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Underworld -Rise of the Lycans review by Bruce Banter Grade B+
Prequels to movies are often disappointing, but this movie was not. It is not necessary to have seen the first two Underworld films to fully enjoy the third and this time there aren’t even any leather pants to laugh at.

This film is the third in a series which explores the origins of the centuries-old blood feud between the aristocratic pale vampires known as Death Dealers and their darker one time slaves, of the werewolf family called the Lycans. The storyline revolves around the Lycan rise from slavery and what started the “War” that was introduced in the first movie.

But it’s loaded with much more than that in terms of its symbolism. Although viewers are transported into the medieval realm of vampires vs. werewolves we are really witnessing the realm of antebellum slavery. Let’s be clear we are watching a slave rebellion taking place on a plantation and it’s replete with whippings, slave scars to match, field Negros, house Negros, miscegenous groups and the whole nine yards.

However if the movie reminded one of Mandingo love during slavery because of the forbidden love between two of its three central characters. Our female vampire and enslaved Lycan, well it should have. I noticed it, as soon as Lucian was warned not to whistle at any of the vampiresses, and the future will be good. In other words Stay away from vampire females aka white women. It was like some subtle Emmit Till reference. Kevin Grevioux, who also plays a character named Raze, reprised from the first movie actually says what is obvious. Grevioux says, “he was inspired to write this story by tensions that sprang from interracial dating”.

Of course Lucian (Lycan) just can’t do that, and neither can Sonya (female vampire). However Sonya is Viktor’s daughter and he is the king of the vampires. Viktor’s inter species loving abolitionist seeking daughter, who challenges her father rule because she wants the enslave Lycan named Lucian.

In fact the vampires want to create a secondary class of werewolves (house Negroes) that guard them during the day. The vampires place a round metal shackle that has spikes on the inside; if the Lycans go into werewolf mode the spikes on the inside of the collar will pierce the neck of the werewolf and kill them instantly

As abundant as this imagery is, I don’t expect everybody to see that’s what it is or get it.
After all although it is written and documented that Xmen series is patterned after African American civil rights movement, many “Xmen fans” still thinks certain storylines are coincidence and not intentional. Don’t worry you can still enjoy the film if you thinks its only vampires and werewolves conflict being played out on the big screen.

Ironically the only black character in the film is a werewolf in the movie doesn’t die, but his role is merely token. His role is more symbolic although he is right hand man to Lucian. I mean even as a werewolf he is still very human, and he fights against becoming a werewolf. Rise of the Lycans explains how everything happened in the first two films but still fails to address the reason why. In other words why do vampires think they are better. Thus ironically many will leave the movie feeling like they have still been left in the dark. Pun Intended