6.7 | / 10 |
Users | 4.2 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.2 |
The vampire warrioress Selene, escapes imprisonment to find herself in a world where humans have discovered the existence of both Vampire and Lycan clans and are conducting an all-out war to eradicate both immortal species.
Starring: Kate Beckinsale, Stephen Rea, Michael Ealy, Theo James, India EisleyAction | 100% |
Fantasy | 55% |
Horror | 21% |
Supernatural | 13% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 MVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1
French: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English, English SDH, French, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Blu-ray 3D
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 5.0 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 3.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
One, two, Selene's coming for you. Three, four, better lock your door. Five, six, these movies are coming quick. Seven, eight, she kills Lycans great. Nine, ten, here comes Underworld again. Ah, the joys of movie franchises: repetitive, unimaginative, and lucrative. They come rapidly and with no remorse, sometimes with no purpose and no reasonable expectations for anything other than more of the same. There might not be as many Underworld movies -- yet -- as there are flicks in a lot of other franchises, but the cold blue nightmare world of Vampires vs. Werewolves apparently has yet to grow old. The franchise now clocks in at four, count 'em four movies, all of them pretty much the same thing except for number three which traveled backwards in time for some fun away from fully automatic pistols and modern technology for a more brutal look at olden warfare with real deadly weapons. But with fangs and sharp teeth and an unquenchable thirst for blood and dismemberment, who needs any weapons? Filmmakers. And audiences. That's who. The original Underworld defined modern movie "cool," the film depicting modern warfare undead and inhuman style, with slick, pretty Vampires who could be straight out of Twilight doing battle with nasty werewolves who are as menacing and deadly as Jacob is pretty. That film was novel, told a good story, and delivered plenty of action. The problem is that Underworld: Awakening looks and sounds and feels the same. The story is different to be sure, but the rhythm, heart, and soul remains Underworld through and through. It's up to each audience to determine whether "more of the same" is worth the price of admission.
Someone's awake.
Potential 3D viewers might rightly pause before plopping down the extra dough for Underworld: Awakening. After all, very dark films have a
fairly poor track record on Blu-ray 3D, most simply going overwhelmingly dark to the point that the image becomes nearly unwatchable -- think Priest. Fortunately, that's not the case with this transfer. Sony's
released one of the finest live action 3D titles to date with Underworld: Awakening, the image offering a consistent, high quality 3D image
while
remaining accurate to the goodness of the general transfer qualities which made the 2D-only release so wonderful. To the more general attributes first. As
noted, this release maintains an excellent black level balance. Never does the image grow too dark, despite being very dark by its very
nature. The
image is very well defined and immensely clear, with the black and blue elements playing nicely together and with the same accuracy which appears
on the 2D disc. In those few times the image offers something that's not black or gray, such colors appear accurate, like blood red and fireball orange.
Fine detail
remains excellent, too; clothing seams and lines, facial textures, and little inconsequential elements like the fine lines of damaged and shredded
wooden planks all add up to a very high quality presentation. In short, the image lives up to its potential and doesn't succumb to typical 3D issues.
The better news is that the 3D elements are first-rate, too.
Underworld: Awakening's 3D-specific attributes sparkle. The image enjoys a constant, even sense of general depth. Even casual dialogue
scenes feature excellent spacing between characters and an evident distance whether measured in feet or yards, the space between two close
characters, or the length of a room or corridor. The image proves very shapely from the studio logos forward. It makes fine use of layers, with even
Selene's stasis chamber showing obvious spacing between its clear cover and her face inches below. When a character falls into water, blood and
bubbles rise as the character sinks further away from the screen. Distance shots spread far back into the depths of the television set, giving a nearly
perfect illusion of three dimensional space. The transfer also does well to extend elements beyond the limits of the screen. Selene uses throwing
weapons early in the film which appear to fly out past the front of the screen. Gun barrels poke out, and explosions send debris flying into the viewing
area. Some viewers may note extremely light crosstalk. This is a fabulous 3D image that makes use of all elements. Depth, extension beyond the
screen, strong detailing, and great black balance all add up to one of the best 3D transfers currently on the marketplace.
Underworld: Awakening sounds fantastic. Sony's DTS-HD MA 7.1 lossless soundtrack ranks amongst the very best the format has to offer. This one impresses from the opening seconds on through to the closing credits. This presentation defines the modern cinema audio experience. It's big, aggressive, potent, and exceptionally immersive. Though it's loud and deep, clarity remains perfect throughout. Surround use is constant, heavy, and involved. The audience feels as if a part of every scene, immersed into every environment, caught in the middle of every battle. The track provides a nonstop barrage of perfectly-balanced surround sound activity. Whether mood- and location-critical light ambience, the pressurized sensation of underwater sound effects, music playing harmoniously with the rear channels, or high-powered action, the track proves to be one of the most immersive around. And for all the activity it offers, never does the track play as anything but perfectly balanced and absolutely lifelike. Gunfire erupts from each and every corner of the listening area. It tears through the stage as bullets zip and casings clank off the floor. Metal and flesh impacts, likewise, may be heard everywhere, and listeners might be inclined to duck for cover. The track also defines its locations with precision. A seaside port features seagulls maneuvering about, the steady sound of gently rolling waters, and boat horns in the distance. Musical balance is faultless, and instrument clarity is unbeatable. Dialogue is consistently strong and focused, playing firmly up the middle and never once sounding the least bit shallow or lost under the heavy effects and music. This track makes fine use of all of its attributes; the added surround channels help to create one of the most seamless and exciting soundtracks to date. This disc is worth a purchase if only as a top-notch audio demonstration piece.
Underworld: Awakening contains a commentary track, several featurettes, a blooper reel, and a music video. The previsualization sequences
are exclusive to the Blu-ray 3D release.
More of the same though it may be, Underworld: Awakening is a pretty fun, slick, well-made little film. It's entertaining and quite watchable, an achievement for a fourth-in-the-series film, and that these things are still going strong in theaters and not being dumped directly to video is a testament to the dedication of the series' fan base, or at least to male hormones and testosterone. No matter what, Underworld will always sell if it's got Kate Beckinsale wrapped up in a tight-fitting leather suit and armed to the teeth with machine pistols. This film's plot naturally advances the series but doesn't really take advantage of the possibilities. Still, it's a fun and serviceable little time killer that should satisfy casual and diehard Underworld fans alike. Sony's Blu-ray 3D release of Underworld: Awakening features standout video, classic audio, and a nice collection of extras. Highly recommended.
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