There is no question that the first two “Underworld” movies did good with the audiences, grossing a total of over $200 million at the international box-office, marking a potentially bankable franchise in exchange of a rather modest budget. With “Evolution” rounding up the story rather nicely, it was clear that there was nowhere to go for the vampire-werewolf saga than back. Backtracking is what “Rise of the Lycans” does – much at the expense of the patience of the audience, because watching Patrick Tatopoulos’ take on the popular story is truly an endurance test.
“Rise of the Lycans” is a movie directed by a special effects guy (Tatopoulos) and written by a stuntman (Danny McBride). As such, one would expect to see mind-blowing action scenes that make up for the all too familiar story of a decadent Romeo and Juliet, mixed with some social aspects for a taste. Nevertheless, Tatopoulos fails to rise to the high standards set by Len Wiseman in that neither are the creatures that great, nor is the story too compelling to watch. What the viewers get instead is the same atmosphere in all shades of grey and blue, gratuitous and repetitive action scenes, and a supporting plot that can hardly be watched without rolling your eyes at least once or chuckling uncontrollably.
“Underworld: Rise of the Lycans” takes the famous story of the never-ending battle between the vampires and Lycans (half-breeds of werewolves and men) back to its origins. From the first two movies, Tatopoulos keeps only Viktor (Bill Nighy) and Lucian (Michael Sheen), the leaders of the two groups that will spend the next few thousands of years in a bitter confrontation because of a love story that ends in a very Shakespearean manner. Both actors are good, there’s no denying that, since we are all too familiar with their work: Nighy is a very popular name on the British theater scene, while Sheen was last seen in the Oscar nominated “Frost/Nixon.” Both render performances that are so overboard that one simply can’t help wondering how they still manage to keep a straight face during the crazy rollercoaster that is “Rise of the Lycans.”
There is no deeper meaning to “Rise of the Lycans,” and trying to find one would probably be the most futile thing one ever did in one’s life. This is a movie that does not go beyond what it shows on the screen – even worse, it also asks a lot from the viewers, such as plenty of patience to sit through the “climax” scenes (Lucian’s speech in prison, laden with social connotations, Viktor’s outrage at his daughter’s betrayal) and, at the same time, offers very little in exchange. There are no blood-rushing scenes like those in the first two films, because Tatopoulos is too afraid to ruin the mythology of the saga and sticks to it to the letter. There is no emotion and nothing to which the viewer can relate, not even in what is supposed to be the saddest scene in the film, the key to the other two films.
Viewers know from the start (even without seeing the other two “Underworld” movies) that they’re supposed to be rooting for the Lycans, but they often find themselves unable to do so. The vampires are not cold, calculated creatures that repulse for the very way in which they handle “business.” Instead, they come off as snobbish, cowardly and pretty much useless, so it’s hard to hate them, no matter how much Nighy tries to compensate with his rendering of Viktor, one of the most accomplished characters in the saga. Lycans, on the other hand, strike the viewers as just a bunch of half-breeds at the wrong time in the wrong place: their “cause” and call for equality says nothing to no one. As for the werewolves, they’re practically inexistent since they don’t seem able to do anything else other than jump from tree to tree (very “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” of them) and howl (but not at the moon, as anyone in their right mind would expect them to do at least once).
In the defense of the movie, as taxing as it is at the onset, it does manage to pick up the pace somehow towards the end. Sonja (Rhona Mitra), Viktor’s daughter and one of the most privileged vampires, does her part rather well in this sense, although it’s only after she’s gone that viewers actually get to see what the whole fuss about “Underworld” was. But only if they can easily overlook the many clichés sprinkled here and there in the dialog (“Lucian, it is finished!” – [Lucian] “No, this is just the beginning.”) However, this is too little too late to make up for what the viewer has already been put through – even for a fan, “Rise of the Lycans” is truly a forgettable experience.
“Underworld: Rise of the Lycans” runs for 93 minutes, and is rated an R by the MPAA. It opened in the US on January 23, will hit France on February 25, and will eventually reach Sweden on June 5.