Underneath the radar

MARK this as the moment when the Underworld franchise officially jumped the shark.
In Hollywood’s derivative, sequel-ridden world, few films can last the distance in their fourth reincarnation, and Underworld is no exception.
You’ve got to work hard to make vampires dull but, as with Twilight, the producers of Underworld have finally succeeded.
Kate Beckinsale again takes the lead as the most interesting vampire, in a world where both vampires and werewolves have been dragged out into the open and are being busily exterminated by humans.
Kate wakes up in a research lab after 12 years on ice, in the kind of mood you’d be in after about 1000 cold showers. Mayhem ensues.
Yes, Kate in her obligatory vinyl catsuit (meow!) continues to look vampish in every sense of the word, but that’s about it. It’s straight to DVD for this one. – Jason Beck