Underworld Blood Wars

The fifth and currently last instalment of the trilogy. During a previous year I watched all four films and reviewed them and I had to admit that it was someone else who drew my attention to this film as it had managed to escape my attention.

Kate Beckinsale is back on her quest to kill werewolves. This is a familiar story but in the previous film she abandoned her vampire clan for this werewolf called Michael and she had a child with him. That child is now sought out by the werewolves, who are lead by a man named Marius. As always, our leading lady cannot handle the entire film by herself so in walks Theo James to help her out. This guys eyes are full of integrity and strength. He looks like her is going to stay by her side and persevere and he is strong and silent, prepared to do what he needs to do for the greater good and that is needed.

So it's the same kind of plot as in all the previous films and it almost has a similar feel to Blade about it except that this is Kate Beckinsale and she is running from everybody and not hunting anyone this time, until the end. This is a typical science-fiction film and you know what to expect with it. She killed Victor in the previous movie and ended her war with her people but this time she has to fight for something bigger than herself and she is a skilled warrior. This role has always played to her strengths and the darkness and almost Gothic feel that accompanies this film works well for her. She's not in it for the looks, she's in it because she is the perfect choice for this character. There is hunger and determination in her eyes every time that she wields a weapon in this film. There is calculation and understanding. This is the perfect chance to see a more 'human' side to her and she doesn't go too over the top with it. She is very much supported by Theo James, who is once again the strong, determined and controlled type of character but this time he has a character who isn't totally dependent on him. He takes the war by the scruff of the neck and does what he thinks is right, he doesn't ask and he makes his own decisions.

Underworld will always be good. Until Kate's character reaches the point of having been shot so many times in a fight sequence, or beaten so many times that it seems a little unrealistic, they could keep going with these films. Stars are drawn to them and get to play a perfect character for them. In the previous films we had Bill Nighy and in this movie we had Charles Dance, Tobias Menzies (Game of Thrones, Casino Royale), Lara Pulver (Sherlock, Spooks, Edge of Tomorrow) and several other familiar faces. Everyone wants to have a dark character who gets a bit of action in this trilogy.

I love these movies. I can always make time for them and will happily watch them over and over again. For me these movies are the next level for 'Van Helsing', which is the movie that I watched over and over again as a teenager because I loved the Gothic (film noir) feel to it. Blood wars is just as good as any other Underworld movie.