'Underworld: Awakening' with Kate Bekinsale -- Heavy on Action, Light on Plot

There is not much one can say about "Underworld: Awakening," the fourth is the franchise about a war between vampires and werewolves. Plot and character take second place to action and Kate Beckinsale looking good dealing death and mayhem.

Not that these are bad things if one approaches the movie in the right spirit.

The plot that is used to hold all the action together concerns a revelation of the existence of vampires and werewolves in the "Underworld" universe. Unlike in the "True Blood" series, the humans react very harshly to the revelation and set out on a world-wide pogram to eradicate both vampires and werewolves.

Selene, the vampire warrior played by Beckinsale, and her hybrid vampire/werewolf lover Michael, are caught attempting to escape the eradication. Selene wakes up a dozen years later in a top secret lab. She goes on a hunt for Michael and the daughter they apparently created together.

The plot seems to have been derived from "Kill Bill" which also had a female warrior searching for her daughter after a long period of unconsciousness while leading an epic body count in her wake. Facing Selene are an army of human mercenaries, werewolves (named "Lycans" in the movies) and a super mutant were wolf. She is aided by a sympathetic human policeman, the remnants of the vampire coven, and her daughter, who has powers that are only dimly understood.

This is the sort of movie of which one does not have a lot of plot twists and subtle characterizations to pay attention to. It is about 80 percent Selene slaying her enemies in heaps, while being tossed about like a rag doll, being dropped from great heights, and doing impossible stunts. It is something designed to get an adrenalin high rather than to exercise one's mind.

This the movie does in great abundance. Some will no doubt find the constant shootings, stabbings, and otherwise spectacular killings a little repetitious. Selene also does a medical procedure that has to be seen to be believed. But the movie, running just shy of 90 minutes, does not overstay its welcome. And a fifth movie has been set up if this one does well and all the players agree to do it.

Source: Underworld: Awakening, Yahoo Movies