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Underworld (Widescreen Special Edition)
Director: Len Wiseman
Actors: Kate Beckinsale, Scott Speedman, Michael Sheen, Shane Brolly, and Bill Nighy
Rated: R (Restricted)
Retail Price (not our price): $14.94
Release Date: 2004-01-06
Theatrical Release Date: 2003-09-19
Studio: Sony Pictures
Run Time: 121 minutes
Format: Array
Format: AC-3, Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD-Video, Special Edition, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Discs: 1


Editorial Reviews (supplied by Amazon.com):

1) Amazon.com
Blade meets The Crow and The Matrix in Underworld, a hybrid thriller that rewrites the rulebook on werewolves and vampires. It's a "cuisinart" movie (blend a lot of familiar ideas and hope something interesting happens) in which immortal vampire "death dealers" wage an ancient war against "Lycans" (werewolves), who've got centuries of revenge--and some rather ambitious genetic experiments--on their lycanthropic agenda. Given his preoccupation with gloomy architecture (mostly filmed in Budapest, Hungary), frenetic mayhem and gothic costuming, it's no surprise that first-time director Len Wiseman gained experience in TV commercials and the art departments of Godzilla, Men in Black, and Independence Day. His work is all surface, no substance, filled with derivative, grand-scale action as conflicted vampire Selene (Kate Beckinsale, who later became engaged to Wiseman) struggles to rescue an ill-fated human (Scott Speedman) from Lycan transformation. It's great looking all the way, and a guaranteed treat for horror buffs, who will eagerly dissect its many strengths and weaknesses. --Jeff Shannon

2) Description
Underneath the city streets, amid the labyrinth of subway tunnels and gothic ruins, the two most notorious creatures of the night are embroiled in an all-out war that has been going on for centuries. It is the culmination of a blood-thirsty battle between the vampires and their mortal enemies, the werewolves. Stars: Kate Beckinsale (Pearl Harbor, My Life Without Me), Scott Speedman (My Life Without Me, TV's "Felicity").

Customer Reviews (supplied by Amazon.com):
Average Customer Rating: 3.5 out of 5

1) Awesome movie   [Rating: 5 out of 5]
One of my favorite movies and on Bluray the picture is incredible. Yeah and Kate Beckinsale in the outfit sure doesn't hurt my eyes either.

2) Underworld   [Rating: 3 out of 5]
I saw this movie a while back, and while it isn't the best movie ever, I do love the mood and theme. Vampires vs. Werewolves. And it's made much better in beautiful High-def. This movie will never win any awards for acting or plotline, but for a modern day take on the classic "horror" creatures it is entertaining. I got it off Amazon for about $14.99 and it was well worth the purchase, but I probably wouldn't pay more than 20.

3) Looks great on Blu-Ray   [Rating: 5 out of 5]
I'm not going to review the film itself (but if you must know, I think it's freaking awesome - which is readily apparent, considering I have the regular dvd, the extended unrated cut dvd, and now this blu-ray version). Now, onto the disk itself. First, the cut of this movie seems to be the extended unrated cut, or something similar to it, so if you missed out on that the first go around, this is your change to see it. The transfer, in my humble opinion, is absolutely lovely. Everything looked great on my 60 inch Sony Bravia. I specially love how much additional kick the blue-ish color palette (chosen intentionally chosen by the director) receives in this transfer. If you haven't seen this movie yet (shame on you)...and you have a blu-ray player, this is the version I recommend you to get. If you are just like me, who just plain loves the movie, then double dipping IMO is well worth it.

4) Blu-ray vs. DVD a toss-up   [Rating: 4 out of 5]
My comments only concern the DVD versus Blu-ray issue. I have the special edition of the DVD version (the first released) and the unrated Blu-ray version. My experience has been that DVDs mastered in high definition look identical to the Blu-ray version (either on a Blu-Ray player or an upconvert DVD player). Underworld is no exception. This was my first Blu-ray movie and I put both versions in at the same time (Blu-ray and an upconvert player for the DVD) and kept flipping back and forth between the inputs. I couldn't tell the difference. Both had great detail.The unrated Blu-ray version had a few extra scenes that helped to explain why the blond vampire helped Selene at one point, but it wasn't critical. Both versions have good special features. They seem nearly identical, but the Blu-ray version might have one or two small additions.If you have a DVD version you probably need not buy the Blu-ray version. If you are buying for the first time, the DVD version will be less expensive, but Blu-ray discs are supposed to resist wear better. Your call.

5) Great at 1080p   [Rating: 5 out of 5]
How could you not love a 1080p picture and tons of gratuitous violence between werewolves and vampires. Seriously!! I thought this movie was going to be a joke. Next thing you know, I'm ordering the sequel. I've watched both twice. Lots of gun play; tons of violent action; the graphics are awesome, the story keeps your attention and Kate Bekinsale in vinyl. You have to be dead not to like this (pun intended).