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Parents' Guide to

Underworld

By Nell Minow, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 17+

Pulpy, punk-ish story with some intense violence.

Movie R 2003 121 minutes
Underworld Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 13+

Based on 8 parent reviews

Midnight Emily
Midnight Emily Adult
February 12, 2021
age 7+
i rate in the world 7 and up cuz I watched it when I was eight and my brother wash it when he was 7

This title has:

Great role models
1 person found this helpful.
EpicReviews
EpicReviews Adult
September 6, 2020
age 15+
1 person found this helpful.
See all 8 parent reviews

What's the Story?

UNDERWORLD begins with a stylish subway shoot-out. It turns out that there has been a centuries-long war between the vampires and the lycan. Now the lycan are very interested in a human doctor named Michael (Scott Speedman) and the vampires want to know why. Michael is rescued by Selene (Kate Beckinsale), and he rescues her in return. She is ordered to kill him. But he did save her life. And he is kind of cute. And you can tell they are meant for each other because while everyone else in the movie has slicked-back hair, Michael's and Selene's hair falls adorably over their eyes.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (8 ):
Kids say (23 ):

If this movie doesn't quite rise to the category of silly fun, it is a tolerable comic book-style time-waster with some stylistic flair and some energetic action sequences. Imagine West Side Story with vampires and lycans (wolfmen) instead of Sharks and Jets and guns, blades, and teeth-piercing necks instead of musical numbers, then dress them all in Matrix-inspired goth-bondage attire and you'll have Underworld, a pulpy, punk-ish story filled with runes and ruins. This is the kind of movie where characters with names like Craven say things like "But what about the Covenant?" and the exposition explanation begins in the 5th century, dust is blown from the cover of weighty medieval tomes, and huge heavy chains hang down for no particular reason.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how the conflict in Underworld is similar to real-world conflicts. Where in the real world are people struggling with longstanding disagreements? Why do these conflicts get violent?

  • Why do you think the violence in this movie is so graphic? Is that part of the appeal of a film like this? What would the movie be like if it toned down the graphic imagery?

  • Why are vampires so fascinating?

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