"Underworld - Awakening," With Kate Beckinsale - Review - NYTimes.com Milla Jovovich may have the zombie post-apocalypse covered with the "Resident Evil" series (guided by her husband, Paul W. S. Anderson). But in vampire-werewolf warfare, Kate Beckinsale rules, with the "Underworld" movies (guided by her husband, Len Wiseman). No wan, moony "Twilights" these: we're talking more than a thousand years of battle between Lycans (werewolves) and vampires, recounted in three installments before the latest, "Underworld: Awakening." "Underworld" scholars, see Chapter 3, "Rise of the Lycans," for some origin details. Now the weaponry of choice, depending on your persuasion, fires slugs containing silver nitrate for offing Lycans, or ultraviolet light for vampires (although Lycans in full-fur mode just use teeth and claws). Dank, clanky settings; a bluish palette; and chewy bits of gore are the order of the day, er, night. Perhaps you remember Selene, Ms. Beckinsale's vampire and former scourge of Lycans (a death dealer, in franchise parlance), she of the pale complexion, black bodysuit and blazing twin automatics. Previously, she and Michael, a werewolf-vampire hybrid, hooked up, to their peers" outrage. Now they've been cryogenically preserved for more than a decade after the Purge - an ethnic cleansing by humans against both species - and somehow have a daughter, Eve (India Eisley). In the prequels, Bill Nighy, as the top vampire-villain, munched on flesh and scenery in equal measure; here, Stephen Rea, as a scientist after Eve's DNA, and Charles Dance, as a vampire elder, assume that duty. While vampires live underground and mangy Lycans dwell in alleys, Selene is sprung from captivity and must rescue Eve and Michael, allowing for lean, lively sparring and splattery gun-muzzle encounters with neo-Harryhausen-esque werewolves. The combat quotient, to the movie's credit, is way up, with narrative folderol kept to a minimum. Is another sequel a possibility? Do vampires get thirsty? "Underworld: Awakening" is rated R (under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian) for slaughter and werewolf breath. Directed by Marlind & Stein; written by Len Wiseman, John Hlavin, J. Michael Straczynski and Allison Burnett, based on a story by Mr. Wiseman and Mr. Hlavin and characters created by Kevin Grevioux, Mr. Wiseman and Danny McBride; director of photography, Scott Kevan; edited by Jeff McEvoy; music by Paul Haslinger; production design by Claude Paré; costumes by Monique Prudhomme; produced by Tom Rosenberg, Gary Lucchesi, Mr. Wiseman and Richard Wright; released by Screen Gems. WITH: Kate Beckinsale (Selene), Stephen Rea (Dr. Jacob Lane), Michael Ealy (Detective Sebastian), Theo James (David), India Eisley (Eve), Sandrine Holt (Lida) and Charles Dance (Thomas).