Quartile rating: 6.5/10 · 1 rating
A prequel to the first two Underworld films, this fantasy explains the origins of the feud between the Vampires and the Lycans. Aided by his secret love, Sonja, courageous Lucian leads the Lycans in battle against brutal Vampire king Viktor. Determined to break the king's enslavement of his people, Lucian faces off against the Death Dealer army in a bid for Lycan independence.
Underworld: Rise of the Lycans is a competent but formulaic prequel that rehashes a Romeo-and-Juliet forbidden love structure against a slave rebellion backdrop. The gothic visual aesthetic is consistent with the franchise and reasonably well executed, with solid production design and dark, moody cinematography. Michael Sheen elevates the material with a committed performance as Lucian, and Bill Nighy brings his usual menacing authority as Viktor. However, the plot is largely predictable — audiences who saw the first two films already know the key beats and outcome — and the narrative offers little genuine surprise. The ending, while emotionally intended to land as tragic, feels telegraphed from the start. As a prequel explaining already-known lore, its novelty is limited; it fills in gaps rather than expanding the mythology in fresh directions.