- published: 14 Feb 2016
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Underworld is a 2003 action-horror film about the secret history of Vampires and Lycans (an abbreviated form of lycanthrope). It is the first (chronologically, the second) installment in the Underworld series. The main plot revolves around Selene (Kate Beckinsale), a vampire who is a Death Dealer hunting Lycans. She finds herself attracted to a human, Michael Corvin (Scott Speedman), who is being targeted by the Lycans. After Michael is bitten by a Lycan, Selene must decide whether to do her duty and kill him or go against her clan and save him.
While reviewers generally received the film negatively, criticizing the overacting and lack of character development, a smaller number of reviewers praised elements such as the film's stylish Gothic visuals, the "icy English composure" in Kate Beckinsale's performance, and the extensively worked-out vampire-werewolf mythology that serves as the film's backstory.
For generations a secret war has raged between vampires and Lycans, an ancient species of werewolf. Two vampires known as Death Dealers track a pair of Lycans, who are in their human form. The vampires, Selene and Rigel, specialize in assassinating Lycans. Selene's motivation goes beyond duty; she also wants revenge because, about 600 years ago, a pack of Lycans slaughtered her family when she was a child. The vampires believe they defeated the werewolves many centuries ago and killed their leader, Lucian, and that they must kill off the survivors. As the vampires follow the Lycans into a subway station the werewolves open fire with submachine guns and Rigel is killed. After the Lycans retreat from Selene's return fire and the arrival of a third Death Dealer, Nathaniel, she tracks them to their den. Nathaniel is slain by a Lycan named Raze after being ambushed. Upon reaching the Lycan den, Selene hears loud howling and learns that the Lycans have developed a new high-tech bullet to kill the vampires.