Underworld (2003)
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A vampire Death Dealer must decide whether to uphold her duty or save a human man who has been bitten by a werewolf.
The story
The plot centers on the secret history of vampires and lycans (an abbreviated form of lycanthrope, which means werewolf). The main plot revolves around Selene, a vampire Death Dealer hunting Lycans. She finds herself attracted to a human, Michael Corvin, who is being targeted by the Lycans. After Michael is bitten by a Lycan, Selene must decide whether to do her duty and kill him or go against her clan and save him.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
For generations, vampires and Lycans have secretly waged war. Selene, a member of an elite group of vampire assassins known as "Death Dealers," hunts Lycans. She discovers that they are after Michael Corvin, a doctor. After Michael is bitten by the Lycan leader Lucian, Selene hides him in a safe house. She learns that Michael is a descendant of the "Corvinus" bloodline, and his unique genetics could allow him to become a vampire-werewolf hybrid. During a confrontation at the Lycans' lair, Selene rescues Michael while the elders and leaders of both species clash. She eventually bites a fatally injured Michael to turn him into a hybrid. In the aftermath, Selene and Michael flee together as outcasts, while the vampire elder Marcus awakens as a hybrid.
- First release year
- 2003
- Runtime (minutes)
- 121
- Production countries
- Germany; Hungary; United Kingdom; United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Len Wiseman
- Writers
- Danny McBride · screenplay; Kevin Grevioux · story; Len Wiseman · story; Danny McBride · story
- Cast and characters
- Kate Beckinsale · Selene; Scott Speedman · Michael Corvin; Michael Sheen · Lucian; Shane Brolly · Kraven; Erwin Leder · Singe; Bill Nighy · Viktor
- Genres
- action; horror
- Themes
- war; identity; betrayal
- Tone and mood
- dark; gothic
- Premise and plot tags
- vampire; werewolf; hybrid
- Franchise connections
- Underworld
- Reception
- The film received generally mixed-to-negative reviews from critics, but it became a surprise hit and developed a strong cult following.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 30% · scale: percentage · review count: 161; Metacritic · score: 42 · scale: 100 · review count: 34
- Production trivia
- The film was the subject of a copyright infringement lawsuit by White Wolf, Inc.; The film was a surprise hit, grossing over $95 million on a $22 million budget.; The film is the only officially licensed Half-Life mod tied to a Hollywood movie.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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