The Underworld series got long in the tooth early, but here, in the fourth installment (directed by Swede Måns Mårlind), it grows new fangs. Much credit is due to Kate Beckinsale (absent from Underworld 3) returning as Selene, the sleekly attired vampire who slays werewolves in 3D droves. Also adding some bite is Selene's daughter Eve (India Eisley), the next gen of Lycan-Vamp hybrids and evocative of Chloe Moretz's bloodsucker in Let Me In. Awakening picks up 12 years after Selene had been deep-frozen in a bio-lab and with both supernatural races supposedly "purged" by the humans. Silly mortals. Once her character's thawed out, Beckinsale's thirst for vengeance seems more convincing than in previous episodes. Is it because she rips the jugular vein of a random stranger or because she finally taps into her maternal instincts? No matter; this sequel is brief but bloody and best enjoyed in zombie mode.
