[barend]

my only complaint with these films is that the vampires seemed pretty usless without guns...

like jumping of tall places seemed to be their only ability...

they wouldn't make it into my top 100 or anything but they were more watchable then most of the crap epople defend.




...hof...


leave us

[J m HofMarN]

They weren't that terribly bad, I agree. Certainly better than Vampires VS Zombies and Queen of the Damned. But the whole dark gothic thing mixed with the whole matrix rip off deal just rubbed me the wrong way.

[Sailor Abbey]

The first underworld ate my balls, the second one horked them up in my lap. I cannot stress how terrible those films are.

Your review of the movie was a humorous but slightly unfair. I don’t think the movie was ever meant to be anything more than Kate Beckinsale running around in black vinyl and shooting stuff, which is good since that’s pretty much all that happened. I’m not sure they were ever planning on winning some Oscars. Sure it has a few character flaws, but overall I think it was pretty entertaining, especially considering the lack of entertaining films in the past few years.

[ion eon]

Your review of the movie was a humorous but slightly unfair. I don’t think the movie was ever meant to be anything more than Kate Beckinsale running around in black vinyl and shooting stuff, which is good since that’s pretty much all that happened.

That isnt a bad thing...

[Sailor Abbey]

That isnt a bad thing...

I know. Thats the only reason why I watch it. At least once a day.

[ion eon]

Hahahahahaahahah

[J m HofMarN]

Abbey- I agree that it wasn't that terrible, and it may sound Deepsycherish, but watching Kate Beckinsale run around in a latex black coat and shoot stuff is no different to me than watching Keanu Reeves run around in a latex black coat and shoot stuff. I think I just got pissed off because when I watched it I had been doing reviews of a few other Matrix wannabes. If it had come out before The Matrix I might have given it better marks for not being such a typical horror film.

[civilian_number_two]

I have to break tradition and agree with Hofmarn 100%. I haven't seent eh sequel, since I saw the original and it was a waste of time. Yeah, it wanted to be THE MATRIX, and who could blame it? THE MATRIX was shockingly original and hyper stylish and way fun to watch. Yeah, Kate Beckinsale is dead sexy, but Carrie Anne Moss comes off more believable doing the exact same thing, so there.

I don't think there's anything necessarioly wrong with ripping off the style and character of another film. There are few truly new ideas anyway. It's ripping off the style and character of a movie that came out less than five years ago that is questionable.

The basic premise is ok, of course, and even the delivery is all right, but like Hof said, the whiny goth thing is played out. Like, in the eighties! For crying out loud, at least try to be original. Like maybe vampires, being the party folk they are always shown to be, would all be into hip hop by now. Fer chrissake, the Anne Rice wannabes were the subject of ridicule as far back as the second season of BUFFY. Which, as you all know, is soooooo last century.

Anyway, the final word to those who say "but Kate Beckinsdale is naked:" yeah, yeah. She BETTER get naked to make me even think about that garbage, but if that's all you got, I can find naked chicks without having to watch dumb movies to do it. And as I understand it, she's not naked for the whole 2 hours, and most of the time she's spewing the same pretentious dialogue from the first film, so yeah.... pass. I'll just look for the nude scene ripped onto the internet and watch it on its own, thanks.

[ion eon]

I didn't like it too much, at least the first one anyway.

[J m HofMarN]

Damn, that really is a first.

I see a lot of the stuff about Kate Beckinsale and I really can't stand that. Deathstalker 1-4 had titties galore, but that didn't make them quality cinema (though they were EXCELLENT to roast as Chefelf and I can testify)

If you want tits, go watch some porn, and if you want to be entertained by a film go watch Interview With The Vampire or The Matrix. On the subject of taking material from other movies, it really is fine. But if every other movie since that film is doing it you might want to leave off. for instance, here's a list of films that had lightening fast action and kungfu and people in black trenchcoats, or even derived their friggin names from The Matrix:

Ecks VS Sever (shitfest of the ages)
The One
Equilibrium
Underworld
Star Wars Ep 2-3
bulletproof monk
Scary Movie
the two matrix sequels pretty much count

And that's just off the top of my head. I've even seen movies that read, on their friggin cover "Matrix like action." I don't blame them for wanting to cash in on the Matrix's popularity, but to try to do it a second time is just being blatant.

So yeah, I can forgive the problems with acting and stuff, but if I have to watch one more movie where black trenchcoated hero uses kung fu, guns, and a COOL katana to slice through other black wearing kung fu people while wearing sunglasses in the dark, I think I'm going to climb to the top of the theater and, to rip off the Matrix once again, load my own jump program.

[Sailor Abbey]

First of all, there is a massive difference between Kate Beckinsale and Keanu Reeves. That difference being Kate Beckinsale is a beautiful woman. I’m not sure why you haven’t picked up on this.

Secondly, The Matrix totally changed action movies forever. They will never be able to escape it until some other ground breaking action flick comes out and changes the way we look at movies once again.

At no time while watching either Underworld did I think I was watching another Matrix rip off. Sounds like a personal hang up you guys have. I thought both movies were great.

This post has been edited by Sailor Abbey: 09 March 2006 - 09:59 AM

[civilian_number_two]

You watched a movie with immortal superheroes jumping off buildings in the rai firing pistols nonstop art one another while wearing black latex trenchcoats and you didn't see the similarity to THE MATRIX? Don't try to make it out like it's Hofmarn hangup, though; read the reviews. MATRIX comparisons dripped off everyone's keyboard, with the basic good reason that aesthetically, this wasn't a Vampire movie at all, but a cyberpunk gunfight. I don't even recall f I ever saw any vampires actaully drinking any human blood, pretty much the first thing in any vampire movie. Instead it was about how werewolves had figured out how to put sunlight in a bullet so they could shoot it at vampires who were jumping off buildings wearing black latex and all that.

Your comment that UNDERWORLD ripped off THE MATRIX because THE MATRIX was groundreaking anf there were no other, more recent, groundbreaking action films to rip off pretty much speaks for itself. "Kate Beckinsale is a girl and Keanu Reeves is a boy" isn't a rebuttal to your basic admission that UNDERWORLD ripped off THE MATRIX in style and character, if not in plot or direction.

As for this obsession that movies are good if they have pretty girls in them, Jesus, for that reason I should love WEEKEND AT BERNIE'S. I don't care. I see pretty girls in the real world all the time; I go to the movies to be entertained. The action in UNDERWORLD is silly and boring. Once you strip away the action, all you have is this dumb romance and lots of rain. Man; even THE CROW is better, and that's saying a lot.

[Sailor Abbey]

You watched a movie with immortal superheroes jumping off buildings in the rai firing pistols nonstop art one another while wearing black latex trenchcoats and you didn't see the similarity to THE MATRIX?

I don’t know - I guess when I sit down and watch a movie, I try to enjoy it for what it is. I’m not constantly critiquing it. Unless of course I notice it sucks from the beginning, and then I cant help myself.

I remember the previews for XXX looked like it wouldn’t be too bad. But about the time Vin Diesel was hanging off the back of dirt bike with one hand while it was flying through the air, and shooting a marching gun with the other, I realized what I had gotten myself into, and had nothing else to too put point and laugh at the absurdity.

But rarely do I pick a movie apart until I’ve seen it at least twice.

"Kate Beckinsale is a girl and Keanu Reeves is a boy" isn't a rebuttal to your basic admission that UNDERWORLD ripped off THE MATRIX in style and character, if not in plot or direction.

I’ll admit there could have been more vampires stuff in it… but they were supposed to be warriors. What do ya want!

I guess it may have… all I’m saying is I didn’t really notice.

As for this obsession that movies are good if they have pretty girls in them, Jesus, for that reason I should love WEEKEND AT BERNIE'S.

Well excuse me for finding it enjoyable to look at beautiful women for extended periods of time.

[Jordan]

Hot girls on magazines and films are just cock teases. I'm much more taken by the attractive girl I see at the bus stop or the slightly attractive girl who serves me at Sushi Maro.

I've never watched a film based on the girl, unless it's a porn, but even then I've never actually went out and searched for a porn with a specific porn star in it.

I think using less attractive people on screen as the hero is the better way to go. Most people are self consious about the way they look so they could relate to some one who is visably not that pretty. And if they die, we would feel sorry for them, not only did they meet their end, but because they were also kind of ugly.

http://www.chefelf.c...opic=4985&st=30

That link has a girl on it that I find pretty. I feel she is hot enough to make it in a film for sex appeal, but plain enough that she could be available for any man in the audience. Unlike Jole or some other hot actress.

This post has been edited by Jordan: 11 March 2006 - 07:58 PM

[civilian_number_two]

Sailor, I also try to enjoy movies for what they are. I saw UNDERWORLD with a lady who really likes fantasy shit a lot more than I do, and she loved it, despite her immediate critique "wow that sure looked like THE MATRIX." All the same, she loved the intrigue and the backstory, even it it had silly cartoon violence and anime-inspired nonsense like villains still talking after their heads had been cut off. I had every reason to enjoy the movie, good company, pretty gals on screen and all, but it's just boring, monochromatic and linear. It didn't even have the fun stunts or effects of XXX of its far superior ripoff THE TRANSPORTER (also stupid, but with a more charismatic hero).

Jordan, I agree that Colleen is cute, but man, does she need to go to acting school. Not everyone can do it, man, and I think right now she's on the list of them what can't.