Underworld (2003)

Cast:

Kate Beckinsale is Selene
Scott Speedman is Michael Corvin
Michael Sheen is Lucian
Shane Brolly is Kraven
Bill Nighy is Viktor

What the IMDB says about the plot:

Selene, a beautiful vampire warrior, is entrenched in a war between the vampire and werewolf races. Although she is aligned with the vampires, she falls in love with Michael, a werewolf who longs for the war to end.

Plot:

Selene narration details the feud between vampires and werewolves is starting to lighten up after Lucian the great Lycan, werewolf, leader was killed. In a subway terminal, a gunfight breaks out. Selene chases after and dispatches a Lycan while her partner gets dispatched.

Selene heads to the vampire base and shows that the Lycans have ultraviolet bullets. Kraven, the head vampire, doesn't believe there are many werewolves left. Selene is also sure they were after some human guy from the subway, Michael.

Breaking into Michael's apartment, Selene finds him as the werewolves attack. Running off from Selene, he gets bitten Lucian, the werewolf boss. Selene catches him again.

Lucian is sure that Michael is the carrier but will soon turn into a werewolf from the full moon.

Back at the vampire mansion, Michael awakens from strange flashbacks and runs off. Kraven chews out Selene for bringing a human to the mansion. Selene studies the history that claims that Kraven killed Lucian. Erika, another vampire, tells her that Michael was bitten.

Apparently, Lucian and Kraven have a deal.

Selene decides to awaken Victor and telepathically tells him how Lucian is still alive and how Kraven in collaborating with him.

Michael heads back to the mansion to talk with Selene. She tells him about the war between vampires and werewolves. However, she's more interested in how he was bitten by vampires and werewolves and why the werewolves want him so badly.

Victor awakens and wants Selene brought back. Kraven tells how he was awakened 100 years early.

Selene tells how her family was killed by werewolves. Victor turned her into a vampire and she's been hunting ever since.

Selene heads back to the mansion to report to Victor who is extremely anger about his awakening which is against the vampire code. Selene will be brought to trial. Erika frees Selene to let her escape.

Amelia, the last vampire elder, arrives by train. However, the werewolves attack. The vampires find the carnage afterwards.

Michael is having more flashbacks. He escapes how he was tied up. However, a couple of vampire cops grab him and he slowly starts turning.

Victor has unaged. Selene brings a werewolf who explains that Michael is a direct descendent of the first immortal. A human in pure form will be used to compare both bloodlines: vampire and werewolf. He reveals that Lucian is still alive, too. Kraven escapes when it's revealed he lied about killing Lucian for years.

Lucian has Michael when more flashbacks ensue about Lucian falling in love with Sonya, Victor's daughter. Victor had her killed which started the war. Kraven arrives, shoots Lucian, and skulks off.

Selene and the other Death Dealers arrive. Let the gunfighting ensue in a search and destroy style. Heading off alone, Selene finds Michael. Kraven shoots Michael and reveals that Victor killed Selene's family not the werewolves. The dying Lucian stabs Kraven and tells Selene to bite Michael to save him.

Victor shows up and throws Selene off of Michael who is starting to change into a vamp-wolf or a Lyc-pire. Victor claims he did everything to protect the species of vampires.

Victor versus blue skinned-vamp-wolf Michael. Death Dealers open fire on him when Selene shoots them. Grabbing a sword, Selene cuts Victor's head off.

Running off, Michael returns human. He and Selene run off as the Selene narration that with the 2 elders killed Marcus will be awakened, and the vampires will be after her for killing Victor.

What I say:

Remember when vampires weren't in the all the same movies as werewolves? Besides all the teen-romance vampire books and movies of the past few years, unfortunately, somebody came up with the brilliant idea to play werewolves and vampires by way of Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet", a sprinkling of Matrix leather coats, and Blade elder vampires. A series was created by Underworld which cannot be forgotten.

Notice, how the idea that every vampire movie must have hot vampire chicks started popping up? BloodRayne, UltraViolet or Vampire War. Well, after watching Whiteout in the theater, that inspired me to find Ms. Beckinsale's classic. Yes, the lovely Kate Beckinsale in a leather bodysuit. However, that can't distract the fact that there's very little else in the course of this movie.

Can't say vampires versus werewolves will be logical. All leather and lace clad vampires walking around with more guns than a SWAT team to attack the werewolves. I'm sure Captain Kronos Vampire Hunterwould have loved to have ultraviolet bullets for machine pistol.

For a action/horror movie that doesn't require much audience thought, Underworld is still better than most of the others in that same category like Alien/Predator: Requiem. For art-style gun-fu battles, this is the movie. Can't quite time when some action scene will happen. However, an action scene can keep a lot of people awake rather than vampire politics. Most of the movie is Michael running around and being caught up with Kate Beckinsale. Every so often, vampire and werewolf mythology gets tossed around so we don't forget the entire plot. Bloody pretentious. Do all vampires need to wear black leather and look like they should be at some goth club to look all angsty?

Quotable Dialogue
"You take this warrior business far too seriously."
"Your skull's taken a good knock."
"Lycans are allergic to silver. We have to get the bullets out quickly, or they end up dying on us during questioning. "
"Your incompetence is becoming most... 'taxing'. "
"We need to go..."
"Absolution will be yours."
Morals of the Story
Assassins need long flowing coats.
Vampires have reflections in mirrors and cameras.
Vampires love train rides.
Werewolves land on all fours.