The Dead Lands
1/4
Starring: James Rolleston, Lawrence Makoare, Te Kohe Tuhaka, George Henare
Rated R for Brutal Bloody Violence
Tane (Henare) is a tribal chief seeks to put a long ago war in the past. To do this, he allows representatives of a rival tribe, led by Wirepa (Tuhaka), to visit the remains of their fallen ancestors. But as his son Hongi (Rolleston) discovers, they have come under false pretenses. Wirepa's real goal is revenge. Wirepa and his men exact their payment in blood, slaughtering just about everyone they can find, including Tane. Hongi is now the tribal chief and vows to avenge his tribe, despite the fact that he can't fight. To help, he ventures into the Dead Lands, which were once populated by a tribe that suddenly vanished, and finds the demon who lives there (Makoare).
Plot is not the film's strong suit. It's trite and not especially interesting. But director Toa Fraser spends far too much time on it, which is a mistake since it gets repetitive and no one is likely to care one bit. The audience for this movie is hungry for brutal action. Sadly, the film doesn't deliver on that part either. The fight scenes are blandly filmed without flair and despite the screaming and the flashing pecs, there isn't much testosterone to be found.
Part of the reason "The Dead Lands" fails so utterly is that Hongi is a complete bore. There's little depth to the character, and actor James Rolleston brings to mind Taylor Lautner and a cement block. He's awful. Lawrence Makoare is better I guess as The Warrior, but there's not much for him to do other than to look fierce, which he does with panache. This is the guy who, after all, played the lead Uruk-hai in the final act of "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring," and both The Witch-King and Gothmog in "The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King." True, he was hidden behind make-up and motion capture, but as Andy Serkis proved, an actor can do a lot with those parameters.
The first time I saw this movie (yes, I sometimes rewatch movies that I found to be awful, but only if curiosity gets the better of me or I feel the need to review them), I found that it had similarities to "Hammer of the Gods." I can still see that, albeit not as much. That movie had adrenaline-packed action scenes and an intriguing story. "The Dead Lands" is as boring as it is brainless. In that sense, and a few others, it brings to mind that stinker from last year, "The Duelist."
I think that says enough.
Starring: James Rolleston, Lawrence Makoare, Te Kohe Tuhaka, George Henare
Rated R for Brutal Bloody Violence
The action is breathtaking, the performances compelling. Don't miss it!" -Peter Jackson
Far more than just a great action movie--It's great cinema." -James CameronPeter Jackson and James Cameron are two smart guys. They've each got a trio of Oscars and have helmed some of the most successful films in the history of the medium. They know what they're talking about. Still, it makes me wonder why they would lend their names to advertise a movie as banal and boring as "The Dead Lands." The movie has no real plot and less adrenaline than a Teletubbies episode.
Tane (Henare) is a tribal chief seeks to put a long ago war in the past. To do this, he allows representatives of a rival tribe, led by Wirepa (Tuhaka), to visit the remains of their fallen ancestors. But as his son Hongi (Rolleston) discovers, they have come under false pretenses. Wirepa's real goal is revenge. Wirepa and his men exact their payment in blood, slaughtering just about everyone they can find, including Tane. Hongi is now the tribal chief and vows to avenge his tribe, despite the fact that he can't fight. To help, he ventures into the Dead Lands, which were once populated by a tribe that suddenly vanished, and finds the demon who lives there (Makoare).
Plot is not the film's strong suit. It's trite and not especially interesting. But director Toa Fraser spends far too much time on it, which is a mistake since it gets repetitive and no one is likely to care one bit. The audience for this movie is hungry for brutal action. Sadly, the film doesn't deliver on that part either. The fight scenes are blandly filmed without flair and despite the screaming and the flashing pecs, there isn't much testosterone to be found.
Part of the reason "The Dead Lands" fails so utterly is that Hongi is a complete bore. There's little depth to the character, and actor James Rolleston brings to mind Taylor Lautner and a cement block. He's awful. Lawrence Makoare is better I guess as The Warrior, but there's not much for him to do other than to look fierce, which he does with panache. This is the guy who, after all, played the lead Uruk-hai in the final act of "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring," and both The Witch-King and Gothmog in "The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King." True, he was hidden behind make-up and motion capture, but as Andy Serkis proved, an actor can do a lot with those parameters.
The first time I saw this movie (yes, I sometimes rewatch movies that I found to be awful, but only if curiosity gets the better of me or I feel the need to review them), I found that it had similarities to "Hammer of the Gods." I can still see that, albeit not as much. That movie had adrenaline-packed action scenes and an intriguing story. "The Dead Lands" is as boring as it is brainless. In that sense, and a few others, it brings to mind that stinker from last year, "The Duelist."
I think that says enough.
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