One of the first things you will notice about Evolution is the increase in budget. The first one did well at the theater and so well on home video that when it came time to bring them back, they were able to get more money from Screen Gems. Evolution had a budget of $45 million, more than double Underworld, which clocked in at $22 million. This is easily seen by the increase in the number of fight sequences, and the increased, and effective, use of special effects and CGI.
The movie just looks better than its predecessor. That is not a knock at the first flick, which did look very good; this one just had more money to play with and they definitely put it on the screen. We see more transformations, more battles, and more blood and dismemberment in said battles.
The acting is on par with the first. Kate Beckinsale does an admirable job as an action lead with an icy demeanor that still holds vulnerability behind the eyes. I would have to say the biggest loss was the diminished role for Bill Nighy. Yes, it was necessitated by the story, but he does a great job as a vampire elder.
Overall, this is a welcome addition to a new mythology. This series is not likely to have a long lasting effect on cinema, but it does go a long way to spark the thought process about what this war could be like.
Audio/Video. This film, shot on Super 35, is presented in its original 2.35:1 aspect ratio (and I would not have anything less for a Blu-ray release). The film, much like its predecessor, is very dark and tinted blue. Also like the disk for the first film, this one is as solid as they come, accurately representing the look of the film without losing any detail. There is easily more visible detail than in the DVD release. I am continually amazed by what I see with Blu-ray. As for the audio, it is equally stunning. In particular, the sound effects really stuck out for me, both by their weight and their directionality. Listen as a door creaks open on the right and you hear someone's footsteps on the left, or track gunfire as the shots move from left to right. I love the sound of guns in movies. The uncompressed 5.1 PCM track makes it sound like Kate and the rest are right there in the room with you.
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