Directed by Patrick Tatopoulos. Staring Michael Sheen, Bill Nighy, Rhona Mitra, Tania Nolan, Craig Parker, Steven Mackintosh, Kevin Grevioux and Jared Turner. Horror, USA, 100 min. Web site

So because Entertainment Films couldn’t press show the latest in the UNDERWORLD saga on strict orders from the US, myself, Mark Kermode (EXORCIST fan), Nigel Floyd (Time Out), Rob Daniel (SKY) and Alan Frank (Daily Star) formed a review group who paid to see it at the Trocadero Cineworld at its first performance. Not sure what they thought but I have to admit to thoroughly enjoying it and proclaim it the best of the series. To echoes of, well, that can’t be hard, I’m convinced, I must own up to having a soft spot for these NOSFERATU girls and Lon Chaney guys fantasies. Perhaps it goes back to going on the set of the original in Budapest. I had a great time with everyone on that and even managed to convince director Len Wiseman to let me do all the EPK interviews.

Anyway the prequel explores the origins of the vampire/werewolf conflict. Making his directing debut (after designing the series’ creatures, hooray, working with Roland Emmerich, boo) Patrick Tatopoulos enhances the moonlit gloom and twilight Goth franchise formula with a delightful fantasy flair and captivating fairytale atmospheres. The Romeo and Juliet scenario remains centre stage while a Spartacus theme fuels the surrounding plot this time.  Enslaved Lycan Lucian (Michael Sheen) incites his wolf/man species to rebel against their Death Dealer captor bloodsuckers led by Viktor (Bill Nighy) while carrying on a forbidden affair with his daughter Sonia (Rhona Mitra). Tatopoulos keeps the New Zealand shot action moving, the inventive carnage flowing, the blood flying and the wirework stunts impressive. Michael Sheen looks buff and adds charismatic gravitas to each scene he’s in. On the same day his FROST/NIXON opens in the UK here’s Sheen showing his amazing range and why he’s one of our best acting talents. Nighy camps it up royally and often goes so far over the top in his dialogue delivery it’s outrageously funny. Rhona Mitra is, well, the best Kate Beckinsale lookalike they could get I suppose. Her sex scene with Sheen on a cliff edge is just hilarious, her death scene actually quite touching and beautifully romantic. The skull and crossbows based production design, given a neat GLADIATOR vibe, is first class with the final mega battle almost giving that other more famous Kiwi set trilogy a run for its money in epic quality.

Nothing to be ashamed of here, roll on the next episode, there’s bound to be one, so give in to its charms and you may Lycan it yourself.

Alan Jones

© London FrightFest Ltd. 2000-2009

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THE CRITIC-AL LIST
5 STAR FAB - 1 STAR RUBBISH

The Good The Bad And
The Weird
Hush
Underworld
The RIse OF The Lycans
My Bloody Valentine
Bolt
Slumdog Millionaire