First „Underworld” movie hit the theaters In 2003 to mixed reviews – some were saying that vampires, werewolves and genetics in one movie is simply too much. Others praised unique climate and atmosphere of the film calling it the best since “Matrix”. I personally liked the first part, hated second one and was in awe for third one.

“Underworld: Rise of the Lycans” premiered in January, 2009 and it is a prequel to the first movie. It tells as the beginning – when Lucian was a slave to the vampires, first one of the Lycans to be able to come back to human form. Lucian was in love with Sonja (Rhona Mitra), vampire and daughter of Victor, the powerful leader. They kept their love in secret but as the situation started deteriorating Lucian caused the mutiny of fellow Lycans, who quickly overpowered vampires. But Victor found out about Sonja and knew Lucian would come back for her. And he did.

Bill Nighy portraits the true villain of the story with a bit of humor and with so much charm and menace underneath, that it is incredible. He’s aristocratic from the first moment you look at him and the viewer totally understands why he causes so much terror and respect and why he is in charge. He is ruthless, for the purity of bloodlines he condemns his own daughter to death and that is actually the only moment in the whole series we see Victor experiencing something close to pain

Lucian is played by wonderful Michael Sheen who can take any role and turn it into masterpiece. It doesn’t matter who he plays, he never fails. In the first movie at the beginning you have an idea he is the antagonist there, but then, close to the end of the first film comes the scene where he explains what started the war. It is the only moving, heart gripping scene of the first film, one that leaves Selene’s confessions about murdered family miles away.

In the third movie we have even better performance, since Lucian is the leading character. We see scenes where he is sweet and tender with Sonja, comes back for her as true romantic lover (the story is a lot like Romeo and Juliet, actually), but when he provokes the mutiny and when he heads to meet Victor to slaughter him for what he did to Sonja he is sheer and pure anger.

I got to say something about remarkable technical side of the movie. The music creates most of the movie’s ambiance, dark and mysterious, but have some sort of transcending beauty. There are also three complications with music inspired by the trilogy, all of them wonderful, with music from Puscifer (James Maynard Keenan from “Tool” and “A perfect circle”), David Bowie, Slipknot, A perfect Cricle, Skinny Puppy, the Cure and my personal favorite “Let’s Burn” by King Black Acid.

The CGI in the film is great, and from what I heard the movie didn’t have outrageously huge budget. There are some fantastic scenes in entire trilogy - the scene where Lucian pushes the bullets out (1st part) , the transformations into werewolves, the attack of the Lycans on Vampires’ fortress and the final shootout in “Evolution”- they all look incredible. It is also because of great sound, editing and cinematography, consumed by different shades of blue in every shot.

The movie is an absolute technical and musical masterpiece and it’s a shame the screenplay doesn’t do it enough justice. I also got to mention amazing vampire make up, especially their eyes look incredibly freaky and real.

Three movies later the story is still not finished. We still need some sort of closure to Lucian’s story. In first movie he sees Selene and Michael kissing and he says to Kraven before he dies that his will is done regardless. His will? I truly hope he meant the combination of the species (for the memory of his unborn child and for vengeance on Victor) since Michael is a hybrid now (both Lucian and Selene bit him). Because if he meant the love between the vampire and the lycan, well…It’s a huge stretch to call the relation between Michael and Selene love and in comparison to steaming passion and incredible strength of Lucian’s and Sonja’s feeling it is absolutely nothing.

I hope that the story of Selene and Michael is now over and the producers are going to decide to do another movie with Bill Nighy as Victor and Michael Sheen as Lucian ‘cause watching them on screen is an incredibly thrilling experience.

If you don't know that trilogy yet - just watch the first and third part and skip the second. Because if you don't - you will see that the real strength of those films lies in Nighy and Sheen, who are missing in "Evolution". And that absence is killing the movie more than terrible script.