Ultraviolet (Unrated Extended Cut) (2006)

"...Jovovich carries out her action-hero duties with swagger and conviction...  Gene Seymour, Los Angeles Times

Editor's Note Although the artwork in the opening credits would lead you to believe otherwise, writer/director Kurt Wimmer (EQUILIBRIUM) reportedly based ULTRAVIOLET not on a comic book but on John Cassavetes's 1980 film GLORIA, in which a woman must protect a young boy who is carrying some information sought by the Mafia. In ULTRAVIOLET's mid-21st century, a virus has turned part of the earth's population into "hemophages," vampire-like creatures with heightened speed and dexterity, and a fascist government is intent on stamping them out. Enter Violet (Milla Jovovich), a hemophage determined to fight for her people. Her battle takes an unexpected turn, however, when she finds herself protecting Six (Cameron Bright), a mysterious young child who was raised in a lab. Tailor-made for young action fans raised on anime and videogames who want nothing more than to see a beautiful heroine leave a path of destruction behind her, ULTRAVIOLET cross-pollinates plot threads from popular franchises like THE MATRIX and UNDERWORLD. Creating a brightly hued, soft-focus environment constructed entirely with CGI and a green screen, ULTRAVIOLET's look is much like SKY CAPTAIN AND THE WORLD OF TOMORROW (2004). Cementing the reputation she established with similar athletic, minimally clothed roles in THE FIFTH ELEMENT and the RESIDENT EVIL films, Jovovich will go down in the books as a sci-fi femme fatale for the ages. Her Ultraviolet--who inexplicably changes her hair color and outfits seemingly at will--is a lethal melding of Morticia Adams at a rave and KILL BILL's Bride. Pulling off moves that clearly demonstrate the training she underwent for the role, and usually with a bare midriff, she gives her fans plenty to enjoy. Wimmer wisely leaves the door open for further adventures in the saga.

	Cameron Bright
	Milla Jovovich
	Nick Chinlund
	Sebastien Andrieu
	Arthur Wong - Cinematographer
	John Baldecchi - Producer
	Klaus Badelt - Original Music By
	Kurt Wimmer - Director
	Kurt Wimmer - Writer
	William Yeh - Editor

Widescreen Review
"[T]he colors are almost always incredibly vivid in saturation, often with spot colors of violet, but many scenes are awash in other hues that enhance the fantasy setting and locations." 07/01/2006 p.67

ReelTalk 6 of 10
It doesn't help that Wimmer hides behind a wall of style when his well of ideas starts to run dry by using the crutch of making the film and the grand action sequences that punctuate it look as cool as he can. Wimmer spends most of the time in Ultraviolet coming up with some nifty ideas, then not following through on them, choosing instead to throw in another action sequence edited by Edward Scissorhands. - Adam Hakari

ReelViews 6 of 10
It occurs to me that the lack of lucidity in the story could be the result of extreme cuts to the final print. There are times when events jump forward in a jarring manner. If that's the case, maybe the dvd release will contain a director's cut that might make sense. As for the actors...I hesitate to say anything about them because it's unclear how much of their performances are attributable to the computer. - James Berardinelli