Synopsis:
Underworld: Rise of the Lycans is a prequel film related to the other films from the Underworld franchise, focusing on the long-standing battle between the vampires and the Lycans. Lucian’s story is set in an era that is great time in history. Michael sheen plays the character Lucian who is the first of the Lycans – an advanced version of werewolves that can change shape at will as opposed to before when they were mere beasts with no features of human beings.
In this case, Lucian is born a slave of Viktor, the ferocious old vampire who makes his coverts serve as a soldier and a janitor. However, an impossible passion develops between Lucian and Viktor’s wife Sonja, which leads to deadly outcomes. Their love provokes a conflict, and so Lucian leads the Lycans into a rebellion against the vampires. This dramatic event ushers in the dirty fight between the two races that will last for the next several hundreds of years.
The film tells of the journey taken by Lucian from being a mere slave to consternating and defeating the leader of the wolves to assuming his role as their chief up to balk and fresh treachery from Viktor that seals the fossilized hatred amongst the two races.
Awards & Wins:
Underworld: Rise of the Lycans did not secure any major film awards but was praised for its world-building, Michael Sheen’s performance, and its exploration of the backstory that was only hinted at in the previous films. Fans of the franchise appreciated the film for expanding the lore of the Underworld universe.
Cast & Crew:
- Director: Patrick Tatopoulos
- Main Cast:
- Michael Sheen as Lucian – The first Lycan and the film’s protagonist, leading the rebellion against the vampires.
- Bill Nighy as Viktor – The ruthless vampire elder who controls the Lycans and rules with an iron fist.
- Rhona Mitra as Sonja – Viktor’s rebellious daughter, whose love for Lucian defies vampire tradition.
- Steven Mackintosh as Andreas Tanis – A vampire who plays a smaller role in manipulating events behind the scenes.
- Screenplay: Danny McBride, Dirk Blackman, Howard McCain
- Cinematography: Ross Emery
- Music: Paul Haslinger
IMDb Ratings:
- IMDb Score: 6.5/10
- Like its predecessors, Underworld: Rise of the Lycans received mixed reviews. While critics noted that it doesn’t offer much new in terms of narrative, fans of the series enjoyed the deep dive into the history and mythology of the conflict between the vampires and Lycans. Michael Sheen’s performance as Lucian was especially lauded for bringing a sense of gravitas and emotion to the film.
Personal Insights:
Underworld: Rise of the Lycans is the finest film of the Underworld series and stunning to watch with plenty of moving drama. It fills in the gaps of the war fought between vampires and Lycans. It is more mired into the characters’ depths which was presented by Michael Sheen’s character Lucian, while the previous movies depicted this battle through the shootout and modern timesemphasis. It casts Michael Sheen as Lucian, which pretty much cites the movie. Sheen pulls these off magnificently as he transforms Lucian from an oppressed slave to a powerful, magnetic leader as well, one tormented by the irrevocable inaccuracies of history: that makes her a character that pulls the audience in even more than any romance ever could.
The atmosphere continues to be dark and Gothic, including the vampire lair as well as the old sites which provide a lasting medieval atmosphere appropriate for the need of the hour. While it is ordinary and in fact, rather predictable, the love story of the two Athenian slaves: Lucian and Sonja, makes the plot more believable, because it explains the source of Lucian’s uprising and Victor’s treachery.
Viktor played by Bill Nighy in this case is another case in point; his character is a combination of strength and deadly scheming. Lucian’s complex interactions with him – in love with the Lycan he has raised but unable to let go of the inescapable belief that vampires are supreme – complicate things on the vampire short of the conflict where Viktor comes from.
Although the storyline in the Rise of the Lycans film can be considered to have a ‘cosmic’ scale compared to the battles of the earlier films in the Underworld franchise, it manages to dig deeper into the background of this war and make it more relatable through personal and social injustice. The film’s portrayal of the Lycans is also notable, to soften the wheel for the audience as opposed to the view presented in earlier movies, and it helps to bridge the gap between the present and the past vampire-lycan wars.
This prequel, for the consumption of its fans of the franchise, is a welcome and not an optional part of the, not simply narrowing the history of the Underworld, but diving deeper into the more delicate and more sentimental story. It also prepares us for Lucian not as a typical antagonist or opponent, but as a freedom fighter with valid reasoning, which adds a lot to what he does in the film Underworld.
