The Underworld series stands out from many films with its unique vampire and werewolf themes. The series builds a world full of mystery, darkness and conflict, bringing us a feast of vision and senses. For viewers who are new to the Underworld series, the correct viewing order can help better understand the plot, character development and the grand worldview constructed by the entire series. Below, we will sort out the viewing order of the Underworld series of movies in detail for you and briefly introduce each movie.
Underworld: Rise of the Wolves
This is the earliest film in the series timeline. It lays the foundation for the entire series and tells the origin of the hatred between the two major races of vampires and werewolves.
The story of the film takes place in the Middle Ages. Werewolves were originally enslaved by vampires. Lucian (Michael Sheen) is one of the werewolf slaves and has special abilities and a rebellious spirit. He falls in love with the vampire noble Sonja (Rhona Mitra), and this forbidden love becomes the fuse of the war. Sonja’s father Viktor (Bill Nighy) is the elder of the vampire clan. In order to maintain the rule of vampires and the “purity” of the race, he brutally kills Sonja. Lucian is filled with grief and anger, and leads the werewolves to rise up against the oppression of vampires, starting a long and bloody war between the two races.
The importance of this film lies in the fact that it reveals the root of the core conflict of the series, allowing the audience to understand why there is such a deep hatred between vampires and werewolves. The action scenes in the film are very exciting, the special effects when the werewolves transform are realistic, and the bloody and violent battle scenes are full of tension. However, some viewers think that the film is a bit hasty in advancing the plot, and the emotional transformation of some characters is not delicate enough. For example, Lucian’s transformation from a docile slave to a rebellion leader lacks sufficient foreshadowing.
Underworld (2003)
This film follows the prequel and moves the timeline to the present. The heroine Selene (Kate Beckinsale) is a skilled vampire warrior who has been dedicated to hunting down werewolves. In the long battle with werewolves, Selene discovered a shocking secret – werewolves seem to be looking for a human named Michael (Scott Speedman).
This movie formally established the style of the Underworld series, which is dominated by dark and cold tones and has a tight rhythm of action scenes. The image of Selene wearing a tight black leather jacket and holding two guns in the dark is deeply rooted in people’s hearts and has become one of the classic female action characters in film history.
Underworld Evolution (2006)
This film continues the plot of the previous film and further explores the ancient secrets of the vampire and werewolf races. In this film, we can learn about the existence of Marcus (Tony Curran) and William (Brian Steele), two ancient vampires and werewolves, whose powers far exceed those of ordinary vampires and werewolves.
The special effects of the movie have been significantly improved in this one, especially the scene of Marcus’ transformation and the final battle, the visual effects are very shocking. In terms of plot, the film has further expanded the worldview of the series, and the history and powerful power of the ancient race have made the whole story more grand.
Underworld 4 (2012)
The story takes place in a completely new context, where humans have discovered the existence of vampires and werewolves and have launched a large-scale hunt for them. Selene wakes up after 12 years of sleep and finds that the world has changed dramatically, with vampires and werewolves being almost wiped out by humans. In the chaos, she finds her and Michael’s daughter Eve (India Ashley), who also has a powerful dual bloodline. Selene has to protect Eve from being harmed by humans and the remaining evil forces, while exploring the truth behind this genocide crisis.
The action design of this movie is still of a high standard, and the battle scenes between Selene and the human army and the mutant werewolves are wonderful. The movie introduces new elements, such as the technological means by which humans hunt vampires and werewolves, which adds new highlights to the story. From the perspective of the plot, the family relationship between Selene and her daughter Eve has become a major emotional core of the movie. This emotional bond between mother and daughter is particularly moving in a world full of darkness and crisis. However, some viewers believe that the plot of the film is not closely connected with the previous three films, and the loss of some old characters has reduced the coherence of the series. In addition, the portrayal of human characters in the movie is relatively simple, and they play more of the role of villains.
Underworld: Blood Wars (2016)
As the latest in the series, it continues to tell the story of Selene. In this world, vampires and werewolves are still on the brink of war, and Selene is hunted by both vampires and werewolves at the same time, becoming the common enemy of the two races. While evading the hunt, Selene discovers a new clue that may change the fate of vampires and werewolves. She must take up arms again and fight for the future of herself and her race.
The film continues the style of the series in terms of action scenes and special effects production, maintaining a high standard. The scenes of Selene running through the hail of bullets and fighting the enemy in close combat are exciting. In terms of plot, it attempts to re-examine the relationship between vampires and werewolves, laying the groundwork for the future development of the series. However, some viewers feel that the plot of the film is relatively bland, lacking enough surprises and reversals, and there are not many breakthroughs in character development. For old fans, it is not fresh enough.
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