Reviews

The first Underworld was good, the second one was a disappointment… But the third is, in my opinion, surprisingly better than the first two combined. Going into this movie, I wasn't expecting much, especially after the disaster that was Evolution. Evolution lost everything that made Uw1 so good – the story, the characters, the dynamic between Lycans & vampires, the love story of Selene & Michael, and even the music. It seemed to focus around Selene kicking butt and mindless explosions and gore.

But this movie totally blew me away. I'm writing this review over a day after I've seen it, and I'm still jittery from how good it was.

**Okay, bad points (there are only a few main ones):

The sex scene -- not as bad as the one from Evo, but we could've done without it. If I had a say in the matter, I would say just edit out the last part. Those who have seen it will know what I'm talking about. While very original, it made everyone go "WTF."

Luka -- not quite sure what was up with her character, but it was kind of a meaningless character that they introduced…

A couple of scenes or shots were a bit awkward… like Lucian falling off a cliff with two vampires – it seemed like that scene from Psycho when Martin Balsam's character falls down the stairs… Some of the dialog was off – either cheesy or too predictable.

WAY TOO SHORT! I know a lot us would've liked to see more development in Sonja & Lucian's relationship, and starting it where it did just kinda left some us going "…?"

**Good points (plenty here)

RHONA MITRA. From the beginning I've been supportive of her taking on the female lead. The writers did a good job with her – independent, strong, witty, rebellious without being annoying. She played the character extremely well! Going in I didn't think I would be so attached to her character at all – and I wound up liking Sonja more than Selene in the end (and this is saying a lot!). Sonja has more depth than Selene did (especially after Evo). Kudos, writing staff and Rhona.

Chemistry. I couldn't help but feel so much for these Sonja and Lucian, characters that weren't even on my "top three" until the end of this movie. Now they're at the top. Their relationship, although rushed, was truly touching. I found myself invested in their fates and getting emotional over something I knew was coming.

The writing was pretty good – better than Evo. There was a story, and the dialog did justice to all the characters. Tanis and Viktor, who I was afraid I would wind up hating now that Kraven is not there, were written in a way that you just had to admire and love the more. The addition of Raze, as well as some clips from the first Underworld tied ROTL with the first one.

The acting. I think there may have been one weak character, and the rest of the cast worked well together and alone. Michael Sheen, Bill Nighy, Steven Macintosh, Rhona Mitra, and all the supporting cast were superb. You simply cannot ask for a better ensemble!

The music, in my opinion, was added at the right time/scenes, at the right volume. The score and soundtrack have the same feel as the first movie (which it should, considering it's the same fabulous composer).

The beginning and the ending… I would not change a thing. It was perfect. The beginning is a wonderful introduction to the movie, and the ending is a nice connection to the first movie.

I think this movie worked out so well because it has a nice mixture of what made the first two movies good in my opinion. It had most of the original cast and characters, a strong female lead with a strong male counterpart, it wasn't so long that it lost your interest, and it had a strong enough plot line to carry the movie in spite of a few weak points.

Overall, this was a pleasant surprise for devoted Underworld fans that waited 3 years and 3 days to see it, and any new-comers that were looking for a decent movie to watch in theaters.

**VOTE: 9.0/10

Hancock is a movie about how an arrogant, selfish man with no past slowly becomes a better man and more of an altruistic superhero that learns of his past. He does this with the help of a public-relations spokesperson, Ray Embrey. Fortunately, the movie has more than a "growth of character" story – it includes the prison break of some prisoners Hancock put away or humiliated that aren't too happy with him, who wind up as the main villains of the film. As a plus, Mary Embry, Ray's wife, has a secret up her sleeve, which the audience doesn't learn about until about halfway through the movie…

…It all started out with my best friend having a crush on Will Smith. She asked a group of my friends to go see this new movie called *Hancock*, which I had seen the trailer for. And I figured that the incredibly sexy Charlize Theron was in it, so the only downside was that – from what I had seen – the movie didn't seem to have much of a plot.

After sitting through ninety-three glorious minutes, I am proud to say I was wrong in my assumption that the movie wouldn't have a plot, and that I am glad I saw this movie. This movie is easily one of the best movies I have seen in a while.

Okay, let's take it from the top. I'll admit, I wasn't too much of a Will Smith fan. I didn't dislike him – and I have seen I, Robot; the Men in Black movies; Wild, Wild West; I Am Legend; and Hitch. I'd say it was more of a neutral feeling towards him, one of those actors you don't mind watching but won't go out of the way to see. Will Smith in this movie completely surprised me by being able to play not only the sarcastic, self-centered a-hole he was supposed to portray, but being able to shift with ease into a likable and admirable superhero in the short span of an hour and thirty-three minutes. The audience learns to hate Hancock in the beginning, but quickly falls in love with the character, which goes through such a drastic change in just one movie.

The highlight for me was Charlize Theron, who looks so gorgeous and stunning in the movie that I can't quite put it into words. Being a large Kate Beckinsale fan, I find it hard to concede when I see another wonderful actress on screen that isn't Kate. I was a fan of Theron from Aeon Flux and a few other films, and was already aware of her beauty, complete with her incredible ability to act, as well. This film, however, bumped her up my list of favorite actresses to the second slot. Like Will Smith, she was able to pull of the role without much of an effort. She handled the physical part and delivering her lines of her character incredibly well. She was very capable of selling herself as Mary Embrey. Theron and Smith had an amazing and rare chemistry.

In fact, all the characters had good chemistry. The partnership of Hancock and Ray Embrey (played fantastically by Jason Bateman) was another a very believable pair. The pairing of Ray and Mary also created a decent couple. All the reactions and actions of the characters were understandable and realistic (as realistic as they could be).

Another great aspect of the movie is the plot twist. (**Spoiler coming up, people!**) In the beginning of the movie, Mary (Charlize Theron's character) gives off a vibe that she knows Hancock somehow, especially from the negative comments she continuously makes about Hancock and his actions. With roughly 40 minutes left in the movie, it is revealed that she is actually Hancock's soul mate and that they are "gods" (or "angels") created about 3000 years ago. (**End of spoilers**)

The rest of the movie is filled with nicely done action scenes, some heart-felt dialogue, and a terrific conclusion. Unlike a lot of movies that leave something to be desired, or wrap everything up in a rushed manner, Hancock concludes in a way that leaves you satisfied that you saw the movie and happy for all the main characters. (Yes, unlike I Am Legend, this movie has a happy ending…)

The only complaint I heard from this movie out of all my friends (there were six of us) was that they don't explain everything at the beginning. I don't see the problem, since the writers explain everything later in the film without ruining the action flow and without leaving plot holes (none that I can find at the moment, anyway). They do this (and do it very well) in order to keep the audience interested in Hancock and Mary's backgrounds. As I said before, the plot and action do not interfere with one another at all, so the only thing I can say in reference to the complaint about an explanation too late in the movie is to chalk it up to my friend's small attention span.

So, for those of you that either believe the critics or were ready to pass this movie off as another mindless, action-packed film, DON'T. The movie has a perfect mixture of plot, character development, and action stuffed into a ninety-three minute movie. I'm giving it a 9/10, only because this movie was too short. :)

BLOOD AND CHOCOLATE is one of those movies that initially leaves you with a bitter taste in your mouth and makes you wonder why you wasted over one and a half hours of your life. After a good day without thinking about the movie, however, it doesn't seem *too* bad.

B&C is one of my more favorite books. It was well-written. The plot was intricate, and the ending was unique, especially since it didn't end with the traditional "happily-ever after." The movie has almost nothing in common with the book. The only thing I can see is the fact that the characters' names were kept and the fact that Aiden is a human, and Vivian and her family are werewolves.

Vivian works in a chocolate factory. (The book's title, in actuality, refers to the fact that blood and chocolate appear the same in moonlight.) She moved from America to Romania with her family and lives with her aunt and uncle, as well as the rest of her werewolf pack. She meets a 17-year-old named Aiden in an abandoned church. After Vivian refuses to tell Aiden her name, he eventually tracks her down through her chocolate shop, and confronts her. After pressured by Aiden and the untimely arrival of her cousin Rafe, Vivian gives in and agrees to one date with Aiden.

After dating for a couple of weeks, her cousins find out and tattle on her to the head honcho, Gabriel, who is also Rafe's father (although, in the book, there is no familial relationship between the two).

Vivian is warned to stay away from Aiden, and Gabriel sends Rafe after Aiden to warn him, too, about the consequences of pursuing any relationship with Vivian. Aiden resists and Rafe winds up changing from a human to a wolf. During a struggle that was a bit pointless, Rafe is killed. Aiden flees and Vivian discovers him in the corner of an alley while walking (what are the chances of this, right?). Aiden confronts Vivian about her cousin's supernatural ability to change into a wolf, and she reveals that she is also a werewolf (surprise). He doesn't take the news well and runs away.

Gabriel hires some guys to kidnap Aiden at the train station. During a clan meeting, Gabriel presents Aiden as the mortal who killed his son. He tells Aiden that he must run for his life in the forest nearby. If Aiden reaches the river inside the forest before being attacked by the pack, he will have "won" his life and is allowed to live. If he doesn't, then he's dead. Aiden, not having much choice, runs. Vivian is put into a car so she can't help him. This is a bit pointless, however, as she slips out when the two boneheads "watching" her don't pay attention to her. After a lot of running and cool visual-effect scenes, Aiden makes it to the river. Gabriel, who is portrayed as a jerk in this movie, goes after him anyway. Vivian shows up just in the nick of time and saves Aiden. He does not realize that the wolf is Vivian and almost kills her (she gets stabbed during this ordeal by a silver knife). She changes back and begs him not to kill her. He gives her one of his shirts (since she's now naked after changing) and carries her to the city. She takes him to the place where all old film is discarded, telling him that the pack will never look for them there, since supposedly breathing in the fumes is poisonous to their kind, because film has silver in it. The next day, they meet up with Vivian's aunt, but convince her to let them go unharmed.

They go to the pharmacy for the cure to the silver, but the pharmacist is on Gabriel's payroll. Gabriel sends some goons after th em. Vivian makes Aiden leave alone and she is captured. Gabriel locks Vivian in a cage and Aiden comes in to save her after getting weapons from the pharmacist. In a big fight, Vivian shoots Gabriel and the whole place is torched.

The movie ends with Vivian and Aiden driving off.

As I mentioned, the movie is incredibly hard to like the first few hours after watching it, especially if you read the book and loved it like I did, because the movie is SO different from the book. The plot line is completely different from the book, considering the characters' relationships, events, and the ending. In the movie, Vivian is responsible for her parents' (including the mom, here) deaths, perhaps as a means to build up her character. Aiden does not have any friends or family. In this movie, Aiden says he and his father got into a fight, and that is why he is wanted in the US and publishes his graphic novels under his initials. Gabriel is literally old enough to be Vivian's father (he's her uncle), so it's creepy to think of Gabriel being Vivian's mate. Also, he's portrayed simply as an insensitive jerk. The guy doesn't even CRY when he sees his only son's corpse. The ending was a bit of a cliché. If you take this movie by ITSELF and forget that it's based on a novel, the movie isn't as horrendous as I'd heard.

I loved the book and the movie totally took a different turn from it. After I thought about it a day or so after seeing the movie, thinking of the movie on its own, without the novel it's 'based on,' the movie is actually likable and one I wouldn't mind watching again.

In conclusion, even though B&C is one of those movies that make you wonder why you bothered to make an effort, regarding the movie unaccompanied by the novel helps. The movie, after much thought, gets from me 7/10.

This movie was great for me. However, if you are planning to watch this movie, take a few things into account. If you liked the first one, then go for it. However, there's nudity (Kate Beckinsale and Scott Speedman have a love scene) and more gore than the first one. However, both main characters are more developed and act better. Even the smaller characters are better in this one. There is a bigger variety of weapons in this one, including Uzis, grenades, and throwing stars that explode on impact. UV ammo is still used, even though there is no use for the silver nitrate ammo. Almost everyone dies in this one, so don't get too attached to any one character. This one is more action packed, but still has a great storyline, like the first one, and still manages to stump the audience. It makes you think about the plot after you leave the theater, but you'll figure it out. However, if you still manage to be stumped, you should purchase Greg Cox's novelization; it's a great read!

Kate and Scott acting have improved. In one scene, Kate almost made me cry. Now, I'm not an emotional person, so her acting must have been pretty powerful for that reaction.

Len's directing has gotten better. The film still has that bluish tint, but has a more light feel to it. All the rain in the first one has been replaced with snow (it was filmed in Vancouver), and the CGI and wire work as well as the creature designs have improved.