Underworld (2003) Review; This 22-Year-Old Matrix Replacement is Still Fun But Fails to Make a Mark

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Released in 1999, The Matrix quickly became a landmark action movie. Its unique blend of martial arts and gunfights, combined with a memorable electronic soundtrack and thought-provoking story, perfectly captured the spirit of a new era. The film launched a successful franchise and had a lasting influence on Hollywood, inspiring similar styles – particularly in horror – in many other films.

Early 2000s horror films were often more silly than scary, but still received attention from major studios. However, 2003 stood out as a particularly good year for action-packed, gothic horror. Kate Beckinsale’s film arrived at just the right moment, capitalizing on the popularity of stylish action and strong female leads. While it did change how young audiences saw vampires and werewolves, looking back after twenty years, it’s hard to see a clear reason why it became the basis for an entire franchise.

Underworld Uses the Best Parts of the Matrix to Redefine Classic Monsters

Though Blade first introduced the idea of a shadowy world with powerful, gun-wielding heroes and nocturnal creatures, The Matrix fully realized that concept. Following in that vein, Underworld feels like a natural progression, focusing on a war between werewolves and vampires. The vampires aim to wipe out the werewolves, though the reasons behind this conflict aren’t revealed until later in the film. Regardless, it provides a fantastic setting for combining martial arts, shooting, and supernatural powers, creating an action-packed movie that still holds up well today. In fact, many other films featuring similar monsters haven’t been able to recreate its unique energy.

The film wouldn’t have been possible without the rich history of vampire and werewolf stories that came before it. We’ve seen vampires portrayed in many ways – as terrifying monsters and as heroic figures. Werewolf movies often focus on the tragedy of those who are transformed. But Underworld stands out because it features a vampire rebelling against their own kind, and werewolves who embrace their transformations and maintain some control. What’s truly impressive is that the film builds on established vampire and werewolf rules to explore the idea of a hybrid creature – a concept fans are still discussing today.

The film cleverly reverses typical horror tropes, creating a surprisingly compelling concept. With well-placed slow motion and exaggerated action, Underworld fully embraces its unique style, for better or worse. It’s very much a product of its time, with gothic and alternative influences shaping everything from the visuals to the music. This makes it potentially difficult for viewers unfamiliar with that era to appreciate. However, this style perfectly suits a movie about vampires and werewolves, much like electronic and alternative music enhanced The Matrix. While it might not appeal to everyone, Underworld established a benchmark that recent vampire and werewolf films are only now beginning to surpass.

Underworld’s Romeo & Juliet Plot is Serviceable But Falls Flat

While Underworld looks fantastic and creates a compelling world, its story feels unoriginal. The romance between Selene, a vampire assassin, and Michael, who has ties to both vampires and werewolves, closely follows the familiar story of Romeo and Juliet. Their relationship is doomed from the start – Selene’s vampire family would never accept a man connected to werewolves, and the werewolves inherently distrust vampires. The plot relies on this conflict to force them together, but it’s a fairly predictable and simple storyline.

I really liked how the movie hinted at the Lycans being these rebels who fought back against the vampires – the flashbacks were cool, and it reminded me of stories like Planet of the Apes where the oppressed rise up. It’s a solid story idea, but honestly, Underworld didn’t really do anything special with it. It felt like they were just setting things up for future movies, and that ended up hurting the story they were trying to tell right then. It’s a fine way to build a franchise, but it didn’t feel fully realized in this film.

Besides Selene, Michael Sheen as Lucian, and Bill Nighy as Viktor, most of the actors don’t have enough to do to really make an impression. Even Michael Corvin, a potentially interesting and enjoyable character, feels like a plot device with limited screen time. It’s not surprising Selene carries the story across four films—she’s the only character developed enough to make it work, as we saw with Underworld: Rise of the Lycans. It’s frustrating how much the original film is tied to its sequels, making it hard to appreciate it as just a solid, entertaining horror action movie on its own.

Underworld Has Great Effects, But Holds Itself Back Decades Later

Okay, let’s be real, the Underworld movies aren’t exactly known for their amazing stories. But you know what? The effects work has always been solid. It doesn’t quite reach the groundbreaking level of something like An American Werewolf in London, but honestly, the creature effects are still really cool and keep me coming back. What’s neat is how the visual style of the effects really defines each side of the vampire-werewolf war – it’s like they each have their own distinct ‘look,’ which is a nice touch.

Vampires are commonly depicted with striking blue eyes and pointed fangs. They’re usually portrayed as skilled fighters with supernatural abilities, and appear sophisticated. However, the film reveals their true monstrous nature lies in their deceitful actions and hidden agendas. Essentially, vampires are simply monsters who are better at concealing their true selves, and their appearance reflects this. But the Lycans are a different story altogether – they’re the most compelling part of the movie.

Back in 2003, computer-generated imagery (CGI) was still relatively new, but it was already widely used in filmmaking. The movie Underworld showcased this well, particularly with its werewolf-like Lycans. Their transformations were genuinely frightening – a rapid, bone-crunching shift into these large, aggressive, and surprisingly agile creatures. The practical effects used to create them were incredibly effective, making them truly scary. This builds to Michael’s unique hybrid form: a shadowy, grey-black figure with sharp claws and intense black eyes, combining the fangs and abilities of a vampire. It’s a smart and original take on what a vampire-werewolf hybrid could be, and it remains a compelling design to this day.

I have to admit, Underworld doesn’t really reach the heights of other great horror movies, and it definitely doesn’t hit as hard as The Matrix. But honestly, I appreciate that it had a really distinct style and they actually pulled it off. It’s a genuinely fun movie to watch, even if it’s not during spooky season. If anything holds it back, it’s that it feels like it needed all those sequels and prequels. If it had been a single, self-contained film, I think it could have been an incredible action-horror experience that none of the later movies ever matched.

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2025-10-22 00:07