As far as really slick and highly entertaining darker films go, the Underworld might not be considered traditional horror in the minds of some fans, but when you’ve got vampires and werewolves in a movie then it’s horror as far as this reviewer is concerned. That goes for Twilight, as well, since it has definitely horrified quite a few fans of the vampire species. In terms of depth, Underworld has traditionally been more of a high flying action flick with lots of special effects and slick costumes than some of the other vampire and werewolf movies out there, but it has definitely taken the time to give a little bit more of a sense of culture than its competition.

Rise of the Lycans is the third film in this franchise and instead of the ultra modern, almost cyberpunk feel of the first two, Rise goes back in time to give us a film set in the Dark Ages of Europe. Back here we discover that this ancient feud between Lycans and vampires started long before we can imagine, but that Lycans only gained their ability to shape shift into humans during this age. In an Eastern European setting, we see a strange happening, a werewolf gives birth to a seemingly human child. This little Lucian is of special interest to notorious vampire king Viktor, a blood thirsty evil overlord in the finest sense of the term. You see, Viktor views Lucian as a golden opportunity to enslave the far more physically strong werewolves and use them as guards for the vampires, guards that can go out in the daylight. Of course, Viktor should have known that a strapping young blacksmith was bound to attract his daughter Sonja’s attention. Love ensues.

Now, if you’ve seen any of the other Underworld films then the quality of the story won’t be too much different. These are not chest claspingly dramatic films – there’s lots of fighting. However, what is a little bit odd is that even though this film is set in the Dark Ages, it uses the same sort of cinematography that was found in the first films. This can be bad or good, depending on how you look at it. This reviewer was reminded of Uwe Boll’s Blood Rayne, but your experiences may vary. The key thing here is that despite the low key medieval setting, we see lots of intense action in dark places and that irritates some fans who would have liked either a more traditional fantasy style set and shooting style or, in the least, some more lighting.

Even though the story itself is nothing awe inspiring and the special effects aren’t going to wow your pants off, this is a solid film for fans of the series. There’s more depth in setting and that ties the movies together a bit better. It will not take too much to get into the movie, either, because the performances given by Bill Nighy (Viktor the vamp king), Rhona Mitra (Sonja the vamp daughter) and Michael Sheen (the Lycan named Lucian, champion of the oppressed), are all top notch considering the genre we’re working with.

In the end, Rise of the Lycans is quite likable, provided you’re under the impression that Underworld suits your tastes.