By Kit-Kat
It had been a long time since we had a decent vampire or werewolf movie hit the screen, well that is until Underworld hit theatres back in 2003. If you were unfamiliar with Kate Beckinsale you sure would remember her now. Clearly realizing what a gold mine they had on hand the sequel roared into theatres back in 2006. Granted it was good (c'mon Scott Speedman is such a hottie hybrid) but it tried too hard and lost that bit of edge that often happens to sequels when they just push too much. However, onward and upward right! Rise of the Lycans hits theatres January 23, 2009. In honor of this Sony Home Entertainment bundled up and released the special Underworld Double Feature DVD set to get all of you primed and up to speed for the third movie coming. I really liked Underworld, and I admit, while a bit disappointed - I still enjoyed Underworld Evolution so I had to see what this extra DVD pack had to offer.
For those unfamiliar with the Underworld movies here are the brief synopsis for both:
Underworld Synopsis
In UNDERWORLD, Vampires are a secret clan of modern aristocratic sophisticates whose mortal enemies are the Lycans, a shrewd gang of street thugs who prowl the city's underbelly. No one knows the origin of their bitter blood feud, but the balance of power between them turns even bloodier when a beautiful young Vampire warrior and a newly-turned Lycan with a mysterious past fall in love. Kate Beckinsale (Vacancy, Click) and Scott Speedman (The Strangers, My Life Without Me) star in this modern-day, action-packed tale of ruthless intrigue and forbidden passion; all set against the dazzling backdrop of a timeless, Gothic metropolis. Directed by Len Wiseman (Live Free or Die Hard), UNDERWORLD is rated R for strong violence/gore and some language. It has a run time of 121 minutes.
Underworld Evolution Synopsis
Kate Beckinsale is back as vampire heroine Selene in this highly anticipated sequel, which continues the saga of the war between the aristocratic Death Dealers and the barbaric Lycans. The film traces the beginnings of the ancient feud between the two tribes as Selene (Beckinsale), the vampire heroine, and her love Michael (Speedman), the Lycan hybrid, try to unlock the secrets of their bloodlines. This tale of action, intrigue and forbidden love takes them into the battle to end all wars as the immortals must finally face their retribution. Directed by Len Wiseman, UNDERWORLD: EVOLUTION is rated R for pervasive strong violence and gore, some sexuality/nudity and language. It has a run time of 106 minutes.
The Double Feature DVD set included extended editions for the movies as well as extra bonus features. I will say the bonus features were much less than I had expected for this type of a release. The extended sequences weren't really a lot that I noticed, though it did add a bit more to understanding the film, and of course I always have to wonder they weren't included in the original release. They didn't bog the film down or change it much - so I'm at a loss. For Underworld the first disk has your standard commentary (which I admit I seldom bother to listen to) and a documentary called Fang vs. Fiction, which looks at the history of vampires and werewolves. The feature was interesting but clearly a TV spot with choppy breaks that were probably meant for commercials. And considering it was the only true feature aside from the outtakes and I was rather disappointed.
The second disk for Evolution had your standard commentary but also a packed featurette section that delved into the locations, the creatures, the production, effects etc... and a music video so while plumped up it was better and I found the featurettes to be informative and not quite as tiring as the Fang vs. Fiction from the previous disk.
Would I consider this worthy of owning (especially if you already have the first two dvd releases)? Actually... yes I do. I personally love to have extended editions and sequels all tidy in a set and even if the features are not quite up to my standards (realistically Lord of the Rings bonus features have ruined me forever) they were good and complimented a worthy set of movies.
