Kurt Wimmer virtually created a new genre with "Equilibrium". Following up that cult classic was always going to be difficult but when Ultraviolet was announced, expectations were understandably high. As it turns out, Ultraviolet falls considerably short of the high standard set by "Equilibrium". However, this film is by no means the train wreck that it has been portrayed to be. Ultraviolet may be a mess but it still offers more dizzying imagery and computer magic than most blockbusters with three times its budget.
The single biggest problem with Ultraviolet is the story, or lack thereof. A longwinded preamble talks about plagues and diseases, which have resulted in a large portion of the population becoming hemophages - a kind of inoffensive vampire. The government's response to the crisis was initially to treat, then simply to eradicate the hemophages. This was the fate that befell Violet, who escaped a vampire concentration camp to become a vigilante. Despite the fact that Violet never looks or behaves like a vampire and the film forgets to explain Violet's inexplicable fighting prowess - so far so good. In fact the film begins in spectacular style as Violet breaks into a laboratory and steals a case, overcoming a virtual army of guards and scientists. The film begins to fall apart at the seams when Violet finds a human child inside the case and decides to protect it at all costs. Her actions are at odds with everything the character stands for and Violet appears to think nothing of betraying her colleagues.
The rest of the film is basically one long chase scene as Violet struggles to protect the child, known as "Six" from the humans and her fellow mutants. Ultraviolet is never boring, fight after unrealistic fight takes place, characters come and go, flashbacks show glimpses into Violet's old life but nothing really makes any sense or is even vaguely plausible. "Equilibrium" managed to create a sense of gravity through its own convincing mythology. Ultraviolet, on the other hand, is about as deep as Paris Hilton.
If you can get past the fact that the film is basically an excuse to show off Wimmer's computer trickery, Ultraviolet is an enjoyable experience. The action sequences are disappointingly soft as far as violence is concerned but the martial arts and shootings are innovatively staged. There is a tendency to give every fight scene a "Matrix" makeover, with balletic martial arts moves and the requisite bullet dodging, but there are enough new ideas on display to give the film its own identity. The human ball bearings that open the film is one example of Kurt Wimmer's wonderful imagination, Violet's climactic fight against an entire army is another.
In the midst of all this action are a couple of nice scenes between Violet and Six. Milla Jovovich is surprisingly effective as the title character and has to be the best supermodel turned action hero in the history of cinema. Violet is more than a rehash of Milla's character in the far superior "Resident Evil" films. Violet's actions might not make much sense but Milla somehow manages to stop her from coming across as a complete lunatic. The only other actor worth mentioning is Nick Chinlund as Vicecardinum Daxus. Chinlund gives an enjoyably extravagant performance and he makes a good foil for Milla's subtle take on Violet.
Ultraviolet, like "Equilibrium", is distinguished by its innovative use of computer graphics and stylish set and costume design. Kurt Wimmer does not simply utilise computer graphics for special effects sequences, he uses them to create the film's tone, style and landscape. As such, Wimmer's films occupy a weird and wonderful place between live action and computer animation. The jarring factor for the uninitiated is that this director is not aiming for science fiction realism but a highly stylised fantasy world. It must be said that this approach was far better suited to the darker "Equilibrium". The candy coloured world that serves as the backdrop for Ultraviolet often robs the film of its edge and contributes to the film's lack of gravity.
The theatrical version of the film appears to be a studio hatchet job. Apparently, there is at least half an hour of additional footage floating around. I hope that Kurt Wimmer one day gets the opportunity to release a revised version of the film. I suspect that the released product differs substantially from his original vision.
The single biggest problem with Ultraviolet is the story, or lack thereof. A longwinded preamble talks about plagues and diseases, which have resulted in a large portion of the population becoming hemophages - a kind of inoffensive vampire. The government's response to the crisis was initially to treat, then simply to eradicate the hemophages. This was the fate that befell Violet, who escaped a vampire concentration camp to become a vigilante. Despite the fact that Violet never looks or behaves like a vampire and the film forgets to explain Violet's inexplicable fighting prowess - so far so good. In fact the film begins in spectacular style as Violet breaks into a laboratory and steals a case, overcoming a virtual army of guards and scientists. The film begins to fall apart at the seams when Violet finds a human child inside the case and decides to protect it at all costs. Her actions are at odds with everything the character stands for and Violet appears to think nothing of betraying her colleagues.
The rest of the film is basically one long chase scene as Violet struggles to protect the child, known as "Six" from the humans and her fellow mutants. Ultraviolet is never boring, fight after unrealistic fight takes place, characters come and go, flashbacks show glimpses into Violet's old life but nothing really makes any sense or is even vaguely plausible. "Equilibrium" managed to create a sense of gravity through its own convincing mythology. Ultraviolet, on the other hand, is about as deep as Paris Hilton.
If you can get past the fact that the film is basically an excuse to show off Wimmer's computer trickery, Ultraviolet is an enjoyable experience. The action sequences are disappointingly soft as far as violence is concerned but the martial arts and shootings are innovatively staged. There is a tendency to give every fight scene a "Matrix" makeover, with balletic martial arts moves and the requisite bullet dodging, but there are enough new ideas on display to give the film its own identity. The human ball bearings that open the film is one example of Kurt Wimmer's wonderful imagination, Violet's climactic fight against an entire army is another.
In the midst of all this action are a couple of nice scenes between Violet and Six. Milla Jovovich is surprisingly effective as the title character and has to be the best supermodel turned action hero in the history of cinema. Violet is more than a rehash of Milla's character in the far superior "Resident Evil" films. Violet's actions might not make much sense but Milla somehow manages to stop her from coming across as a complete lunatic. The only other actor worth mentioning is Nick Chinlund as Vicecardinum Daxus. Chinlund gives an enjoyably extravagant performance and he makes a good foil for Milla's subtle take on Violet.
Ultraviolet, like "Equilibrium", is distinguished by its innovative use of computer graphics and stylish set and costume design. Kurt Wimmer does not simply utilise computer graphics for special effects sequences, he uses them to create the film's tone, style and landscape. As such, Wimmer's films occupy a weird and wonderful place between live action and computer animation. The jarring factor for the uninitiated is that this director is not aiming for science fiction realism but a highly stylised fantasy world. It must be said that this approach was far better suited to the darker "Equilibrium". The candy coloured world that serves as the backdrop for Ultraviolet often robs the film of its edge and contributes to the film's lack of gravity.
The theatrical version of the film appears to be a studio hatchet job. Apparently, there is at least half an hour of additional footage floating around. I hope that Kurt Wimmer one day gets the opportunity to release a revised version of the film. I suspect that the released product differs substantially from his original vision.