Underworld: Evolution: Critic Reviews

... the series never expands on the promise of its one innovation.

With leads who strain to manage one facial expression between them, and a cinematographer shooting everything through the same steel-blue filter, Underworld: Evolution is a monotonous barrage of computer-generated fur and fangs.

The murkily atmospheric sets resemble the ruins and prisons of Piranesi.

The script ... isn't particularly interesting ...

There's no guiding power at work here; it's Evolution without a shred of intelligent design.

... a movie that beats you over the head until you -- along with all the fanged and furry beasts of the future -- are senseless.

... Underworld: Evolution registers visually but isn't alive enough to cast a reflection or shadow.

A monster chiller sequel that is visually spectacular but rather overburdened with story.

Pic should please a fan base that has grown during original's international theatrical and homevid roll-out.

Director Len Wiseman, formerly of the music-video world, is still stuck on music-video logic: Throw in awesome-looking stuff, throw in more awesome-looking stuff, don't worry so much about connecting anything.

There's nothing new under the sun -- or out of it -- as vampire movies go.

The plot is so convoluted that missing even five minutes at a stretch won't make any difference in your comprehension of the story.

I dare anyone to follow the plot, which manages, like some ill-baked meringue, to be both too light on the surface and too densely clotted underneath.

Underworld: Evolution is representative of the 'modern' vampire movie -- loud, violent, and raucous.

... there's little wit or genuine suspense to elevate the proceedings above the level of a cheesy comic book.

Yes, I'll admit, it's better than the first film, but really not by much.

Nudity and excessive exposition accompany gore-infused visual f/x in this splashy modern Goth extravaganza.

Overall, Underworld: Evolution is a vast improvement over its predecessor Underworld (2003), even if it generally suffers from the twin evils of stupidity and seriousness.

It never lives up to the potential of its premise about a centuries-old war between rival clans of vampires and werewolves.

...the series continues to squander its undeniably irresistible premise of vampires and werewolves duking it out...

This is one of the more maddening franchises going right now, because so much potential is being wasted by director Len Wiseman, who can't seem to get the formula right.

I'm thinking about hair color after just having seen an action-horror movie; that's a bad sign.

Underworld films are a highly specialized taste, and those who've acquired it know who they are. Everyone else should give this one a wide berth.

Not a lot to recommend this sequel.