyline remains consistent.

Bad: Compacting too much of the story-line just too keep action

flowing.

Inconsistent displays of vampire strength and powers.

Ease of vampire gullibility

At least we can expect at least one more film to give them a chance to bring it up to par, sigh...

The 5th film in the Underworld franchise sees the Vampires and Lycans more at odds than ever. Selene is outlawed, everyone wants to find her pure-crossbreed daughter Eve in order to use her blood to establish control, and they think they can do this via Selene (who actually doesn't know where Eve is). The vampires have political machinations going on between rival factions, and the Lycans, led by Marius and having grown strong, are preparing to mount an invasion. Complicated, innit?

Like the previous 4 movies, the distinguishing characteristics of this movie are a) a muted blue/grey colour palette, b) lots of slo-mo cartoon CGI blood spraying all over the place, c) masses of slo-mo violence, b) the odd respected thespian adding a spurious note of gravitas, d) a plot full of complexities which hide a threadbare storyline which can be summed up as "vampires vs werewolves" (see also episodes 1 to 4), and e) Kate Beckinsale in spray-on leather. It must be admitted that, as ever, Kate Beckinsale's bum, lovingly caressed by shiny skin-tight leather, is almost worth the price of a cinema ticket on its own.

There is, thankfully a recap at the start so that those who have forgotten the previous movies are brought back up to speed. This manages to include most of the money shots from the earlier films viz half of Bill Nighy's head sliding off etc.

Otherwise, it suffices only to note that virgin director Anna Foerster, taking the place of Beckinsale's now ex-husband Len Wiseman, satisfactorily delivers the mixture as expected - political shenanigans, blood, bad CGI, and grim atmosphere.

Lara Pulver wears several costumes which reveal rather more Lara Pulver than costume. This is a Good Thing.

Oh, and there is a bloody great unanswered question. I'm not going to say what it is, that would be a spoiler, but you'll be saying exactly what one of the lead characters says - "But I saw...." The ending makes it clear that the answer will be found in the next film. Which leads me to say, "I've been fiddled!"

So,clearly this has been a cash out. I've seen some bad movies,this doesn't top them,but still.. It was a,somewhat,decent action movie,but not a good fantasy/vampire genre one.

Many scenes top the wtf list,but when in less that a minute they find themselves off a moving train,then suddenly onto horses,and then walking made me burst in laughter for what i was witnessing. Terribly bad acting,really,from each and everyone of the main characters except the protagonist,plot holes so obvious and numerous that made you lost track of what you were watching,the film lacked coherence and the feel of a vampire movie.

I've read it was bad before going to see it,i didn't expect it to be so hideous.

Honestly,who brings the swat in a vampire/werewolf fight,and who bothers to all the trouble getting a gun that can pierce walls inside the building? Like...can't it do that from the outside? Kill as many as you can and make it hard for the enemy to maneuver,before even entering the battle? And that is only the tip of the iceberg. The decisive battle was laughable,and that is said being polite. Waste of time,waste of money,waste of a good franchise.

I saw "Underworld:Blood Wars", starring Kate Beckinsale-Total Recall_2012, The Last Days of Disco; Theo James-The Divergent movies, Golden Boy_tv; Tobias Menzies-Game of Thrones_tv, Casino Royale_2006 and Lara Pulver-DaVinci's Demons_tv, Edge of Tomorrow.

This is the fifth in the Underworld series-the forth starring Kate, she skipped out on one of them-and a sixth is in development, and it is starring Kate. The original one was in 2003 and Kate still looks good in her leather body suit as the Vampire Death Dealer. The war between vampires and werewolves is still going strong, with both sides after Kate. Theo is the only vamp she trusts to watch her back. The Lycans-aka werewolves-have a new and powerful leader, Tobias, who seems to be stronger than the rest of the pack-don't worry, it is explained where he gets his strength and it is connected to someone from a previous film, Michael, so you get to find out what happened to him because if I remember correctly, he wasn't in the last installment. Anyway, Tobias wants to get his hands on Kate or her daughter to use their blood to enhance his abilities. The counsel of vampires decides to forget all Kate's past indiscretions if she will come back and train new vampire recruits in the art of lycan death dealing, since she is so good at it. Lara plays a vampire that is on the counsel of vampires that has her own plans for Kate. The fights are good and the ending leaves things wide open for the sequel. If you are a fan of the series, then you should enjoy this one. I know I did. It's rated "R" for strong bloody violence and sexual content-no nudity- and has a running time of 1 hour & 31 minutes. I would buy it on DVD.