In the flashy action-horror pic Underworld, British beauty Kate Beckinsale dons tight, black leather to take on werewolves. Does that make it worth it? Well, yes, but Underworld is a surprisingly entertaining film anyway.

It is always dubious when a film like this comes out. After all, it is an action movie set against the backdrop of a war between vampires and werewolves (called Lycans in this story), filmed for an MTV audience. An MTV audience. That seems to be the trend lately, and it rarely works out. There have been so many bad movies that have come out lately with flashy graphics and music, but no content. Remember Queen of the Damned? Didn't think so. Luckily, Underworld is much better. Though flashy, the movie is still quite beautiful (in a dark, gothic kind of way), has some good action and good acting.

It is a little weird that the movie never has a daytime scene (it goes from one night to the next without anything in between), but Underworld is a stylish and impressive piece of work. It has cool sets, good visuals and some nice, gory moments (such as the top part of a head being sliced off) - everything needed for a movie of this nature.

The action is what really makes the movie, though. While there is no extraordinary action scene, the movie is pretty much a continuous spree of shooting and biting that never fails to entertain. There are a few cheesy parts, such as where Beckinsale shoots a circle in the floor so that she can avoid taking the stairs, but for the most part, the action is pretty exciting.

Underworld is also graced with some pretty decent acting. Beckinsale has made a name for herself already, and the other leads, such as Scott Speedman (Dark Blue), are pretty good as well. Bill Nighy, as the ancient vampire Viktor, was especially fun to watch.

All that being said, Underworld probably will not appeal to older audiences looking for more traditional action movies, and even for younger, MTV audiences, there have been better movies. There are a few cheesy moments and some things don't make sense (not to mention that there isn't much in the way of a plot), but Underworld still delivers what it was meant to do.

A sequel is on the way, and Underworld deserves one (only one, though). As an action film goes, it more than suffices.

Review by Erik Samdahl unless otherwise indicated.