Underworld: Blood Wars - A Franchise Running on Fumes?
The Underworld series has devolved into a straightforward and somewhat dull horror-action “soap opera,” and to fully grasp Blood Wars, a refresher on the previous installments is almost mandatory.
The story picks up some time after the last film. Selene (Kate Beckinsale) is constantly on the move, a fugitive hunted by Lycans who seek her daughter. Under the leadership of a new, powerful leader, Marius (Tobias Menzies), the werewolves have grown stronger and are preparing a full-scale assault on the ancient vampire covens. The most powerful of these strongholds may fall unless Selene agrees to defend it.
Initially, it was believed that this fifth film would be Kate Beckinsale’s last outing as Selene, but producer Len Wiseman has since suggested she may return for a sixth installment.
Despite decent box office returns that allow the Underworld franchise to remain profitable without significant budget cuts, and relatively positive reviews from audiences and critics, it feels relegated to the sidelines of cinema. There’s a sense that everyone involved, including the creators, understands that these are essentially expensive fan-fiction projects, with no aspirations of high art. However, we’ve recently witnessed how a mid-budget action series like Fast & Furious (another “fan-fiction” franchise, but with cars instead of vampires and werewolves) has transformed into one of the highest-grossing film franchises of our time. So, Underworld continues to be “fine-tuned” – or perhaps “milked for all it’s worth,” depending on your perspective.
This series shares similarities with Fast & Furious, including the attempt to cut costs in the third film by replacing the lead actors. However, Underworld has since returned to its original formula: “Kate Beckinsale in black leather, dual-wielding guns and kicking Lycan butt.” Grateful fans nearly doubled the fourth film’s box office compared to its predecessor. Whether the fifth film can continue this upward trend remains to be seen, but regardless, Underworld doesn’t truly deserve such growth.
A Plot for the Hardcore Fans
Anna Foerster, the film’s director, began her career as a camera assistant in Roland Emmerich’s team, working on all his films since Independence Day.
Blood Wars is clearly aimed at hardcore fans of the series. Even if you’ve seen all the previous films, you might struggle to follow the plot initially. Director Anna Foerster, primarily a television director, approaches Blood Wars with a serial-like pragmatism, as if the previous installment was released just last week. The filmmakers don’t bother reminding viewers who’s who, throwing out names of absent characters and casually mentioning events from previous films. On the other hand, trying to remember who Charles Dance’s Thomas is or whether Lara Pulver’s character appeared in the last film is about the extent of the mental effort required during the viewing. The “intrigue” revolves around the rather straightforward attempts of the vampire Semira (Pulver) to seize power within the coven. Otherwise, it’s a purely simplistic action flick with nothing but punches, gunshots, and jumps.
Style Over Substance?
In principle, the previous films weren’t much smarter or deeper, and in that sense, Underworld is simply following a tradition that viewers have come to expect. However, the more important question is why it also adheres to traditions when it comes to the film’s technical aspects. The Lycan transformations look cheap, there’s a lack of diverse scenery, and the special effects and graphics seem five to ten years out of date. On the other hand, there’s an abundance of violence and blood, including ripped-out spines and blades exiting through mouths. It’s suspected that this almost pornographic brutality is a key ingredient in Underworld’s success, but now that excessive graphic violence is common even in TV series, it’s unlikely to surprise anyone.