Underworld Evolution
by Anton Bursch · in General Discussion · 01/21/2006 (7:05 pm) · 11 replies
My wife, Melissa, and I just returned home from watching this movie. We both liked the first one a little better, as it definitely has more of a story to it, but really enjoyed this one.
I especially enjoyed the brutality of this one. There are some really great 'oh shit!' moments that I would love to tell you about, but I won't spoil the movie for you. This is a very gory movie... but they colored the gore in a way that doesn't make you sick to your stomach. This isn't a gory movie in the horror movie sense, more the action movie sense.
There are a few slightly borderline cheesy moments, but overall it's over the top in a good way. There is a gratuitous sex scene, that feels as out of place as the sex and dancing scene in Matrix Revolution. Kinda lame. Otherwise, it's a great action movie.
I definitely recommend this movie to all the 80s action movie lovers out there. If you like aliens and predator, then this is your kind of movie. Now... for once... where is the video game of THIS movie. THIS is a movie that should be made into a video game. Vampires and Werewolves with swords and throwing stars and guns and bombs and winged vampires... this should be a game.
If you watch it, I hope you enjoy it. It's made over 10 million already... looks set to make a hefty 30 million this weekend. For this kind of a movie... that's a really good sign. This isn't a big marketed summer tentpole... but it's making that kind of money. Looks like people will watch what they think is good... even without the hoopla hype machine behind it.
I especially enjoyed the brutality of this one. There are some really great 'oh shit!' moments that I would love to tell you about, but I won't spoil the movie for you. This is a very gory movie... but they colored the gore in a way that doesn't make you sick to your stomach. This isn't a gory movie in the horror movie sense, more the action movie sense.
There are a few slightly borderline cheesy moments, but overall it's over the top in a good way. There is a gratuitous sex scene, that feels as out of place as the sex and dancing scene in Matrix Revolution. Kinda lame. Otherwise, it's a great action movie.
I definitely recommend this movie to all the 80s action movie lovers out there. If you like aliens and predator, then this is your kind of movie. Now... for once... where is the video game of THIS movie. THIS is a movie that should be made into a video game. Vampires and Werewolves with swords and throwing stars and guns and bombs and winged vampires... this should be a game.
If you watch it, I hope you enjoy it. It's made over 10 million already... looks set to make a hefty 30 million this weekend. For this kind of a movie... that's a really good sign. This isn't a big marketed summer tentpole... but it's making that kind of money. Looks like people will watch what they think is good... even without the hoopla hype machine behind it.
About the author
I design and direct games for Somatic Vision. We primarily make games for use with biofeedback, but our latest game, Tropical Heat, a jet ski racing game, is for regular gamers and is available on PC/Mac and will be available on ipad and iphone soon.
#2
I'd rather fight against etherworldly creatures then play any more men in tights games dressed as a freakn elf.
Bring on the vampires, werewolves, and ghouls and say no to elfs, orcs, and fairies. lol :)
01/22/2006 (8:41 am)
I liked it, I thought it rocked if you just viewed it as entertainment and not as anything deep and intellectual.I'd rather fight against etherworldly creatures then play any more men in tights games dressed as a freakn elf.
Bring on the vampires, werewolves, and ghouls and say no to elfs, orcs, and fairies. lol :)
#3
Rodreigez is making another 2 Sin City's so theres still hope for the industry.
01/22/2006 (1:47 pm)
Uhh... Have you seen ANY Cronenberg film? What about Nolan? Batman Begins would do. Have you played In Memoriam? What about Deus Ex? VTM: Bloodlines? NEVER associate Peter jackson films with the word 'Intellectual Thriller'. I'm just stumped how 'Yet another Graphic-Novel Action Thriller made by Universal' gets all the funding that should be going to more... unique films.Rodreigez is making another 2 Sin City's so theres still hope for the industry.
#4
If anyone out there hasnt seen sin city yet, you are truely missing out. (though it is very ultra-violent)
01/22/2006 (2:38 pm)
I have to say, i was very, very impressed with Sin City. it is, hands down, the best comic-to-movie adaption i've ever seen. If anyone out there hasnt seen sin city yet, you are truely missing out. (though it is very ultra-violent)
#5
I think that there is room in the world for all kinds of movies. What the world needs less of is film elitists. Of all the things to have passion or pride in... movies? really? I think I'll put my pride and passion into the things I personally make... or at least in the people I personally know and what they make. If you want to really talk about any films deserving to be made... let's talk about The New World and it's message that barbarians are only in the eyes of the misunderstanding and unappreciating beholder.
And... big money for movies doesn't go to films that don't have the potential to earn big money. That's the business of getting tens of millions of dollars for making a film. Who the hell is going to give tens of millions of dollars to someone to make a film that hardly anyone wants to pay to see? It's a lot of money and nobody with that much money is going to give it away just so a few people can enjoy themselves for a couple hours. I don't see how that isn't obvious.
This is a game dev website. Not a film critic website. Why don't you go to Aint it Cool News or Rotten Tomatoes and argue film there. And please don't talk down to anyone here like that again. It's not cool to talk down to people here unless it's at least about how much their hard hard work sucks.
01/22/2006 (9:04 pm)
@Mincetro Deadalus SlayerI think that there is room in the world for all kinds of movies. What the world needs less of is film elitists. Of all the things to have passion or pride in... movies? really? I think I'll put my pride and passion into the things I personally make... or at least in the people I personally know and what they make. If you want to really talk about any films deserving to be made... let's talk about The New World and it's message that barbarians are only in the eyes of the misunderstanding and unappreciating beholder.
And... big money for movies doesn't go to films that don't have the potential to earn big money. That's the business of getting tens of millions of dollars for making a film. Who the hell is going to give tens of millions of dollars to someone to make a film that hardly anyone wants to pay to see? It's a lot of money and nobody with that much money is going to give it away just so a few people can enjoy themselves for a couple hours. I don't see how that isn't obvious.
This is a game dev website. Not a film critic website. Why don't you go to Aint it Cool News or Rotten Tomatoes and argue film there. And please don't talk down to anyone here like that again. It's not cool to talk down to people here unless it's at least about how much their hard hard work sucks.
#6
I was just stating my PoV opinion about the film, I wasn't trying to be offensive to you or anyone else.
I apologize if it may have been taken the wrong way.
01/22/2006 (9:48 pm)
I've been active on IMDB recently, Alot of the films/TV shows I enjoy are the less mainstream ones. And the original NickToons.I was just stating my PoV opinion about the film, I wasn't trying to be offensive to you or anyone else.
I apologize if it may have been taken the wrong way.
#7
I was mostly messing with you there. :P That's why I wrote the bit about saying someone's hard hard work sucks. I forget that you can't here my tone of voice when I write. Sorry. :P
01/22/2006 (10:01 pm)
@Mincetro Deadlus SlayerI was mostly messing with you there. :P That's why I wrote the bit about saying someone's hard hard work sucks. I forget that you can't here my tone of voice when I write. Sorry. :P
#9
was just going to make a parallel there, same exact reason its so hard to get millions of dollars to make
an MMO game lol. sorry didnt really want to hijack the thread but there are parallels between the movie business and online games, even games in general.
You have to look at movies as entertainment, not as something to educate yourself with. Turn off brain and enjoy the show. Underworld rocked, great art direction (the whole white and black with a blue tint), consistent presentation of the world. And this one really was a continuation of the prior story. The love scene was almost expected and there was a sense of "damn finally you too got it on" so I disagree that it was the same as the dance scene in matrix.
as for milking the franchise, so what, everyone does it(to make money otherwise it wouldnt happen), it was still a enjoyable movie. If you liked the first one you will probably like this one as well.
01/23/2006 (7:41 am)
Quote:
Who the hell is going to give tens of millions of dollars to someone to make a film that hardly anyone wants to pay to see?
was just going to make a parallel there, same exact reason its so hard to get millions of dollars to make
an MMO game lol. sorry didnt really want to hijack the thread but there are parallels between the movie business and online games, even games in general.
You have to look at movies as entertainment, not as something to educate yourself with. Turn off brain and enjoy the show. Underworld rocked, great art direction (the whole white and black with a blue tint), consistent presentation of the world. And this one really was a continuation of the prior story. The love scene was almost expected and there was a sense of "damn finally you too got it on" so I disagree that it was the same as the dance scene in matrix.
as for milking the franchise, so what, everyone does it(to make money otherwise it wouldnt happen), it was still a enjoyable movie. If you liked the first one you will probably like this one as well.
#10
One of my pet-peeves is the underfunded "Super-people" movie. As a fan of the genre (People with kick-ass powers) I have seen too many films where they talk a whole lot about having amazing powers and never actually get around to using them or when they do, it's less than spectacular. The saddest example being the first X-men film. -- disclaimer, I love the X-men movies (so far--I'm nervous about 3) but the first one, in terms of effects, showed the lack of funding a little too much.
Anyway, I really dug the first UnderWorld for it's gung-ho attitude. It may have had a relatively small budget, but I could almost feel the people involved revelling in what they DID have. They pulled off some pretty decent effects and kick-assedness. Plus the script never fell into the fatal hole where it promised what the effects couldn't deliver.
P.S. to Harry Potter: You have the funding- we keep hearing about how Harry is such a bad-ass wizard, and yet, he never does any magic. Maybe he's shy and does all his incredible magics off screen? If you took out all the bits of the movies where his Proffessors gush wonderous praise on Harry about being an amazing wizard, and just watched what was on the screen, the movies would be all about Hermione.
01/23/2006 (10:05 am)
Iam more excited about seeing U:E now. One of my pet-peeves is the underfunded "Super-people" movie. As a fan of the genre (People with kick-ass powers) I have seen too many films where they talk a whole lot about having amazing powers and never actually get around to using them or when they do, it's less than spectacular. The saddest example being the first X-men film. -- disclaimer, I love the X-men movies (so far--I'm nervous about 3) but the first one, in terms of effects, showed the lack of funding a little too much.
Anyway, I really dug the first UnderWorld for it's gung-ho attitude. It may have had a relatively small budget, but I could almost feel the people involved revelling in what they DID have. They pulled off some pretty decent effects and kick-assedness. Plus the script never fell into the fatal hole where it promised what the effects couldn't deliver.
P.S. to Harry Potter: You have the funding- we keep hearing about how Harry is such a bad-ass wizard, and yet, he never does any magic. Maybe he's shy and does all his incredible magics off screen? If you took out all the bits of the movies where his Proffessors gush wonderous praise on Harry about being an amazing wizard, and just watched what was on the screen, the movies would be all about Hermione.
#11
I absolutely agree about your pet peeve of underfunded super people movies. While I watched this movie, I kept thinking... FINALLY somebody is giving is the money shots the trailers promise! That is what I was refering to when I said there were plenty of 'oh shit' moments. This is what Indiana Jones had going for it that made it so good... it walked the walk. I want bad ass in my bad ass movies.
@TheMartian
OK. I concede that the sex scene did have importance. I guess I wasn't thinking about the fact that they had been thru the whole first movie and been fighting for this romance to work and then it just ended with them only barely surviving. OK. While I don't approve of pre-marital vampire and vampire/werewolf sex... I can understand why they had to go for it. Plus, I guess they did just barely survive that whole bit with the winged vampire by the skin of their fangs and they might not have another night to do it. So, ok, I see why they had it in the movie... beyond the chick showing off her body.
01/23/2006 (6:31 pm)
@ThomasI absolutely agree about your pet peeve of underfunded super people movies. While I watched this movie, I kept thinking... FINALLY somebody is giving is the money shots the trailers promise! That is what I was refering to when I said there were plenty of 'oh shit' moments. This is what Indiana Jones had going for it that made it so good... it walked the walk. I want bad ass in my bad ass movies.
@TheMartian
OK. I concede that the sex scene did have importance. I guess I wasn't thinking about the fact that they had been thru the whole first movie and been fighting for this romance to work and then it just ended with them only barely surviving. OK. While I don't approve of pre-marital vampire and vampire/werewolf sex... I can understand why they had to go for it. Plus, I guess they did just barely survive that whole bit with the winged vampire by the skin of their fangs and they might not have another night to do it. So, ok, I see why they had it in the movie... beyond the chick showing off her body.
Torque 3D Owner iHugMedia
Where's the Mulhulland Drive game? What about Existanz? I'm sick of all the fighting-against-etherworldly-evil First-Person shooters, I want a game that requires intelligence and wits, and not a brand new mouse after every play.