Underworld: Awakening

I thought I had seen all the Underworld films. Then I started watching Underworld: Awakening and it didn't seem familiar at all. Oh, good, a new one.

Except that eventually I did start to recognise scenes. So I have seen it before. Maybe I missed the beginning for some reason? It wasn't that long ago, but I just don't remember.

For me, the character of Selene is just brilliant. And not least because of how great Kate Beckinsale looks in the shiny black outfit!!! I know I was disappointed that she wasn't in the third film (which was a prequel set before her time).

Anyway, back to Underworld: Awakening. Selene is once again a main character. And like the other films the writers play fast and loose with history to conjure up an unlikely story that doesn't stand up to close inspection.

If you enjoy the action and like the idea of vampires battling werewolves then you will like this film as much as its predecessors. The action and effects are brilliant again; but I sensed a cutting back in the scale of things which suggests the budget was a bit tight this time.

Once again we have the promise of a hybrid, who is supposed to be "more powerful than any of us" but actually isn't. I think this is the hardest weakness to ignore in all the Underworld films: the hybrid is always supposed to be super special but always gets captured easily by the bad guys!

So, like the other sequels, this film isn't as good as Underworld, but is still quite entertaining.