I’m a huge fan of the Underworld movies. Everything about them appeals to me: kick-butt female protagonist, gorgeous male love interest, vampires, werewolves, action-packed fight scenes, forbidden romance, and political maneuvering. Good stuff!
Although I own and often rewatch the first two movies, I’ve largely ignored the rest of them. I watched ten minutes of Rise of the Lycans, but it felt superfluous since we already know how that story ends. I skipped Underworld Awakening because I was mad that Scott Speedman wasn’t in it. The Underworld: Blood Wars trailers looked interesting, but I forgot all about the movie by the time it came out. I figured I was done with the series for good.
Turns out I wasn’t.
Before the quarantine started, I stumbled across the Underworld movies in the library’s database. I took it as a sign that it was time to reconnect with the series. Underworld Awakening wasn’t available for home delivery (I later rented it from Fandango), so I requested Underworld Blood Wars instead.
Here’s the summary from the DVD case and official website:
In the next installment of the blockbuster franchise, UNDERWORLD: BLOOD WARS follows Vampire Death Dealer Selene (Kate Beckinsale) as she fends off brutal attacks from both the Lycan clan and the Vampire faction that betrayed her. With her only allies, David (Theo James) and his father Thomas (Charles Dance), she must stop the eternal war between Lycans and Vampires, even if it means she has to make the ultimate sacrifice.
In short, I loved the movie! After watching it three times, I wrote the following summary/review/analysis of its plot and major characters. WARNING: MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD!!!
Selene
As Blood Wars begins, Selene is running away via motorcycle from a group of Lycans who are trying to kidnap her. She explains in a voice-over that the vampires still want to kill her for killing Viktor (Bill Nighy) and the Lycans hope she’ll lead them to Eve (India Eisley), her daughter with Michael, so they can get the girl’s special hybrid blood. Needless to say, Selene makes quick work of them.
What’s most interesting is the change in Selene’s attitude in Blood Wars. While she’s never been particularly chipper, she’s in an even darker place mentally now. It’s not just that stage of ennui that many older vampires seem to reach, despite her statement that she has “lived beyond [her] time.” No, her problem lies more in her circumstances: “I have nothing.”
Besides her lack of a coven and Michael still being MIA, the promising relationship Selene had begun to build with Eve is over. We see in a flashback that Eve takes off on her own after basically disowning her mother. Part of Eve’s reasoning is probably that they have a better chance of evading their enemies if they separate, but that’s not all of it.
Eve already said in Awakening that Selene is not the mother she had imagined. Apparently, even Selene’s epic rescue of Eve from Antigen couldn’t make up for the detached behavior she displayed towards the girl for most of the movie. The result is that Selene has finally hit rock bottom. The only thing keeping her going is sheer stubbornnessโฆand that has just about hit its limit too.
Then Selene’s luck changes. She receives an amnesty deal and a job offer from the Eastern Coven. She’s distrustful yet intrigued. David is the one who convinces her to check out the deal because Thomas, his father, has signed off on it. Of course, this ends up being a trick that sends Selene down a winding road of more crap. I will further explore those situations as I discuss the other characters.
Suffice it to say, Selene is thankfully in a much better place by the end of the movie. I wouldn’t call her happy exactly, but she’s back on familiar ground. Everything that has been taken from her has been restored (almost). That’s about as much as she could have hoped for.
David
David pops up towards the beginning of Blood Wars to help Selene finish off her would-be Lycan kidnappers. He says he’s been tracking her, which she loves. After Selene helps David remove a weird burrowing/tracking bullet one of the Lycan stragglers shoots him with, the two team up for the rest of the movie.
I like David. He’s a good guyโhandsome, classy, a good fighter, and down for whatever. I don’t like the plot twist of Amelia (Zita Gorog) being his mother, though. First, it’s way too convenient and forced. Second, I’m sick of hearing about Amelia all the time. If she was so important, so big and bad, why did they kill her off two seconds after she was introduced in the first movie? Third, the superficial age difference between her and Thomas is creepy.
That said, I understand the reasoning behind the plot point. David needs a role beyond being Selene’s sidekick. Being an Elder’s son solidifies his connection to the series, making this newish character seem like less of an outsider. Moreover, the combination of his heritage, the silver-infused sword, and Selene’s supercharged blood makes David more equal to both Michael (as his replacement) and Selene (as her partner/new love interest).
And yes, I sense a little something-something between David and Selene. I think David fell in love with Selene the moment he saw her do one of her infamous rooftop jumps in Awakening. He calls her “family” in this movie, which clearly denotes her importance to him. Plus, the man willingly walks into the sun while holding her unconscious body at one point, unaware that he will not die from it. That’s love. It’s too soon for Selene to move on from Michael, but I hope to see these lowkey sparks grow into full-blown fireworks one day.
Semira
Semira (Lara Pulver) is the movie’s secondary baddie. She wants to be the boss so badly she can taste it. In her mind, sheโs been slighted one too many timesโpreviously by Viktor, whose favorite and heir was Selene (whom Semira “despises”) and currently by Cassius, the head of the Eastern Coven (who dislikes Semira).
I don’t completely blame Semira’s attitude at first. Viktor wasn’t a pleasant dude and Cassius (James Faulkner) is no better. Misogyny is definitely at play in the coven. There’s only one other woman on the council and I don’t recall hearing a single peep from her the entire movie. Then there’s Thomas, who says at one point, “Semira, you always have a plan.” His words drip with sexist condescension, his snooty tone familiar from the time he spoke to Selene the same way. Thus, Semira is painted as a scheming shrew, an untrustworthy woman who’s getting above herself. Not cool.
It wasn’t long before I lost all sympathy for Semira. She is neither innocent nor a victim. An air of fakeness and sneakiness clings to her. She treats those beneath herโand those whom she deems to be beneath herโlike garbage. From that perspective, Thomas’s aforementioned comment appears to be more about her character than her gender. She’s literally always plotting. Furthermore, it implies that Semira has a history of manufacturing plots that ensure her gain at someone else’s expense. Who did she screw over to go from essentially living in exile to sitting on the council anyway?
Anyhoo, it’s not a surprise that the idea to hire Selene comes from Semira. It’s also not surprising that Semira has an ulterior motive for the offer: to drain and drink Selene’s blood so she can take over the coven and defeat the Lycans. True to her scheming personality, Semira asks about the effects of Selene’s blood within minutes of meeting Thomas and David.
I spent much of the movie anticipating a showdown between Semira and Selene. Selene would’ve viewed the theft of her blood as an ass-kicking offense; Semira would’ve been more than happy to kill her rival. It also would have switched things up. Selene rarely fights other women. Off the top of my head, I only remember her fighting the historian guy’s two groupies in Underworld Evolution.
Then Semira kills Thomas, which sets up a final showdown with David instead. Points for not taking the obvious route! This new pairing has much higher stakes. David wants to avenge his father’s murder; Semira needs to kill David to secure her control of the coven. David’s offhand comment early in the movie about needing protection from Semira turns out to be true.
Speaking of…I find it hard to believe that Semira doesn’t know anything about David being the true heir, despite her convincing reaction to the news. Semira reveals that she spent her “exile” with the Nordic Coven, who call Amelia their patron. Amelia gave birth to David there. Moreover, Semira proudly declares that “Information is power, and I collect it with a passion.” How could she not know a secret that big?
If Semira does know, it might explain why she flirts with David so hard. Yes, he’s cute, and yes, she wants info about Selene’s blood, but maybe she and Thomas are on the same page for once. Marrying David is a solid Plan B for Semira, especially if she does it before anyone knows he’s the heir. Then she can rule the coven through him until she can bump him off. Theoretically. You know, if David were that easily controlled.
In any case, Semira and David’s fight scene is great. They both have the benefit of Selene’s blood in their veins, which should level the playing field. It does not. David gets in some solid licks, but Semira has the upper hand throughout the scuffle. I don’t know if her advantage is due to skill, age, or the fact that she ingests a large amount of Selene’s blood more recently than David. Maybe all three. What I do know is that Semira would have beaten David if he hadn’t distracted her with the sun to land the killing blow.
On a final note, I must say that Semira has a fantastic wardrobe. We’re talking the height of vampire chic: black, full skirts, lace, leather, high collars, long trains, capes, elbow-length gloves, and strategic cutouts. Selene may have her iconic catsuit, but Semira looks like a true gothic queen here.
Marius
Marius (Tobias Menzies), the new head of the Lycans, is the movie’s primary villain. As I mentioned before, he wants to use Eve’s hybrid blood to defeat the vampires. He thinks Selene is the key to that goal. We later learn that Marius killed Michael and has been shooting up and ingesting the hybrid blood to power himself up.
Overall, Marius is a so-so villain compared to the previous Underworld ones. He’s not as commanding, charismatic, creepy, contemptible, or cold as Viktor, Lucian (Michael Sheen), Marcus (Tony Curran), Kraven (Shane Brolly), or Jacob Lane (Stephen Rea) respectively. I can’t even measure Marius’s strength against William’s because he’s nothing but a regular Lycan without Michael’s blood. He’s only scary thing because I think of the Outlander villain Black Jack every time I look at him.
Marius is, however, a master manipulator. He’s good at rallying the troops and convincing people that he cares about them. His entrance in Blood Wars mirrors Lucian’s in the first Underworld movie except for key differences. First, the two Lycans are fighting verbally rather than physically as wolves. Then Marius twists Lucian’s reprimand that they not act like dogs into a request.
Thus, we get an insight into how Marius has managed to do more than the previous Lycan leaders despite his lack of true strength. He treats them like people, so they act more civilly towards each other. They are his brothers and sisters, not his servants. They’re all working towards the same goal of destroying the vampires.
Behind the scenes, Marius’s true colors emerge. Based on the huge sigh of relief the Lycan flunkie releases when Marius doesn’t kill him for losing Selene, we can guess that failing Marius is bad for one’s health. And that same flunkie? Marius calls him “not completely incompetent,” which is straight out of Semira’s playbook. Worst of all, Marius uses a Lycan as a shield against the vampires’ bullets at one point.
It’s sad that Selene spends most of the movie unknowingly battling Michael’s murderer. It’s already personal for her. Marius is a Lycan who is after Eve and has wiped out most of the vampire covens. Adding Selene’s man to the tally takes things to a whole other level.
My biggest question is, why doesn’t Marius tell Selene about Michael? He doesn’t say a word until that fateful drop of blood reaches her lips towards the end of the movie. I have three possible theories.
Theory 1: Marius assumes Selene will figure it out on her own. The clues are all there. Everyone knows what Eve’s blood can do. The hybrid features within Marius’s Lycan form are plain to see after he transforms in Var Dohr. Selene whispers “What are you?” when she sees him. Lastly, Marius resembles Michael enough that Selene deliriously talks to “Michael” as she slips beneath the ice following their first fight. Put it all together, and he doesn’t have to say a word.
Theory 2: Marius doesn’t think the information is necessary. He knows that Selene can’t beat him while he’s hopped up on hybrid blood. Additionally, he can see that Selene is on the verge of giving up. There’s no reason to tell her something that might cause her to make a comeback and delay his plans. More to the point, he probably doesn’t think he owes her an explanation.
Theory 3: Marius is biding his time. In their first fight, Marius is the undisputed champ. In their second battle, Selene is fresh off a power boost while Marius is flat desperate. Once Selene finally learns the truth, he leans on his manipulation skills one last time, smugly drinking the last vial of Michael’s blood in front of her in hopes that she’ll become enraged enough to get sloppy. That backfired.
Either way, Marius’s death is destined to be bloody. And you know what? Even though I just saw a character rip out another character’s spine on Black Lightning the other day, I still cringed when Selene stood there holding Marius’s spine in her hands. That will never not be a shocking sight. At the same time, I have to give Selene her props. Marius may have taken Michael’s blood, but Selene took Marius’ backbone. Justice served.
Lena
Lena (Clementine Nicholson) is a pseudo priestess and the daughter of Vidar (Peter Andersson), the leader of the Nordic Coven. Selene and David flee to Var Dohr, the snowy, mountainous place where the coven is located, by train (on Thomas’s antemortem advice) after David rescues Selene from Semira’s clutches. Lena greets them when they get there.
Right off the bat, Lena proves that she’s no stereotype. She moves faster than the average vampire, disappearing and reappearing in puffs of white smoke. Later she dons a silver breastplate reminiscent of a Valkyrie or an Amazon over her wispy white dress. And when a group of Lycans attacks the coven? Homegirl picks up a sword and turns into Xena: Warrior Princess.
While we don’t learn much about Lena as a character, she plays an important role in helping Selene level up. Lena explains that she sees things because she has traveled to the “Sacred World.” The Sacred World (as I understand it) is the realm between this world and the next. The people in Var Dohr can undergo a ritual in order to obtain clarity, to “see the world with new eyes.” The only catch? They have to be near death to visit the Sacred World.
Selene is skeptical of Lena and the Sacred World, of course. But after Selene almost dies fighting Marius, Lena prepares her for the Sacred World ritual. Selene emerges in the middle of the final battle with the Lycans as a new woman. She has gained Lena’s ability to puff smoke, the bottom of her hair has turned white, and most importantly, she’s no longer depressed. Thanks, Lena!
Lena is cool. She’s a fierce warrior and a competent adviser, someone that Selene can trust both in and out of battle. Selene could definitely use a decent female friend like her. Based on the way that Lena and David have each other’s backs during the fights, she will make a good ally for him as well.
Varga
Varga (Bradley James) is the Eastern Coven’s top Death Dealer, as well as Semira’s personal henchman and lover. He first appears when Thomas arrives at the coven with a meeting request from Semira.
My impression of Varga changed as I rewatched the movie. On my first viewing, I saw him as an annoying sycophant. By my third viewing, I realized that he’s an annoying sycophant who’s fed up with his boss, Semira. Once again, Thomas’s comments give some insight into the character. He clearly hits a sore spot when he treats Varga like a glorified butler, sarcastically vowing to remember Varga’s name. Varga doesn’t like that at all.
You see, Semira constantly insults Varga. She insults his intelligence (“Don’t think, Varga. You’ll hurt yourself”); his fighting abilities (“merely adequate”); and his sexual skills (“unimaginative”). Every time she issues an order, his ensuing reaction reflects his increasing irritation.
The first sign of dissent in the ranks is when Semira tells Varga about her master plan in her bedroom. She quickly dismisses his thoughts on the matter, ordering him to service her instead. How demeaning! The flat, humiliated look on his face as he lowers himself to his knees in front of her speaks volumes.
The next infraction happens when Varga poisons Selene with nightshade during a mock fight in front of the Death Dealer trainees. Now, Varga does need that advantage so he can capture Selene for Semira. He freely admits as much. But based on how blasรฉ he acts when Semira is ranting about how long the poison will take to dissipate from the blood, I wonder if he uses too much nightshade on purpose. If the blood is ruined, Semira’s plan is toast. It’s a subtle way to get back at her.
The final nail in the coffin (pun intended) is when Semira orders Varga to kill the Death Dealer trainees. His exaggerated eye roll and huff of exasperation when Semira repeats the order reminds me of a teenager whose parent is getting on their last nerve. His blatant boredom as he shoots the trainees suggests that such tasks are beneath his pay grade.
Accordingly, Varga doesn’t bother to hide his glee when Semira is finally caught by the council. She says to him, pain plain in her voice, “You swore to serve me.” She never imagined that Varga would turn on her. Meanwhile, Varga responds, “I swore to protect the leader of this house.” Ouch! His tone remains defiant as he rebuffs her offers to change his mind about betraying her. He’s done. Whatever loyalty he had for her went out the window somewhere between her stupid plan and her horrible treatment of him.
Imagine what Varga’s future would have looked like if Semira had taken over the coven. At best, he would have continued to be ridiculed and reduced to grunt work. At worst, he would have been replaced and dead. Neither scenario paints a pretty picture.
Alexia
Alexia (Daisy Head) is a rookie Death Dealer. She is part of the team that hunts down Selene to present her with Semira’s job offer. She’s also in bed with Marius both figuratively and literally.
Alexia is in a similar situation as Varga. Even though she appears to be a team leader, she spends most of her time doing stuff for Semira. As such, she shares Varga’s hatred for Semira. She feels that Semira is too power hungry and needs to be overthrown.
The difference between Alexia and Varga lies in their respective levels of treachery. Yes, Varga kills the Death Dealer trainees, tries to kill Thomas, and poisons Selene. He’s an awful guy. But his status as the vampire with the highest Lycan kill count arguably shows that he knows where his true loyalties lie.
Alexia, on the other hand, is working with the Lycans. Initially, she probably justifies her actions as necessary to save lives. As she grows into her role as Marius’s spy and lover, I think she develops an inflated sense of importance. In her mind, she’s the Selene to his Michael. Marius will use Eve’s blood to end the war and they will live happily ever after as the new leaders of the two races. To that end, opening the gates to let the Lycans onto the coven’s property before the final battle is her way of getting rid of the bad vampire apples.
Girl, please!
Marius plans to eliminate the vampiresโor enslave them like the vampires did to the Lycans back in the day. Alexia isn’t exempt. She’s just an expendable pawn that he manipulates like he does everyone else. Notice that he doesn’t even look for her during the final battle. He doesn’t know that Semira has slit Alexia’s throat by then, but I doubt he would have cared if he did.
Another side note: what is the deal with Alexia’s weird tongue? Do all of the vampires have tongues like that and I never noticed before? I definitely didn’t need to see it so much. It reminds me of Gene Simmons from KISS. Ew.
Conclusion
Underworld: Blood Wars was better than I thought it would be. There are a lot of parallels between the characters and in the plot that make the movie more interesting with each viewing. I rarely got bored. I do have two complaints, though.
First, Blood Wars doesnโt answer some important questions about what happened to the world after Awakening. Like, what’s up with the humans now? Did they just forget about the whole purge situation? I expected something along the lines of Supergirl season 4, where the humans started to rise up against the aliens once they found out about them. Then again, humans have never been a big part of the Underworld universe, and they’re mostly helpless against both groups when they are present. Having the Lycans continue Lane’s plans makes more sense. Still, I wonder.
My second complaint: Blood Wars has zero prominent Black characters. Not surprising. The Underworld movies have always been hit-or-miss on the diversity front. Sometimes you get great characters like Raze the Lycan (Kevin Grevioux), Kahn the weapon-making Death Dealer (Robbie Gee), or Detective Sebastian the human cop (Michael Ealy); other times you get a few people of color scattered in the background. Blood Wars doesn’t even fall into the latter category. I don’t remember seeing a single minority.
The situation is exacerbated by the introduction of the Nordic vampires, who are white in nearly every way possible. Who thought that was a good idea? And what does it say that Selene, a character who has always been steeped in black, in both appearance and attitude, suddenly gains white hair and a white coat? I could spin a whole narrative about the symbolism of the whiteness showing Selene’s emergence from the darkness. It would be true, but it wouldn’t improve the situation’s optics.
Anyway, I’m glad that I went back and caught up with the series.
*Underworld Blood Wars DVD cover ยฉ Sony Pictures*