Usually by the time a franchise gets to movie#3 the original premise is creaking under the excess weight of forced plot contrivances, successive budget cuts and second rate performances but Underworld: Rise Of The Lycans holds up remarkably well. Of course, the previous two entrants in this series were not cinematic masterpieces but they were entertaining quasi-horror romps into fetishist vampirism and sweaty lycanthropy and this third instalment is on par with those.

Gone is PVC vampire lovely, Kate Beckinsale, and stepping up to the plate to fulfill luscious-lips and shapely-butt duties is the equally beguiling Rhona Mitra. Mitra was born for this role and carries her charge as the new silver screen vampire queen with consummate allure and ease.

With his new found acting credibility courtesy of The Queen and Frost/Nixon, Michael Sheen almost appears to be slumming it here but his trademark grimace works equally well whether it be for Tony Blair or Lucien and along with intensity stalwart, Bill Nighy, rounds out a cast which services this entertaining fluff piece well.

Despite the occasional descent into melodrama, Underworld: Rise Of The Lycans fundamentally delivers on that which it's predecessors excelled: eye candy for the boys and grrrrl-power for the girls and enough action to tie the two together for an hour and a half.

7.5 out of 10.