The Rise of the Lycans serves simultaneously as a prequel and an end to a trilogy that describes the epic feud between vampires and werewolves. “Underworld” is thrilling action-packed and visibly gothic giving the entire film a dark and looming ambience.
Lucian played by Michael Sheen interprets two sides of a wild werewolf who carries deep emotions. He is merciless in his forbidden love for Sonja (Rhona Mitra) the daughter of Viktor (Bill Nighy) who is the leader of the vampire nation.
Sheen’s appearance on the screen is accompanied with a shaggy dirty and sweaty trademark that makes his ruthlessness all the more real. Because he is fighting for not only his freedom but also for his love his fierce surface does soften at certain points. However because of the relentless love he possesses the war begins.
Before getting into the details of the fighting it is necessary to take a look at the part of the film where the females will undoubtedly swoon: the lovemaking scene.
First of all Sonja and Lucian sneak out of their territories to be together. Anytime they see each other in public Sonja adopts an indifferent attitude toward her lover disguising her feelings for the safety of both. This is what makes the lovemaking even more exciting.
It is beautiful and although Sonja and Lucian try about 50 different positions it is anything but raunchy. The lighting setting and backdrop transform this scene from what could be debauchery to what is definitely love.
Lucian is dark rugged calloused and of course dirty (from working not sexually) while Sonja is fragile and pale-skinned. Her piercing blue eyes and slightly sharpened teeth beneath her thick lips make her a beautiful figure that contrasts the irony and forbidden nature of the scene in its entirety. They meet outside on a cliff where at one point the top part of Lucian is hanging off the edge which can get anybody’s heart pounding out of fear and excitement. The whole scene is one that can never be forgotten especially among all the fighting and anger present in the rest of the film.
In the first major fighting scene the Lycans try to quietly sneak out of their downstairs labyrinths but when one accidently makes a loud noise they are forced to run as fast as their legs can carry them. The castle the Lycans are escaping from is filled with windows which proves to be to their disadvantage. The vampires who are outside begin shooting spears at them through the windows killing many of Lucian’s comrades and preventing more from escaping.
One of the goriest yet most intriguing parts is when a spear pummels through the head of an escaping Lycan posting him to the wall; blood and brains are everywhere but that is what makes it memorable.
What prompts most of the fighting is Viktor’s decision to murder his daughter Sonja. After learning of her pregnancy with Lucian’s child Sonja makes a desperate attempt to melt her father’s cold heart by telling him about his grandson. However this backfires and he decides to slay her. Lucian finds out and is violently enraged. All of the fierce battles involve snarls glares hissing and blood.
The constant pull between the characters’ antagonizing dispositions and their more deep and kind-hearted emotions along with the overall luminous and eerie feeling of each scene make for a delicious taste of what the underworld is like. It provides an eye-opening way to fill in viewers about how the epic war began so many years ago.
Buy a ticket and succumb for 90 minutes to the world underneath the sun.