Kate Beckinsale returns for more action fantasy in Underworld: Awakening.

Here’s our verdict on the franchise’s latest toothsome entry…

TheUnderworldfolks really dont mess around.

As catch-up montages go, it was actually a really good one.

Not that youve got a lot of plot to catch up on.

There are vampires and werewolves, and theyve been at war for centuries.

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That evil thing?

As an action movie,Underworld: Awakeningis a pretty impressive specimen.

The gore is plentiful this time around, and thats a good thing for a hard R action flick.

The acting is, well… its there.

Stephen Rea menaces in his lab coat, and Theo James simply has to be idealistic and violent.

(everyone in the movie has to be violent.)

India Eisley, the new hybrid for the series, looks the part of Kate Beckinsales daughter.

Theres not a lot of ponderous pontification, and the few debates that arise are kept short and sharp.

Underworld: Awakening, despite being a pleasant surprise, also has some issues.

Its not long, but it does lag a little bit in the middle.

Still, as action movies go, it was pretty good.

It may not be the smartest movie at the multiplex, but its perfectly acceptable mindless entertainment.

Rating:

3 out of 5