Underworld: Awakening

3D - KATE BECKINSALE returns as the ultimate vampire warrioress Selene in Underworld: Awakening, the stunning new installment of the epic saga for the first time in 3D. Having escaped years of imprisonment, she finds herself in a changed world where humans have discovered the existence of both Vampire and Lycan clans and are conducting an all-out war to eradicate both immortal species. Now Selene must battle the humans and a frightening new breed of super Lycans to ensure the death dealers’ survival. Regular - KATE BECKINSALE returns as the ultimate vampire warrioress Selene in Underworld: Awakening, the stunning new installment of the epic saga. Having escaped years of imprisonment, she finds herself in a changed world where humans have discovered the existence of both Vampire and Lycan clans and are conducting an all-out war to eradicate both immortal species. Now Selene must battle the humans and a frightening new breed of super Lycans to ensure the death dealers’ survival. Kate Beckinsale returns to death-dealing in the fourth installment of the Underworld saga (she took a break for Part Three, the Underworld: Rise of the Lycans prequel). Still clad in black-leather Goth gear, still capable of absorbing an enormous amount of punishment, Beckinsale's vampiric avenger Selene gets put on ice (literally) as Underworld: Awakening begins, and thaws out 12 years later in her customary foul mood. The scruffy survivors--vampire and werewolf alike--of a societal "cleansing" are still at odds, and a young girl holds the key to… oh, the future of mankind, or whatever. Say this for the feeble plot of this movie: at least it's not insanely complicated with centuries of history. How can it be, with a running time that (accounting for 10 minutes of end credits) lasts about 77 minutes? That's plenty of time for super-slick Swedish directors Mårlind & Stein to stage a nonstop series of fighting scenes, each as meaningless as the last, although one can't deny the effort put in to making lycans disintegrate or creating showers of silver dust. In supporting roles, Stephen Rea and Charles Dance look sheepish about collecting their paychecks. The idea of Selene experiencing feelings is raised, even if Beckinsale mostly goes the robotic route; if you can prove her performance wasn't computer-generated, you deserve some kind of prize. --Robert Horton