Matt Adcock’s film review: Underworld - Awakening

“I am a Death Dealer, sworn to destroy those known as the Lycans. Our war has waged for centuries, unseen by human eyes. But all that is about to change... again.”

Underworld: Awakening is the fourth film in the Underworld franchise – the fun, schlocky action series where we humans are caught in the crossfire of an ancient battle between vampires and werewolves, or Lycans if you will.

This time, however, the humans are taking the fight back to the fantasy creatures with the aim of wiping them out – except all might not be what it seems, and it will fall to one vampire ‘death dealer’ to fight her way to the truth.

That would be the gorgeous Selene (Kate Beckinsale), pictured, who after 12 years imprisoned in frozen containment by the humans, bursts back into the war clad in her iconic shiny lycra catsuit, packing her trademark brace of handguns.

Beckinsale looks absolutely amazing, squeezing back into her skintight outfit as if she hadn’t ever skipped the last film to take time out to have children.

Underworld: Awakening is a pitch perfect blast of over-the-top action, which sets the bar for impressive the action scenes in 2012.

Watching Selene stylishly shoot, stab, punch, kick and snap the necks of all who oppose her is a fantasy action fans dream and man, she looks great kicking ass, oozing danger and sexual overload in a eye-watering combination.

Directors Måns Mårlind and Björn Stein do a great job of rocking the implausible plot which sees Selene finding that while she’s been on that deep freeze sabbatical, a new hybrid vampire/lycan child named Eve has been genetically created from DNA taken from her and her lover.

Eve (India Eisley) sees Selene as her ‘mother’ and the two can see things through each other’s eyes.

But you don’t really need to worry too much about the plot – it only serves to connect a series of intense action set pieces.

Many critics have dismissed Awakening but judging from the enthusiastic audience reaction in the screening I caught this in – and the fact that it raked in more than $25million in its opening weekend – there seems to be a real thirst for this Gothic adventure shot through with Matrix-alike stylistic trappings.

If you’re looking for a fangtastic Friday night action blast, Underworld: Awakening is an adrenaline shot of awesome that will hit the spot.