Underworld (R) ***

Shakespeare and vampire lore have one thing in common. They love blood. And indeed blood is everywhere in "Underworld," an epic battle between vampires and werewolves. And first time director Len Wiseman films blood lovingly, at every opportunity and from every possible angle. For this reason, the movie is not recommended for the squeamish, and I was uncomfortably aware of the several pre-teens present in the audience for the film.

Kate Beckinsale is Selene, who opens the movie with a expositional monologue that's so long, you get the feeling you're catching the middle movie in a trilogy without screening the original. Apparently, Lucian, the patriarch of the Lycan pack, has been killed by Kraven (Shane Brolly), who covets Selene and leads her vampire coven. But Selena is still mourning the death of her father, Viktor, and is not interested in men, until she determines that the Lycen are pursuing a mortal ("Felicity"'s Scott Speedman). It turns out that Lucien (Michael Sheen) is not dead, and he is attempting to create a vampire/werewolf hybrid that will be stronger than both races.

My initial impressions of "Underworld" was that screenwriter Danny McBride was going for "The Sopranos" by way of "Dark Shadows," but soon his Shakespearean machinations kick in. There are plenty of twists and turns, changes in allegiances, surprise revelations, and skeletons in closets.

So whom do you root for in a battle between vampires and werewolves? Pretty much whomever you like. Both sides present a solid argument that the other started the war. I was struck by how few civilians were evident in "Underworld." It seemed that there were no other human beings in the film but Speedman's Michael Corvin.

In short, this is a violent, raucous movie. But all told, I was fascinated by the larger-than-life epic characters. I couldn't tell where the film was headed, but as is the case in so many, there is a strong hint as to a sequel. Shakespeare would have been proud.