Let's compare. The first DVD has a great commentary by Len Wiseman (director), Danny McBride (screenplay), and Kevin Grevioux (storyline - he is also the huge Black guy with the incredible voice who plays a Lycan). They talk about how the three of them came up with the idea for this movie and how it got made. They also talk about how some of the scenes were done, information on the cast, the conditions under which they made the movie - no budget, major time constraints - and what it was like filming in Budapest, Hungary. It also has a technical commentary that I haven't listened to yet. On the other hand, the commentary for the extended cut is done by the director, Kate Beckinsale and Scott Speedman. This commentary's main subject was talking about Beckinsale's hair, compliments for Beckinsale by Wiseman (who is Beckinsale's husband or partner) and Speedman, teasing Speedman, and gushing over Michael Sheen (who was great as Lucien). There are no technical discussions and the only other cast member who is talked about for any length of time was Bill Nighy (Viktor, who was excellent). Half way through the commentary, Speedman leaves and then there's a bunch of chit chat between Wiseman and Beckensale about Speedman going off to make a movie with the Olson twins.

Wiseman also states a couple of times that this version is not a director's cut (are they going to release another DVD?). When he talks about added scenes, he points out which scenes he would have liked in the original theatrical release and the first DVD, and which scenes he wouldn't like to see back in the movie. If he didn't want certain scenes added then why are they in the extended cut? This newer version adds a scene where Michael (Speedman) talks about his past and how he ended up in Budapest, a storyline that adds a love affair between Erika and Craven, plus some added shots of Viktor with the apparatus that pumps blood into him. But there are also numerous and completely unnecesarry scenes of Lycans and Vampires going up and down stairways over and over, and just little shots of objects that are part of the set. In addition, there's absolutely NO reason to title this DVD as unrated, which implies that there are scenes that were deleted because of problems with the MPAA rating. I don't see how any of the added scenes could have pushed the MPAA to make this movie NC-17. I think that was just another ploy to get people to fork over more money for this version.

The only thing that I liked in the extended cut were some outtakes. But there weren't enough of them to make up for the additional money you'd have to pay for this cut.

To sum up, if you're a film geek who loves to listen to commentaries on the DVD, stick with the original DVD. If you don't care about that kind of stuff and you don't already own the original DVD, then it's up to you if you want to sit through a lot of unnecassary additons that the director didn't even like. But if you already have the first DVD, I would not recommend buying this version (unless you're dying to listen to Beckinsale complain endlessly about her hair).

The Extended Cut is NOT a director's cut - it just has extra scenes in it. Some of the scenes the director wanted in the movie and some of the scenes he didn't. How do I know this? - from listening to the commentary


Skip this rip-off version   July 3, 2004
 7 out of 8 found this review helpful

If you're like me, you are really - really - getting tired of producers, film compaines, whomever there is to blame re-re-re-releasing the same DVD with different packaging, and calling it the "Ultimate" or "Supreme" or "this time it really is a Limted edition" special releases. The motivation? Raking it in from fans who expect and want more. You'd be better off spending your bucks elsewhere.

There is NOTHING to make this DVD stand out from the original release. I was looking for extended fight scenes. Nope. OK, how about more history or plot? Nope. The extra footage really should have stayed on the cutting room floor. You WILL not be happy if you already own the original release and waste your money on this lame release.


Overall this film was a good action-filled goth-thriller   August 6, 2004
 7 out of 8 found this review helpful

Len Wiseman's Underworld has to be taken for what it is: an action film dressed up in goth-couteur with vampires and werewolves. This film doesn't have the scares of other films that include either a vampire or a werewolf or both. It is without any kind of apology a dark, gothic action film.

Underworld's story owes alot to Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, and White Wolf Gaming's Werewolf: Rage and Vampire the Masquerade. Any fans of those two pen-and-paper urban gothic role-playing game would see alot of similarities in Wiseman's film. The film starts off pretty quickly and doesn't really let up until the final scene. There are a few scenes sprinkled throughout the film to let the viewer catch its breath. These scenes would be just as good as the action sequences if not for the scenery-chewing of Shane Brolly's Kraven. Looking like a stereotypical Euro-trash vampire, Brolly's Kraven doesn't know the meaning of understated acting. Some have mentioned that Bill Nighy's vampire elder Viktor does the same, but I thought Nighy's performance was very convincing and very in-character.

The person who really holds the film together was Kate Beckinsale. Who knew that she could be convincing as an action-heroine. Her petite form and soft-spoken demeanor actually gives her ass-kicking character some sex-appeal and both fuses well together. It didn't hurt that she pretty much spent almost the entire lenght of the film in some outfit that was all black, and either leather or latex or a combination of both. Ms. Beckinsale is both hot and dangerous in this film.

The action sequences owes alot of The Matrix and the other imitators that showed up after the release of that film. Unlike, most Matrix imitators, Underworld doesn't overuse the slo-mo, 360-degree shots that the Wachowski Brothers' film made popular. The FX work for the werewolf change is done well, but sometimes when the Were's arrive on the scene in large groups it still has a certain artificial look to them. But overall, the film's FX work was good enough to avoid scrutiny.

Len Wiseman has already announced that Underworld 2 will be made once everyone involved in the first film get their schedules straightened out. The ending of this film really needs a sequel to continue the story that really just started with this film. Underworld is fun and a rollercoaster of a goth-action-thriller.

This dvd edition is much better than the first version. The extra scenes that were put back into the film helped smooth out the film's story and pacing. This version should've been the one to have been released in the theaters. When i first saw the film, some of the scenes just didn't make much sense, but in this extended cut they made much more sense. The overall look of the film in this dvd edition is much better. The blacks are more solid and deeper. The shadows in this film really stand-out. The audio will give any home theater system a run for its money. Whether its from the industrial rock score or the heavy bass during the gunfights.

For just a few more dollars, this dvd edition is worth the price. But for anyone who doesn't own a home theater system alot of the perks of this edition will be lost. I'd recommend they pick the first edition instead