Our narrator Selene, played by Beckinsale as though she were born for the role, is a vampire death dealer, a warrior in the ancient combat between the vampire covens and the lycans, known to the rest of us as werewolves. The vampires are winning the war, despite the werewolves ability to transform at will, not just under the full moon.  Selene is an excellent soldier who is mildly regretful that the vampires have almost succeeded in exterminating the enemy not because she likes lycans, but because she and her cohorts will soon be left with no one to fight and kill. However, she is naturally curious when, in the aftermath of a major subway battle with some lycans, she realizes the werewolves were stalking a human with the apparent motive of kidnapping rather than feeding.

The human in question, a young doctor named Michael (Scott Speedman), doesnt know a thing about vampires or werewolves. We know that a lycan scientist is doing some rather odd blood tests and that theres some shadowy power plays afoot concerning both current vampire coven leader Kraven (Shane Brolly) and werewolf chieftain Lucien (Michael Sheen). Selene, unaware of the subterfuge, takes it upon herself to protect Michael by bringing him for safety to the vampire stronghold, where her fellows object even before one of them realizes that Michael has been bitten by a lycan. Contact between vampires and lycans is strictly forbidden

On one hand, UNDERWORLD is a lot of great, gothic fun. Director Len Wiseman drenches the environment in blacks, silvers and faded whites, with the occasional bit of color for emphasis its all very stylish, but the storyline bustles along so briskly that the heavy-duty production design remains the grace note it should be, not a distraction. The screenplay by Danny McBride, from a story by Kevin Grevioux, Wiseman & McBride, is skillful in laying out plot points its complex but easy to follow, with crucial revelations coming at just the right moments. Its a pleasure to watch Beckinsale immerse herself in the determined, super-capable Selene, Bill Nighy is inspired casting as the master vampire Viktor and Sheen has wonderful, gentle gravity as Lucien. Speedman is fine as far as his role goes, although beyond being bewildered and tormented, we see and know little of him. Given the emphasis the story puts on the growing attraction between Selene and Michael, more character development is warranted.

The battles are a mixed bag. The shootouts are very good, as shootouts go, but vampires and werewolves create an expectation of a more visceral type of action. We get some fang-and-claw combat, but not as much as the premise would seem to indicate. An additional problem is Brolly, who is visibly not on the same wavelength as any of his fellow performers.

However, overall UNDERWORLD works very well. The energetic action, Beckinsales sincere hell-for-leather approach and a truly well-told story with some genuinely epic flourishes all add up to satisfying supernatural entertainment.