Prequel Theory - Underworld: Rise of the Lycans

When Underworld (2003), Len Wiseman's directorial debut, came out, it was well received by every 14 year old boy in America. Critics don't cite it as a great film to push the envelope of art, but it was still a good action film about supernatural slaying. Then there was the sequel Underworld: Evolution in 2006, also directed by Len Wiseman. This time the monsters were stronger and there was a big bad boss for the adventurers to fight at the end. All the 17 year old boys thought it kicked ass. Wiseman then made the risky choice to create a prequel, Underworld: Rise of the Lycans, in 2009 and a riskier choice to have the special effects legend Patrick Tatopoulosc direct it.

Rise of the Lycans is the story of how the entire war between the werewolves and vampires was started. From Underworld, we know the story that Victor (Bill Nighy) the vampire leader killed Lucian (Michael Sheen) the werewolf leader's lover and unborn child. Viktor did this because the woman was a Vampire and the child would be a powerful hybrid creature, even though the woman was his own daughter Sonja (Rhona Mitra). The killing of Sonja was Lucian's reason to start the war; he wanted to killed Viktor.

So what does Rise of the Lycans have to offer? Backstory and an intelligently designed plot. This is the story of Lucian, the mysterious werewolf patriarch who died in the first film, and how he changed the course of werewolf history. When Lucian was born from the mating of two werewolves, he was the first werewolf to be able to change back to human form. Since werewolves were closer to feral creatures before Lucian, vampires had been using them as guard dogs and war beasts. Viktor killed Lucian's werewolf mother and raised Lucian as half-son half-pet, envisioning a new race of werewolf slaves. Living in close proximity to Viktor, Lucian grew up alongside of Sonja and the two of them became lovers. Their troubles start when Lucian disobeys a group of guards and rushes to the forest to save Sonja from a pack of feral werewolves.

By itself, Rise of the Lycans is a powerful story about castes, racism, love, murder, betrayal, and revenge. The film holds many Shakesperian qualities without being derivative. When Viktor hears of Lucian's disobedience towards the guards he punishes Lucian and jails him, even though he acknowledged that Lucian saved his daughter's life. This prompts Sonja to trade her seat on the Vampire Council to a politician in order to rescue Lucian from his torture, which works, but is betrayed when the politician tells Viktor about Lucian's and Sonja's love affair. Since Sonja is pregnant with, in the other vampires' eyes, a monster and since she broke vampire law, the vampire council votes to execute her with sunlight. Lucian is chained ten feet away from her during her execution and is forced to watch her, and their unborn child, die a painful death. This enrages Lucian, turning him into his werewolf form, and he takes Sonja's necklace to remember her before he escapes. Once he's about to leave the vampire stronghold, he is shot by the Vampire guards with a crossbow. Unable to make it out to the freedom of the wilderness, Lucian howls and calls an army of feral werewolves and countryside peasants. The army of the downtrodden overwhelms the Vampire nobles in the first battle of the Werewolf-Vampire War and Lucian exacts revenge on Viktor. Viktor, who was put in a stasis chamber after receiving signifigant wounds, is thought to be dead by Lucian and is not seen again until halfway through original Underworld.

I always thought that Rise of the Lycans was a good prequel, but after reviewing the film I'd have to say that its a damn good prequel. It focuses on three characters that were the true driving force behind all of the conflicts in the first film, but were not the main centers of attention. We see the story that started the story and how Viktor and Lucian became the generals of war. We see the complete history of the werewolves, we understand how archaic and manipulative the vampires are, and we see the complexity of a story that spans hundreds of years. This film accomplishes just what a prequel should: It not only fills in plot of the original story, but it improves the impact of the first story with subtlety and care. I'd go as far to say that it would bump the IMDB rating a whole point. The true accomplishment of this film is that it doesn't feel like a prequel and has all the best qualities of one.