Underworld, the movie that Underworld: Evolution is a sequel to, can be summed up as The Matrix with vampires vs. werewolves. It’s an unholy marriage of action and horror, with a plot that’s about as believable as its CGI. It also was a $100 million worldwide hit. When it came to making the sequel, the producers decided not to mess with a winning formula, even though that formula was sure to yield another lousy movie.

Underworld: Evolution is more about the ongoing war between the aristocratic vampires and the street thug werewolves. Selene (Kate Beckinsale), the supernaturally sexy vampire, and Michael (Scott Speedman), her half-werewolf love interest, try to figure out the origins of their bloodlines. It’s all part of defeating Viktor (Bill Nighy), the father of modern-day vampires, and his plan to rule the world with a new species of evil.

But who cares about the plot? That’s just an excuse to get from one action scene to another.

The fight scenes are okay, at best. The problem with them, as with the action in many contemporary films, is that the shots are so tight and the cuts so quick, that you can’t follow the story of the brawl. The hyper-action in Underworld: Evolutions, like everything else about the story, moves from image to image without much connection, leaving the viewer to fill in the gaps. The director (Len Wiseman) never bothered to think them through himself so trying to connect the bullets is impossible. You’re left with combat that is stylized, without the characters having any fighting style.

For all of the mayhem, the audience is in little danger of getting its ass kicked. Underworld: Evolutions is just going through the motions, an empty series of poses strung together by lazy assumptions. This isn’t an evolution at all. Just more of the same.

Release Date: January 20th, 2006

Starring: Kate Beckinsale, Scott Speedman, Bill Nighy, Derek Jacobi, Tony Curran

Directed by: Len Wiseman

Written by: Danny McBride, Len Wiseman, Kevin Grevioux

MPAA Rating: Not Rated

Distributors: Screen Gems