Underworld: Evolution (2006) Movie Review

Underworld: Evolution is a 2006 action horror film directed by Len Wiseman and written by Danny McBride. It stars Kate Beckinsale, Scott Speedman, Tony Curran, Shane Brolly, Steven Mackintosh, Derek Jacobi, and Bill Nighy. Evolution is the second film in the Underworld movie series and follows the events of the 2003 film. The film was a box office success and this opened the door for at least one more sequel, perpetuating the permanence of the Underworld series in the mainstream. Along with the first one, this second entry kept alive the gothic subculture and contributed to those types of aesthetics among the youth of the time.

This time, Selene (a vampiric Death Dealer) travels with a Lycan-Vampire hybrid named Markus in order to inquire and investigate the origins and hidden information regarding their ancestry and savage lineage involved in a seemingly endless war between the two factions.

Unlike the first movie, this one is more of a journey through several different environments with out protagonists meeting many enemies and foes along the way but it sort of loses a bit of the focus the first film had with its post-expressionistic maximalist setting, opting for slightly more generic places and locations that still look ravishing and highly stylized because of the great technical work by cinematographer Simon Duggan but things look more artificial and less extreme in the expressive department. Still, there are many good aspects in the film when it comes to its visual flair and camera work. 

The characters are sort of disappointing, just like in the first one, since most of them are one-dimensional and have very little in the way of charisma or effective comedic moments. They are all cold and trying to be badass all the time and it works well enough for the most part but it keeps the movie in a one-note wavelength it never really breaks. It would be one thing if the film had more to offer but there really isn't much else there. Speaking of badassery, Beckinsale as Selene looks wonderful and has some outstanding action sequences from time to time. She really elevates the film and makes it a worthwhile experience, again, like in the first film.

Aside from a cool-looking main character we are mostly stuck with monotonous period war scenes, exposition-heavy scenes of characters info-dumping on the audience a lot of lore that is quite easy to forget and there's also a lot of flashy editing that doesn't help when it comes to keeping things clear cut or focused. It's a film made only to be seen and disposed of afterward, you won't really find anything here but a time waster with certain gothic and horror elements that appeal to a certain audience but it does the job as a popcorn flick fairly well for the most part. 

While not breathtaking nor innovative in any meaningful way, this slick sequel is entertaining but flawed and not very memorable. Recommended for fans of the first film and for those who enjoy action and horror mixed with a leather-clad vampiress.

Bloody Mallory (2002) Movie Review

Bloody Mallory is a 2002 action horror film, a Franco-Spanish co-production directed by Julien Magnat, written by Magnat and Stéphane Kazandjian. It stars Olivia Bonamy, Adrià Collado, Jeffrey Ribier, Laurent Spielvogel, Valentina Vargas, Julien Boisselier, and Thylda Barès. The film is also scored by prolific Japanese movie and anime music composer Kenji Kawai. Inspired by the likes of Buffy: the Vampire Slayer, Xena: Warrior Princess and the entire underground geek fandom of the late nineties and early two thousands.

Mallory is the leader of an anti-paranormal commando group that consists of a child with telepathic powers, a drag queen explosives expert named Vena Cava and a government agent named Durand. When a group of mysterious vampires kidnap the pope, Mallory is tasked to rescue him in order to save mankind.

This is a highly kinetic filmic experience and with a very playful and juvenile energy that never becomes tiresome. A fun romp from start to finish, a film that has one foot in the anime/manga storytelling and stylistic flourishes and another one in the unleashed music video editing and montage. However, none of this means that the film is empty nor that it has zero substance as the characters are all original and fresh, they have very well defined personalities and roles, and they also have some engaging conflicts as the script takes some very sharp turns that go to some very distinctive places. Aside from the frenetic action, there are a lot of poignant moments that open and close the film to give it more tonalities. This insane storyline actually grabs you and takes itself with enough seriousness to never treat it as disposable nonsense, it's more than a one joke sketch.

I will say they also have some great production values for its low budget. The action itself is very lively and well constructed, it takes more than one trick from both Hong Kong and Japanese action cinema, which helps to make things more dynamic. You end up liking the world they constructed because it's so lighthearted and creative. Its aesthetic incorporates very striking anime-like stylizations and energetic fight choreographies as mentioned before, but some other scenes have that European flavor that achieve a lyrical feeling and look.

Highly recommended for people looking for a delightful horror flick with a female action protagonist. There aren't many of those and this one is a pleasure.

Dirty Pair: The OVA Series (1987-1988) Episode 1: Prison Uprising. We Hate People With Grudges!

The success of the original Dirty Pair series based on the light novels by Haruka Takachiho, the OVA movies and the theatrical feature film prompted a sequel show for the home video market in the form of a 10-episode OVA series by Sunrise. The series was mostly handled by director Katsuyoshi Yatabe, but other directors included Masayoshi Tanidabe, Shinji Takamatsu, Shin'ichirō Watanabe, Mihiro Yamaguchim and Osamu Sekita. The writers included Koichi Kasamoto, Hiroyuki Hoshiyama, Yuichi Sasamoto, Hiroshi Ônogi, Hideki Sonoda and Yasushi Hirano.

This first episode has the angels going into a space prison named Karuso after a riot broke out and prisoners took control of the facilities. They are looking to rescue a warden that's being held in the place by the inmates. They meet with some marines as they enter the prison in waves and wearing mechanical suits for protection. The girls enter the prison and beat the crap out of the rogue convicts, finding their target in the process but he makes the mission troublesome.

It's quite fun to see more of the angels working on a case doing paperwork and research at the beginning, something that we didn't get to see a whole lot of before, we even start out turning the tables a little bit with Yuri on her own flirting as Kei works in the office. Some other new characters are introduced but they won't really become all that relevant later on anyway. The function of these new characters is basically to set up some plot devices that will come in handy during the episode. 

The writers and board artists bring a lot of the charm and fun back with sequences like the space surfing one or the dynamic and flashy action sequences and shootouts that abound here. The comedy never fails as the Lovely Angels are as endearing and charismatic as ever, solidifying this new introduction as a pretty nice return to form.