DVD Review: Ultraviolet (Unrated Extended Cut)

By Patrick Luce Jun 25, 2006, 19:08 GMT

Set in the late 21st century, a subculture of humans have emerged who have been modified genetically by a vampire-like disease (Hemophagia), giving them enhanced speed, incredible stamina and acute intelligence, and as they are set apart from "normal" and "healthy" humans, the world is pushed to the brink of worldwide civil war (a war between humans and hemophages) aimed at the destruction of the "diseased" population. In the middle ...more

With stylized massive action sequences and visually stunning special effects work, Ultraviolet is a somewhat entertaining movie even if the plot is lost somewhere in the mix.

The film was written and directed by Kurt Wimmer and stars Milla Jovovich – who is no stranger to sci-fi/action flicks with hits like Fifth Element. The unrated version in this review contains about seven more minutes than the version that made it into the theater. As a side note, there were reports that about 30 minutes of the film was chopped after the studio didn’t like what Wimmer was doing, and then mixed around before the final product was released.

Wimmer’s film features CGI special effects running wild to tell the story of  Violet (Jovovich) – a solider in a war between the “hemophages” (victims of a disease called hemophagia that has similarities to vampires) and the government that is trying to exterminate them.  Violet (who is always armed with the latest sci-fi toys) is sent to steal a new government weapon that is said to be able to kill all the hemophages once and for all.

The weapon turns out to be carried in the blood of a genetically engineered boy, and Violet finds herself forced to protect him from her fellow hemophages and the government hunting them both. The rest of the film is a “on the run” action plot that features lots of sword fights, gun fights, and big scale chase scenes. There is more to the film’s story but with every action sequence it seems to get further lost in the shuffle.

Coming on the heels of 2005’s Aeon Flux, you can’t help but draw some comparisons between the two films – although at the core their plots are drastically different. Both films feature strong female leads taking on the action hero genre, and both feature some great visual effects. Although it wasn’t much better, Aeon Flux did have the benefit of a better story and a built in audience (thanks to the animated series).

The film features stylized visuals and a slick feel

In Ultraviolet, Jovovich does a decent job portraying Violet and brings the same energy that we have seen her deliver in other over-the-top action films – such as the Resident Evil series. She is solid in the part, but also doesn’t seem to try to make the character believable. Without any real emotional investment in the character, we really don’t care if she will live or die. Also the fact that the film features one massive action sequence after the other hurts the character. We don’t wonder how she will make it out of this scrape but how long it will be until the next one. 

The actress has a handle on how to play this type of character, and excels in the role. She is tough and believable during the action sequences. At the same time, it is interesting to see the hot and cold relationship between Violet and the boy. There is just not enough time between the action for the audience to notice any real emotion taking place. This works in certain scenes, but fails miserably in other parts.

At the beginning of the film, the first action sequence is great, and really gets you into the pace of the movie. By the third one (which is about 10 minutes into the movie), you are already tired, and starting to wonder if this is all the film has to offer. Sadly, it is.

With the lack of a good plot, the film has to rest on its visual style and filming – which it can thanks to its slick feel and use of color. Wimmer’s plot may be a little light, but his direction is not. The film uses color (from the outfit changes of Jovovich to the various fighting scenes) to set it apart from what you would normally expect from a sci-fi film and at times it is like watching a comic book on screen.

Wimmer’s direction takes fast pace edits, sharp camera angles, and CGI created special effects to create eye candy on the screen. This product does manage to entertain, and was the main reason why I enjoyed parts of the movie. The problem is that the film quickly runs out of gas, and is just tired by the ending.

Special features on the DVD consist of commentary from Jovovich, and a making of featurette. The 30-minute feature is actually a four part behind the scenes look that examines the total process of bringing the film to the screen. It is an interesting look at how the movie was made, but fairly standard for this type of DVD release. If there is that much more footage out there (as rumors claim), I am sure somewhere down the road a director’s cut will be released.

Jovovich is believable in the action sequences

Ultraviolet was a hit and miss for me. I enjoyed parts of it, and absolutely hated parts of the film. By the ending, I had lost interest and was just waiting for the credits to roll. With that said, the film does manage to be entertaining in a “popcorn” kind of way, and has some impressive visual effects. It is far from the best sci-fi/action film ever made, but it is also far from the worse. I would recommend it to fans of the genre or anyone wanting a movie where you can just shut off your brain and enjoy the eye candy.

Ultraviolet is now available at Amazon. As of yet, there is not a release date for the UK. Visit the DVD’s database for more information.