I LOVED the 4th installment of the Underworld Series. It was non-stop action and kept me completely engaged the whole time.

There was a "cleansing" where the government killed all the Vampires and Lycans. Of course, they never did get them all. Now it appears that the Lycans have been holding up somewhere and reproducing (yuk--there's a mental picture that will burn your eyes right out of their sockets). This time, a 12-year old girl shows up on the scene, and Selene just cannot let her get thrown to the wolves, so to speak. Everybody wants the little girl, but don't let anybody fool you. This is no "let's play doll house" kid!

Kate Beckinsale does a wonderful job and is in her prime fighting the remaining Lycans. There is lots of action, chasing, blood and guts, heads lopping off, etc. Selene is tough and MEAN! This was thoroughly enjoyable. Although I usually do not watch bloody stuff like this, I am hooked on Underworld and will definitely buy the DVD when it becomes available.

To the point: This action/horror hybrid was filmed using Red Epic 3D cameras on the set for most of the film, and the result? Good 3D in Underworld Awakening. When the movie starts, it's in 2D highlighting the previous films, but then it switches to 3D and wow. For 3D, I consider it great when the foreground, mid ground and background pop very clearly from one another in depth so there's no mistake it's 3D. This is clearly the case with Underworld Awakening during many scenes, but sometimes, the 3D pales and looks a bit flat during non action moments. The 3D is comparable to Resident Evil Afterlife 3D, which used the Fusion Cameras as Avatar 1 did.

Underworld Awakening 3D: Top notch 3D that has excellent depth and pop, as well as some 'pop out' moments with Selene's famous throwing stars and the Lycans attacking the screen. Very slick and stylish action throughout and Kate Beckinsale is fun to watch. The main storyline takes place 12 years after the 2nd film, Underworld Evolution.

Movie: 8/10 Story was basic, but reveals unanswered questions.
Action: 9/10 Plenty of stunts, blazing guns, martial arts and monsters. Nicely done.
3D: 8/10 This was filmed in 3D using 3D cameras and looks GREAT at times.
Recommended: YES, if you like this genre of movies. Don't pass this one up.

Thank God! Beckinsale returns. I had no difficulty watching Rhona Mitra, but Rise of the Lycans just hurt me. I hate seeing non-returning actors replaced. Yes, I know her character (Selene) wasn't even in the prequel, but I still thought the amputation of Beckensale would leave the franchise forever bitter and crippled from making new sequels. And while filled with action, I struggled with the drop in CGI quality, especially for backgrounds. But have no fear. The budget is back, and it brought Beckensale with it. The franchise is redeemed and primed for more sequels.

After a quick recap of the first two movies' events, we are introduced to a near-future in which the vampires and lycans (werewolves) have been discovered by humans. It is acknowledged in the movie that `now these nonhumans are more than myth' and, not surprisingly given human nature, the humans militarized a "cleansing" to eradicate the vampires and lycans. In this middle of all this Selene (Beckinsale) is captured and cryogenically frozen. This is where the background ends and this story begins.

Selene is freed from her cryo-chamber after being helped by some unseen (presumably) nonhuman and escapes an extremely well-guarded research facility. Conveniently, the her scientist-captors left all of her tight, shiny leather outfit in some chemical cabinets, so she was quick to find her normal form. During her escape she encounters some thought-to-be-eradicated lycans and a little vamp-lycan hybrid adolescent--she's pretty tough and gets some cool action scenes. This little girl seems to be the center of story because the lycans REALLY want her.

The plot is quite weak; borderline pointless. But that didn't bother me a bit. Like the first two installments of the franchise, this flick cluster-bombs viewers with exciting action sequences, flesh-shredding assaults, people being slam-launched across the room into walls, a healthy dose of blood splattering, and some occasional creative acrobatics. Oh, and watch out for the really, really, big bad wolf. The lycans genetically engineered this mega-lycan that is around 12-15 feet tall and probably weighs a couple tons. The fight scenes between MegaLycan and Selene are very exciting, brutal, bashy, gritty... The other action scenes are fun, too. Including a lycan-on-foot car chase, some mass melees, and some spiffy close-quarters combat. If you came with no care for plot and every care for mindless action, then this flick is most certainly for you.

In the end I was thrilled with the production value, action-filming and set design--all of which were less impressive in Rise of the Lycans. The effects budget seemed to be lower than it was for Underworld: Evolution (the best effects of the franchise in my opinion), but to no fault. This is one of those "movies for guys who like movies" action flicks and one really wouldn't suffer for not seeing the prequels. But you should definitely watch them anyway!