A Complete Explanation Of Everything

Ultraviolet (2006)

Directed: Ken Wimmer

Starring: Milla Jovovich

Alrighty, well on the verge of retiring for the evening last night, I spied this little number coming onto sky. It had all my usual requisites or required peccadillos rather. For example, vampires and well, Milla Jovovich. I never was a fan of Resident Evil the computer game for example, in fact, I'm not much into first person shooters per se but Resident Evil the film? Yowza!

I'm tragic really when you think about it, the simple fact that I rented Van Helsing for example, primarily on the basis of Kate Beckinsale should give the game away really. Underworld and Underworld Evolution were a return to form for Kate thankfully.

I'd guess this kinda brings us back to my penchant for Buffy the Vampire Slayer or BtVS to use the proper shorthand. I wasn't really into Sarah Michelle Gellar, never have been, I just really liked the style of the show and found the story engaging and it really did develop over seven series, believe it or not. There was one season that was a total write off, I think it was series five with Buffy and Willow in college and the faction and Adam and all that but outside of that, the rest was great. And SMG aside it did feature some superb eye candy in the shape of Eliza Dushku and Alyson Hannigan as Dark Willow in series six.

Anyway, that brings us back to Milla Jovovich and general darkness. That's the way, I like my anti-heroines generally, very dark and conflicted and that's the way Ultraviolet kicks off. It even starts with a very classical boot shot for the fetishists out there before descending into the kind of martial arts, Gun Kata apparently invented by the Director himself, which looks like a bad parody of the Kill Bill genre. The plot, when it attempts to trouble the audience is relatively simple but the motivations of the lead character, the eponymous Ultraviolet played by Jovovich, are probably never really brought to fore.

Thus, it's action led and whilst not badly acted, there's not much to act in all fairness, it leaves you with all the satisfaction of well, I was going to use some crude imagery but insert whatever works for you. In short, boots aside, some nice personal CGI on the character outfits (overall some of the wide angle CGI and chase scenes look like a bad computer game) and the lovely Milla, the movie leaves you wanting.

Maybe they just didn't play up the Vampire angle enough.

Bring on Resident Evil 3 in any case!!!