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 Marcus 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.

Cutthroat Island (1995) Movie Review

Cutthroat Island is a 1995 action adventure swashbuckling film directed by Renny Harlin and written by Robert King and Marc Norman. The film stars Renny's wife at the time, Geena Davis, and was considered to be some sort of vanity project because of this. It also features Matthew Modine, Frank Langella, Maury Chaykin, Patrick Malahide and Stan Shaw in the cast. Originally pitched to Disney's CEO Michael Eisner, who considered making it a Pirates of the Caribbean film, only to be turned down, writers James Gorman and Michael Frost Beckner went to independent production company Carolco Pictures which greenlit the film. Harlin was hired to direct and the movie changed into a pirate adventure featuring a female protagonist, the budget was increased to somewhere around 92 or 115 million dollars. Once released, the film was a huge box office bomb, only making 16 million dollars back, this pretty much damaged the career of the people involved and gave the film a bad reputation.

Set in 1668, the film follows dreaded captain Morgan Adams as a female pirate leading her men to Cutthroat Island, but she needs someone who can read Latin, so they rescue enslaved thief William Shaw, who claims to be fluent in the language. What follows is a series of obstacles, usually set by Morgan's nefarious uncle and the British forces, that keep our heroes from getting the valuable treasure hidden in the infamous Island.

Far from the awful mess it's reputation might lead you to be believe it is, Cutthroat Island is a well-oiled machine that nowadays comes off as fresh, well crafted, exciting and potent because of its dazzling spectacle that relies heavily on great sets and impactful practical effects and real stunts that are wonderfully captured by real film cameras, as in stark celluloid. All of these elements kind of set it apart from the usual muck that gets distributed to theaters or the type of movie-making format that arrives directly at streaming services. While people at the time might have been somewhat resistant to the charms of an expensive production that could only deliver light fun, it seems like it was ahead of its time since films like Pirates of the Caribbean would come later on and become hits with audiences.

While the character writing is not particularly thoughtful, we do have some nice interactions and a great chemistry between the cast members. The tone is well balanced all around with some funny touches on top of the dynamic action. Directing-wise I gotta say that Harlin can pull off some really intricate set-pieces, and this film has an abundance of them, but he is sort of lost when it comes to the more normal sequences and his work can come off as pedestrian there, even when aided by cinematographer Peter Levy. The sets and production design do the heavy lifting and help the film visually.

I do like how we see the usual day-to-day proceedings of Morgan's pirate crew and how the fact that she is a female pirate, while being strange to some, isn't really a problem for a lot of the other characters in order to modernize the film to a degree. Davis is very active throughout the film, both as a character driving the story forwards and physically engaged in several battles. Morgan has her moments of glory and the movie never really gazes at her in sleazy ways just for the sake of it, so it's not just eye-candy for male audiences.

I do recommend this unrelenting roller coaster to anyone interested in the film both because of its mark in recent film history and because of its most obvious virtues that were underrated at the time. It kind of deserves a second look. Give it another chance, especially if you enjoyed stuff like The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996), another Harlin-Davis collab.