Underworld films are a highly specialized taste, and those who've acquired it know who they are. Everyone else should give this one a wide berth.

The plot is so convoluted that missing even five minutes at a stretch won't make any difference in your comprehension of the story.

The digital critters look much better than in the first film, it's fun seeing Derek Jacobi and Bill Nighy vamp it up, and the sight of Kate in that suit makes it worth squinting through all the murk.

With more sloppy computer graphics rendering more fantastical movie monsters, the sequel boasts a lot of digital fakery directed without much grace. The result is dark and noisy and sorta fun to chuckle at, not with.