 The prequel story traces the origins of the centuries-old blood feud between the aristocratic vampires known as Death Dealers and their onetime slaves, the Lycans. In the Dark Ages, a young Lycan named Lucian (Michael Sheen) emerges as a powerful leader who rallies the werewolves to rise up against Viktor (Bill Nighy), the cruel vampire king who has enslaved them. Lucian is joined by his secret lover, Sonja (Rhona Mitra), in his battle against the Death Dealer army and his struggle for Lycan freedom. Storyline: The prequel story traces the origins of the centuries-old blood feud between the aristocratic vampires and their onetime slaves, the Lycans. In the Dark Ages, a young Lycan named Lucian emerges as a powerful leader who rallies the werewolves to rise up against Viktor, the cruel vampire king who has enslaved them. Lucian is joined by his secret lover, Sonja, in his battle against the Vampire army and his struggle for Lycan freedom. Written by Anonymous Reviewer's Note: Reviewed by Kenneth Brown on May 3, 2009 -- Ah, my dearest Underworld: I remember when you first tried to win my heart. You promised me a blood-curdling war between vampires and werewolves, you assured me I would be treated to a climactic clash of the horror titans, you even swore I would jump out of my seat and cheer. But like so many cinematic lovers, you didn't understand what I was actually looking for. It was a fun fling, sure -- enough so that I endured your plodding gunfights, neutered vamps, and uninspired attempts to create a hybrid -- but you were just too superficial to satisfy me. I even remember when you tried to earn my affection again. You had certainly evolved -- finally delivering a slew of claw-on-claw tussles, a more menacing foe, and a variety of nail-biting chases -- but you still lacked the substance I longed for. I thought I had rejected you. I thought we were through. Yet here you are again, knocking at my Blu-ray player's door with another sleek and shiny offering; an aptly-titled prequel you hope will give me everything I've ever asked for and more. Have you really changed? Are you really up to the task? Rise of the Lycans takes us back to the very beginning of the Underworld mythos: to a time when werewolves were mindless beasts that couldn't take human form and vampires were vulnerable castle-dwellers prone to human attack. But when an elder vampire named Viktor (Bill Nighy) encounters a young werewolf named Lucian (Michael Sheen) who can change forms at will, he captures the halfling in hopes of creating guardians capable of defending his castle during the day. Everything proceeds according to Viktor's plan -- he uses his new pet to make dozens of Lycan slaves, maintain the peace, and guard his homestead -- that is until his precious Lucian defies the law in order to save Viktor's daughter, Sonja (Doomsday's Rhona Mitra). In spite of his noble actions, the Lycan is punished and imprisoned with his own kind, doomed to live out his days as a lowly servant. However, unbeknownst to Viktor, Lucian and Sonja have been secret lovers for quite some time. The two plan to escape, but not before Lucian can free his enslaved brothers from their bonds. Every prequel may indeed prove itself to be a tragedy, but there's a reason tragedies have been the prevailing source of entertainment for so many centuries. There's something compelling and unnerving about watching the inevitable unfold; seeing a story run its course regardless of how desperately its characters try to alter their destinies. Rise of the Lycans will draw obvious comparisons to Romeo & Juliet and other tales of doomed, star-crossed lovers: theirs is a familiar tale of unforgiving fathers, the consequences of conflict, and the endurance of true love. To that end, I wouldn't blame anyone for thinking this entry in the Underworld series is wrapped in tired cliches and self-indulgent gravitas. But to simply write off the first Lycan struggle as predictable and pretentious would be to miss the point. Yes, it's slower than its two predecessors; yes, it takes a lot of time to flesh out its on-screen relationships; and yes, it sometimes raises more questions than it answers. Even so, the slowburn story allows the third act to actually resonate. Unlike Underworld and Evolution, Rise of the Lycans allows its viewers to invest in the trials and tribulations of its characters. By the time its legions of werewolves and vampires finally show their teeth, it has a resounding impact. Plus, let's be honest: watching two iconic beasties go toe-to-toe and claw-to-claw is a surefire way to make a fanboy froth at the mouth. Rise of the Lycans treats its eventual clashes with all the weight and urgency of a legitimate battle royale. Some character introductions are a bit clumsy (Kevin Grevioux's Raze plays an all-too-obvious role in the rebellion), but it doesn't seem to matter so long as Sheen's Lucian is such a magnetic force in the tale. He not only manages to elevate the entire film, he single-handedly changes the way series fans will view the original Underworld. Lucian is no longer the hand-wringing villain he once was, his plight is revealed to be far more intriguing, and his endgame gives the first film meatier themes to play with. Make no mistake, Underworld actually lives up to its age-old promises and gives vampire and werewolf fans like myself something more substantial than silver-tipped bullets and chunky transformations. Perhaps I'm looking too far into what I should recognize as a meandering actioner, but I found myself enjoying Rise of the Lycans more than Underworld and Underworld: Evolution. It strikes a fine balance between its supernatural dust-ups and gut-wrenching plot developments, produces some surprisingly strong performances, and sheds new light on earlier (um... later?) entries in the series. I have no doubt some of you will absolutely loathe the film's slower pace and inclusion of romantic melodrama -- I doubt I could muster a successful argument against either criticism -- but it all clicked into place for me. So with that, all I have to say is this: well done, dear Underworld... I look forward to our next rendezvous. Critical consensus be damned: I thoroughly enjoyed Underworld: Rise of the Lycans, appreciated its focus on story and character, and wholeheartedly embraced its so-called cliches. I know I'm in the minority, but I had a great time watching this one. The 2-disc Blu-ray edition is even better. It features a striking video transfer, a strong TrueHD audio track, and a healthy helping of supplemental material (including an exclusive PiP experience). I suppose it's safer to rent this critically-panned prequel if you didn't catch it in theaters, but fans should lay down their credit card with confidence knowing that Sony has delivered another remarkable Blu-ray release. Cast Notes: Michael Sheen (Lucian), Bill Nighy (Viktor), Rhona Mitra (Sonja), Steven Mackintosh (Tannis), Kevin Grevioux (Raze), David Ashton (Coloman), Geraldine Brophy (Nobleman's Wife), Leighton Cardno (Fearful Lycan), Alex Carroll (Young Lucian [as Alexander Carroll]), Elizabeth Hawthorne (Orsova), Jared Turner (Xristo), Jason Hood (Death Dealer), Mark Mitchinson (Nobleman), Tania Nolan (Luka), Craig Parker (Sabas). IMDb Rating (07/31/14): 6.6/10 from 92,980 users IMDb Rating (05/12/09): 6.6/10 from 13,639 users
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