The fifth instalment of the blockbuster franchise ‘Underworld: Blood Wars’ showcases the vampire death dealer, Selene and her battle against ruthless assaults from both the Lycan clan, and the vampire faction that betrayed her. With only two supporters – David and his father Thomas, Selene seeks to stop the long-lasting war between Lycans and Vampires. In 2003, the initial premise of pitting vampires against werewolves was exciting and successful enough to spark a string of sequels. However, this fifth entry in the ‘Underworld’ series proves that the franchise has run out of original ideas and is probably best left buried deep underground. Kate Beckinsale’s allure is largely squandered, and while she doesn’t appear to have aged a day since the first release, she certainly acts like it. None of the characters are given much complexity to work with, thereby wasting strong actors such as Tobias Menzies as the Lycan leader Marius along with Lara Pulver’s Semira, and although we see some sparks of quality shown by Charles Dance as the Vampire Elder Thomas, it’s barely enough to salvage the film. It’s almost as if the cold blue grading infected the entire cast and crew with a case of gloom – the script takes itself too seriously, without any humour that could have probably infused some entertainment value. Even the CGI looks outdated, and in the current age of ground-breaking visuals, it’s inexcusable. If the previous outings were action-packed, ‘Blood Wars’ is no less gory, but the fight choreography feels exhausting and it’s made worse with choppy editing that barely allows for anything of merit to register on screen. Incredibly, this extends off screen as well – the marketing for the film reveals a significant twist in the trailers, that could arguably add some element of surprise. What is surprising though, is the choice to leave out Selene’s daughter from the proceedings considering that most of the conflict surrounds her. All of this doesn’t distract from the painfully apparent lack of interest written on the face of the lead star Kate Beckinsale – she’s not even the most interesting character in a series built around her, and it’s obvious she’s simply going through the motions to collect another pay check. Clearly this entry is building up to yet another sequel while sacrificing itself in the process, leaving ‘Underworld: Blood Wars’ in a bloody.