Underworld: Awakening is a 2012 American 3D action horror film directed by Måns Mårlind and Björn Stein. It is the fourth installment in the Underworld film series, with Kate Beckinsale reprising her role as Selene. Theo James, Michael Ealy, and India Eisley appeared in new roles to the series. Filming began March 2011 in Vancouver, British Columbia.^[3] The film was released in Digital 3D, IMAX 3D and 2D theatres on January 20, 2012.

Plot

Six months after the events of Underworld: Evolution, humans have captured the priority vampire target, Selene, during "The Cleansing", a global military crusade to exterminate Vampires and Lycans. Vampires have waged guerrilla warfare against the government, but the humans have overrun them, forcing survivors to hide underground and resist the humans on their own.

Twelve years later, human governments have concluded their campaigns against the vampires and lycans. They have annihilated 95% of the vampire race, and believe the lycans extinct. Selene, dubbed "Subject 1", is freed from cryogenic suspension by "Subject 2" and escapes the medical corporation, Antigen. The corporation is ostensibly trying to make an antidote for the virus that creates vampires and lycans. Selene has strange visions that she follows, believing them to be linked to her lover, the vampire-lycan hybrid Michael Corvin. The visions lead her to a building where she encounters David, a fellow vampire. While talking to David, Selene has another vision and discovers a young girl, Eve (Subject 2). Eve is revealed to be a hybrid and the daughter of Selene and Michael. David, noting that Eve has been injured by the lycans and is not healing, takes her and Selene to his coven. David's father, Thomas, does not welcome them, blaming Selene for provoking the destruction of the vampires. Thomas tells her that Michael died twelve years ago. A vampire woman offers some of her blood to the wounded Eve, who appears unaware of the effects of drinking it. With Selene's encouragement, she accepts the gift and quickly heals.

Dr. Jacob Lane, director of Antigen, is revealed to be a lycan along with his son, Quint. The "antidote" the corporation has been working on is actually a drug designed to make lycans immune to the deadly effects of silver on their species and to enhance their physical abilities. Eve's genetic code is required to achieve this, so Lane sends Quint with other lycans to the vampire coven to recapture her. Expecting a human attack, David tries rallying the vampires' resistances to fight back, while his father orders everyone to evacuate and hide. Most of the vampires arm themselves heavily. Unexpectedly, lycans arrive in large numbers, and numerous vampires are slaughtered, a huge blow to the coven as they now realize humans and lycans are working together. Selene encounters a "super lycan", later revealed to be Quint, whose body is changed by injections containing Eve's genetic material. Selene is knocked unconscious during the fight, Eve is turned over to the lycans by Thomas in exchange for their departure, and David is mortally wounded. Selene decides to save Eve, but first revives David using her immortal blood, given to her by Alexander Corvinus in Evolution.

Selene enlists the help of Detective Sebastian, a human who tried to investigate Antigen. Sebastian agrees to help save Eve, admitting he was married to a nurse who became a vampire. The two of them tried living together as husband and wife, but when authorities were going door to door killing vampires and lycans, his wife exposed herself to the daylight rather than suffer at the hands of humans. Selene destroys part of Antigen's headquarters using silver gas explosives, forcing Dr. Lane to move Eve out of the building to perform an operation that will create more of the lycan super-serum. Selene escapes the lycans in the building and finds Michael cryogenically frozen, puncturing his cell with a gunshot to defrost him. Escaping in a van, Dr. Lane is intercepted by Sebastian, and then by Selene, who causes the van to crash. Quint arrives and fights Selene.

Eve awakens on her stretcher, freeing herself and fighting Dr. Lane, who has injected himself with the super-serum. Sebastian and David aid Eve in her fight and she kills Dr. Lane while Selene kills Quint.

Selene attempts to free Michael but finds he has already escaped. Eve, psychically viewing Michael's sight, learns he is on the roof. Selene, Eve and David run to the roof, finding Michael has already gone. Selene narrates, concluding that she will find Michael and take back the world from the humans and lycans.

Cast

• Kate Beckinsale as Selene
• Michael Ealy as Detective Sebastian
• India Eisley as Eve
• Theo James as David
• Stephen Rea as Dr. Jacob Lane
• Kris Holden-Ried as Quint Lane
• Charles Dance as Thomas
• Sandrine Holt as Lida
• Catlin Adams as Olivia
• Adam Greydon Reid as Alan
• Scott Speedman as Michael Corvin.

Production

Filming began in March 2011 at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, British Columbia. Underworld: Awakening is one of the first movies to be shot using RED EPIC digital cameras in 3D.^[4]

Release

Box office

Underworld: Awakening topped the box office in US and Canada on its opening weekend making $25.3 million. In the U.K. Underworld: Awakening achieved a revenue of $1,736,145 over a three-day period. In Australia it made $2,864,463 on its opening weekend, $2,011,476 in Spain and $5,898,385 in Russia. Revenues in the film's second weekend dropped to $12.4 million in US and Canada. On its third weekend, it grossed $5,600,000. As of April 19, 2012, it has grossed $62,321,039 in US and Canada and $97,791,632 elsewhere bringing it to a total of $160,112,671 worldwide. The budget of the film was $70 million. ^[5]It is the first film in 2012 to pass the $100 million mark worldwide. It is also the highest-grossing film in the Underworld series, both domestically and worldwide.

DVD release

Underworld: Awakening was released to DVD on May 8, 2012 with a rating of R.^[6]

Critical reception

The film received generally negative reviews from film critics. Review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes gave the film a score of 30% based on 61 reviews with 18 fresh reviews and 43 rotten. Its consensus is "There's more vapid action and less story in Underworld Awakening than previous installments, making the whole affair feel inconsequential". However among 'Top Critics' and users of the site, the film had a score of 67%.^[7] Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average score out of 1–100 reviews from film critics, has a rating score of 40 based on 17 reviews.^[8]

Roger Moore, a top critic from Dallas Morning News said it was "Pitiless, puerile, pointless and perfunctory — and those are just the "P's"". Joe Leydon from Variety gave the film a positive review, saying "Once again, Beckinsale brings an impressive physicality and subzero cool to her portrayal of Selene".^[9] Movie review website The Filtered Lens gave the film a negative review, citing that "if you try and pay attention to the plot you will get a headache". However, they did note that the action was well done as well as mentioning it was also the goriest film in the series.^[10] Film critic Chris Pandolfi viewed the film positively, especially compared to the first two films in the franchise, saying "although it's about as lasting as dust in the wind, I think it represents what the series should have been right from the start: An escapist supernatural action thriller that gives us license to put our brains on autopilot."^[11] Many expressed disappointment that Scott Speedman did not return as Michael Corvin, and were upset that the character's role was greatly reduced in the film.^{[12][13][14][15][16][17][18]}

Music

Soundtrack

The soundtrack was released to digital outlets on January 17, 2012 by Lakeshore Records. Most of the album's songs are remixed by Danny Lohner. These songs are provided by bands such as: Evanescence, Linkin Park, The Cure, Lacuna Coil, as well as others.

1. "Made of Stone" (Renholdër Remix) – Evanescence [3:15]
2. "Heavy Prey" – Lacey Sturm of Flyleaf featuring Geno Lenardo [4:16]
3. "Blackout" (Renholdër Remix) – Linkin Park [5:03]
4. "Apart" (Renholdër Remix) – The Cure [6:37]
5. "Killer & a Queen" – Stella Katsoudas of Sister Soleil featuring Geno Lenardo [5:35]
6. "Watch Yourself" (Renholdër Remix) – Ministry [4:14]
7. "Trip the Darkness" (Ben Weinman Remix) – Lacuna Coil [3:46]
8. "Young Blood" (Renholdër Remix) – The Naked and Famous [4:06]
9. "It Rapes All In Its Path" – Black Light Burns [5:53]
10. "The Posthumous Letter" – William Control [4:04]
11. "How'm I Supposed to Die" – Civil Twilight [3:19]
12. "Consolation Prize" – & SONS [3:28]
13. "Liar" (Revenant Mix by 8MM) – 8MM [7:02]
14. "You Won't See the Light" – Ryan T.Hope of The Lifeline featuring Geno Lenardo [3:53]
15. "Bottle of Pain" – Combichrist [4:05]
16. "Intruder" – Collide [4:37]
17. "Exit Wounds" (Justin Lassen Remix) – Justin Lassen featuring Silent Fury [4:03]

Score

The film's score was released on February 14, 2012 by Lakeshore Records. The music was provided by composer Paul Haslinger who also did the music for Underworld and Underworld: Rise of the Lycans.

1. The Purge - [3:02]
2. Underworld Awakening Main Titles - [0:52]
3. Raiding the Army Surplus Store - [1:44]
4. Non-Human Aggressor - [1:30]
5. I Was Subject 2 - [3:01]
6. Arriving at the Coven - [2:23]
7. I've Never Seen a Child Like This - [1:42]
8. This Is Not One of Us - [3:19]
9. I Know Exactly What You Are - [1:37]
10. If You Knew Him as I Did - [3:46]
11. Prepare the Armory - [2:09]
12. The Uber-Lycan - [1:05]
13. Reanimation - [1:16]
14. Then Came the Purge - [2:29]
15. Selene Returns to Antigen - [2:07]
16. Find Her and Destroy Her - [2:27]
17. The Lycan Van Escape - [2:14]
18. I Heal Instantly - [1:41]
19. You Came Back- [1:15]
20. Reclaiming the World - [1:29]
21. The Melancholy of Resistance - [2:40]
22. A New Dawn - [3:36]
23. Corner (Justin Lassen Remix) – Blue Stahli [4:30]
24. Under Your Skin (Deadbeat Remix) – Aesthetic Perfection [3:53]
25. Sunrise – Angelspit [3:26]

References

External links

• Official website
• Underworld: Awakening at the Internet Movie Database
• Underworld: Awakening at Rotten Tomatoes