Underworld: Awakening (2012)

This turned out to be a lot better than I was expecting actually, though reading the rest of this review you might not think it. I saw it in 'IMAX 3D' and while it isn't a true IMAX 3D film it was at least filmed in 3D using the RED EPIC Digital Cameras, so it did also fill the screen rather than just being letter-boxed. Sadly I had some problems with the 3D glasses, I don't know if our local cinema has changed its lighting conditions or now uses more reflective lenses but throughout the film I was getting reflected glare all over the place. This isn't something I remember happening in other films at the same cinema so I don't know what has changed, I'm pretty sure the theatre lights used to be darker though. Mostly the 3D was fairly unimportant or just to throw things at your face now and then but there was one shot that actually made me feel a little ill - the camera is rotating on a spiral and you start to lose your frame of reference and feel like you're rotating too. I'm not sure if this is a good thing overall, I found it interesting and kinda fun but if you suffer from motion sickness it might put you off.

I have seen all of the previous Underworld films at one time or another but couldn't remember much of the details, so it was probably a good thing that it started with a brief summary. This summary continues on to new events as well though, which felt a bit of a cheap way to try and set the scene. Overall it felt like they wanted to reboot the whole thing almost and the first section of the film is a little bit confusing because of it. The idea of humans trying to wipe out Vampires and Lycans is almost forgotten after the first few scenes. I guess I have got so used to True Blood's 'coming out' style revelation to the public that this version seemed a little simple although I guess it's open to interpretation and entirely possible we would try to eradicate them because they are different.

After this awkward start it does mostly start to roll along at a fair pace and it doesn't require too much mental power to follow the plot - not to say that this is a bad thing or there are no surprises at all. By comparison to a lot of recent blockbusters it's pretty straight forward and doesn't overcomplicate things. I had to chuckle when this guy turned up, as I've watched Lost Girl where he plays a werewolf too - I imagine he'll now be typecast as one forever. It also sets out to be fairly gory from the offset, more so than I remember the other films but I may be mistaken. It does feel very strange to see mainstream 18 rated films these days, after the disappointing news that Expendables 2 may be aiming for PG 13 it feels kind of refreshing that this has stuck with it.

I have to say that the CGI was a bit overused though, specifically it didn't really feel like anything had any real weight to it. People are chucked around unrealistically without a scratch and there is a big car chase scene with Lycans jumping from car to car that stood out in a bad way. I'm pretty sure I didn't see any effect on the cars for most of the landings and the drivers seem to potter on unconcerned until they realise that a werewolf will be added in post production and they'll maybe start to wobble the wheel a bit.

As a whole though it passed the time enjoyably, I could have stood to see it be a bit longer to be honest, at 88 minutes it does seem to wrap things up pretty quickly. I was expecting it to move away from the area that it ends in but gradually came to realise that it was probably going to have to finish soon. I had a look around the web to get a general feel for reviews of it and though they are generally negative, I thought this quote picked out on Wikipedia summed it up quite well - "although it’s about as lasting as dust in the wind, I think it represents what the series should have been right from the start: An escapist supernatural action thriller that gives us license to put our brains on autopilot.". It definitely seems like the best use of the whole concept so far, you'll just maybe have to try and get your brain back into that late 90's mindset of thinking that long leather trench coats are cool...