The Shamer's Daughter (2015) User Reviews

Great for children.

[omg_92 · 6/10 · 29 March 2015]

Awesome for kids - but if you are 12+ you will feel like you are reading a children's book, which isn't the case with the actual book.

As a reader of the books, and so a fan of the series, I went and saw the film with high expectations, and hoping for a sense of ''breathtaking''. This was, however, unfortunately not what happened. In my opinion, the acting and setup seems like a theater from public school 5th grade. Of course it's child actors who play the more significant roles. But if you can't find children with skills, one should simply make the characters a few years older.

But fortunately there are the skilled and seasoned adult actors, or are there? These tanned actors work equally as if they were extras in a school play. The animations and props were good, and it certainly does not resemble a B-movie. But I hope that a film company with a somewhat higher budget, sees the potential of the extraordinary storyline and therefore makes a re-make of it.

If you have not read the books, I think that the film may be a bit confusing and seem shallow, with a bad plot.

Looking forward to ''Skammertegnet'' - if this were to be produced of course.

Hurry, hurry, let's get this one over with...

[thniels · 6/10 · 30 January 2016]

First things first: the books are fabulous... There! This movie - not so much. From here on it is easy to fall into the ubiquitous "the-book-was-better-than-the-movie-duh" trap, because this usually falls into the apples and oranges category. This is not what was wrong here. The books are immensely detailed and thought through. Nothing happens out of the blue and for no reason. In other words: there is a stringent plot course from start to finish with very little meandering. That seems to have vanished completely in the movie. If you know the books, you know *why* things happen. Why Dina does what she does and meet who she meets - in short; we get to know her very well and, just as importantly, her family. Here she apparently out of the blue befriends a drunkard assassin, a hard boiled armourer and a powder wielding mini-merlin, all willing to die for her for no reason whatsoever. Perhaps they mixed up the synopsis and the script when filming. One thing is certain. It is going to be immensely difficult to continue the story with gigantic build-up pieces missing.

As for the scenery mostly everything is spotless. Absolutely wonderful and for the most part beautifully filmed. And, by the way, the dragons are rendered verbatim out of the book as vile little buggers more closely related to primitive rats, albeit rather large, than the mercurial aerosol cans dragons are more often portrayed as.

Great movie-- but no ending

[Snootz · 6/10 · 26 January 2019]

The "shame" of this movie is that it is so very well done-- then drops the audience to end credits, with no ending. The audience is not notified of this ahead of time. According to Wikipedia:

"The second part of the saga 'Skammerens Datter II: Slangens Gave' is currently in post production as of 2018 and is set to premiere on February 7, 2019"

It's (as of this review) July 2019 and no sign of a sequel in sight.

When we find out if the *sequel* has an ending or drops us like a dead toad again... I might come back and re-rate this. Or I might not.

The directing, acting, settings are all superb. Storyline is unique, plot line captivating. Could have easily given this 8+ stars based on production alone. So is it so difficult for them to let us know ahead of time that this is the first of 2 or 3 parts? Just as one is really getting interested BAM! Fade to black, no warning. Someone should have shamed the director and publishing company into being more up-front with their plans. For their lack of sympathy for the audience... 6 stars and no more. Take that, film-killing ruffians!

Surprisingly good fantasy

[MonsieurMS · 21 September 2019]

This foreign film with a supernatural twist is surprisingly well done. It was based on a well-known and excellent fantasy book series, "The Shamer Chronicles." Unlike so many adaptations, it is not in the least cartoonish. The acting is good. The writing is good. The plot is good as well. The basic concept, that the lead character can shame people into changing their behavior, has power. You do, of course, have to like things in the fantasy genre. If so, this is well worth a look. It is a cut above.

Nice watch if you are not biased

[sirspamalot-60746 · 7/10 · 31 July 2022]

So, the negative reviews for this movie have two topics: 1) The ending. If you are one of those who can´t stand a movie without the typical 08/15 Hollywood happy ending with the bad guys dead and the hero riding into the sunset, you better stay away from this movie. If your taste in movies isn´t yet ruined by the cliche, keep reading.

2) The movie being inspired by GoT. Not having watched GoT, I am free from comparing them, so I don´t see any flaws there. And IIRC, fans weren´t exactly happy about the ending of the series either... And let´s be honest - it is extremly hard by now to NOT resemble anything already made. For me, it reminded me a bit of LotR at times with the hobbit like look of the main character and the Rivendell lookalike. But that´s okay.

If you are able to rate the movie for what it is, you will most likely end at 6 stars or higher. I found the characters to be convincing enough (surprisingly especially the younger cast), with the main character reminding me of Elizabeth Mitchell regarding the grace and kindness in her mimic. The special effects were pretty good and the story is well written, so all in all, it is a solid movie. Nothing groundbreaking or genre redefining, but definitely worth a watch.

Family friendly medieval fantasy

[Horror_Flick_Fanatic · 7/10 · 7 November 2021]

I liked this film. It has some similarities to the Game of Thrones fantasy world. The little girl, Dina, has powers similar to the Third eye Raven. She is both a telepath and a person that peer into a person's mind and emotions about past events. What I loved most about this film is they kept the CGI to a minimum and focused more on the story. The sequel to this film unfortunately relies more on the CGI crutch.

The costume of the soldiers are similar to The Nights Watchmen. Even the actors could easily fit as GoT extras. The sets were very nicely done too. The screenplay and the actors were great. It's like a family friendly PG-13 version of GoT. It's no denying the director was inspired by Game of Thrones even if the movie is based on a book. The sets and the wardrobe are heavily inspired by HBO's fantasy film.

Not so nice

[gianmarcoronconi · 5/10 · 17 July 2023]

This is not really a review, it should be taken more as a collection of impressions of the film.

Medieval film that blends myth with reality, wanting to create an atmosphere already seen in several series and films but fails because even if the film is entertaining and also of a good standard, taking it as a normal film about the Middle Ages when you go to touch the fantasy stuff the film it becomes really too pretentious and fails to live up to its own demands. Let's also talk about the plot, very badly structured and with too many inconsistencies and forcings made just to make the plot run and it is not acceptable because all these forzture make many passages of the film ridiculous.

Absolutely bonkers! Not worth your time.

[deargoodheart · 4/10 · 1 August 2018]

The plot is naive and childish, the acting is average. I mean couldn't you afford proper looking dragons? Sometimes it seems they've got it and then it slips back to insane childish acting. Yes there's action, suspense, sorcery and the works, but for me it's definitely not a film for a movie night but fit for a casual cursory look. Then in the end, there's no happy ending. Nico has the opportunity to end Kraken's dragonous rule and restore peace to the kingdom. What does he do? he and his little friends abandon his people and runs away like powerless chickens to an island. To live happily ever after?? Give me a break. The bad guy is still alive to continue his breeding of dragons and ruthless tyranny. Terrible lower than low budget movie.

Refreshing contrast to GOT

[christophermoverton · 9/10 · 22 June 2019]

Well done, and a great ending! In this medieval fantasy, the daughter of a shamer, also endowed with such gift, finds herself embroiled in a royal's murder conspiracy. Unlikely to resolve conflict by violence, her gift is one in both reading the memories of others and speaking to them telepathically. A harder to find a treasure such as this that could be the nemesis of the Game of Thrones!

The Scandinavian Game of Thrones?

[Leofwine_draca · 5/10 · 22 November 2016]

An odd little film, not entirely satisfying but not entirely ridiculous at the same time. By all accounts this Scandinavian fantasy film was based on a young adult novel published in Denmark, and it follows the usual template of having the younger characters battling against some evil and oppressive adults. In terms of look and appearance - this is a very visual production - this is often superior to similar American fare.

The main thing that's noticeable about this film is how much of an influence GAME OF THRONES has been on it. You could be forgiven for thinking the opening scenes are set in Castle Black, the look of the costumes and sets are so similar. There aren't a great deal of special effects here but there are some well-realised dragons and the like. The pacing is fast and even if you never get fully immersed in the storyline or the characters, it keeps you watching regardless. The great actor Soren Malling (A HIJACKING) plays one of the villains.

Game of Thrones it's not !!

[redx1708 · 4/10 · 19 January 2016]

Not having read the books, the only reason i watched this was that I seemed to recall some 5 star reviews when it came out. I Wonder compared to what !!! The 4 stars are for the settings and effects. The acting is better left unmentioned. Some of the child actors actually seems to be doing better than the adults. It's possible in all fairness that they had severe problems with taking the dialogue seriously. The lines they get seems very stiff and pathetic. The Drakan character is especially ridiculous. So OK, this is a children's movie but the Harry Potter series proved that it's possible to make a movie that can also be enjoyed by adults. Oh and those overgrown lizards passing for dragons. Lol what can I say ?

The First Ten Minutes

[bemyfriend-40184 · 5/10 · 11 November 2021]

The first ten minutes were INTENSE!! Full ten stars!! But you can usually tell the targeted audience, by the age of the protagonist. It quickly becomes clear, that this is a movie for tween-age viewers. There is some compelling suspense; and "thriller" quality action, when they confront the tyrant. But yeah, the ending. They flee to some Camelot; which will undoubtedly be threatened by Kraken or Kragen or whoever; in part two. Seen on Tubi, the free streaming site, which has a variety of movies; and now, live TV.

Danish YA Book Brought to Life

[alisonc-1 · 9/10 · 18 July 2015]

Dina (Rebecca Emilie Sattrup) has no friends; nobody wants to be around the Shamer's daughter and her mother Melussina (Maria Bonnevie) is viewed by all as a witch, necessary perhaps but a witch nonetheless. And Dina has inherited her mother's gifts, for good and for ill. When the ruling family of the castle and town of Dunark are brutally murdered, it seems the deed was done by the eldest son Nico (Jakob Oftebro), but he refuses to admit guilt and so Melussina is called to "see" his guilt. She fails, and so high- ranking Draken (Peter Plaugborg) brings Dina to the town, but she too fails to elicit guilt in Nico. Draken, however, is determined to condemn Nico and take control of the town, and he not only has most of the ranking officers on his side, but a nasty surprise in the castle's dungeons - dragons! Can Dina find allies to help save herself and her mother? Or will the dragons eat them all?....This is a wonderfully medieval-styled film, with well-realized characters and a very strong female lead, plus some really terrific dragons (more lizard-like than we've seen of late). The film is based on the first of a well-loved Danish YA series, The Shamer Chronicles by Lene Kaaberol, and on the basis of this adaptation, I think the books would be well worth seeking out in translation. At turns dark and humorous, "The Shamer's Daughter" is a solid, action-packed and yet quite touching and emotional film, well worth finding if you can!

Writers must think that we are fools

[phuckracistgop · 1/10 · 15 February 2024]

I don't know what movie these ratings over zero watched, but after viewing this disaster of a fantasy flick, I can only wonder what where they drinking to come up with those sparkling reviews for a film that was sooooo weak of substance.

Yeah it's a fantasy film, but as for standard operating procedure with script writers we are burdened with characters who are dumber than a brick, make every conceivable wrong choice of action imaginable.

And in this case we have a mother and daughter team whose gifts are the ability to see the truth in people and bring it to the surface. Yet the mother allowed herself to be thrown in the dungeon and nearly fed to an over-sized lizard.

So the daughter steps up and convinces the crowd that Draken is the guilty party, so a mini fight ensues. Nico the rightful heir frees the mother yet when given the opportunity to drive his sword through the neck of Drakan. Turns and runs away.

Now they make it to a small sailboat and I guess end up back at the Shamer's mother village to celebrate. But they did not slay Drakan which was totally stupid given he had the chance to end it all right there.

Again with stupid characters making every wrong decision imaginable, and I guess that is supposed to cause viewers with an IQ above 20 to want to watch part two???

Nope, once was more than enough and frankly if I had to pay to watch this drivel, I would be seeking the advice of a good attorney to address the assault on my intelligence.

Danish fantasy film of international standards

[minmagi50 · 8/10 · 31 May 2015]

Just watched Skammerens Datter (The Shamer's Daughter) yesterday with a friend. We are both close to retirement - and we both enjoyed the film immensely!!!!!

Read the books many years ago so the plot was a little bit blurred in our memories.

It was a film of very high standard - very exciting and it caught us into it's medieval/fantastic universe right on.

Beautiful settings - wish I knew where the locations were! The towns, landscapes, buildings and castles were fantastic and very credible.

The plot unfolded maybe a little too fast. There was little time to get to know the persons. I missed a little more time to establish the connections/friendships between Nico and Dina, Rosa and Dina, the girls and våbenmesteren, Mester Magnus and fru Petri. Also the relationship between Drakan and his mother lacked depth - even though it was clear, she was important to him and had an unhealthy influence on him. It wasn't made quite clear enough, that HER revenge was the very reason for the son's (Drakan's) ambitions and murders, because Drakan's father (the king) wouldn't marry her.

But all in all - you won't regret watching this film - you'll feel highly entertained.

Astonishing special effects - and I do wonder how much of the towns, buildings and landscapes are real or created in the computer!

I do look forward to the next films in the series!!!!!!

European Fantasy with depth

[Winter_Nights_ · 9/10 · 15 August 2020]

Just watched this movie by chance: I expected another light Fantasy movie with no depth. I was quite wrong. The movie has its real own story (based on book, as i got to know), is fast paced, quiet dark and engaging. Overall very well done. Very nice setting and good actors.

So, only thing I wonder, why this movie is quite underrated here at imdb. I guess it has a problem to get to the right audience: Many might just want to see another flat american-style fantasy movie: They will be swamped and disappointed. For children (<12) this movie might be to dark and rough. For older audience, who like dark fantasy, there might be to much moral and it might be to fariytale-like.

So, if you like a good, dark fantasy story without blood, but with some moral and heart, this movie is for you!

Wonderful story

[nicolejflores · 8/10 · 8 December 2019]

I began this movie not knowing what to expect and was wonderfully surprised. It is well paced and although it may contain some cliches, it was a well told story.

Fun and thrilling

[wildbunch8 · 10/10 · 8 March 2019]

Enjoyed the mix of humor and action. Better than satisfactory acting. Interesting characters and twist/turns of the script. Worth the time to watch. Enjoy it for yourself.

I like this movie a lot

[jimvandemoter-50236 · 9/10 · 10 March 2020]

First off, don't even try to compare this to Game Of Thrones. It's totally different and an unfair comparison. It's a stand alone story. I had never heard of this story and didn't know about the books so I watched without any preconceived ideas. The kids are really great actors. I never felt like they were 'acting.' Some other actors do ham it up, but that's ok, this is a fantasy after all. It does take it's time to tell the story, but that's typical of so many movies that aren't made in America. It totally drew me in. I will add this to my collection. One word of warning, if you have a problem with sub titles this might give you a challenge.

All very captivating, I fell in love...

[RosanaBotafogo · 8/10 · 6 March 2021]

I was completely enchanted by Rebecca Emilie Sattrup, that angelic look and face, mesmerizing, a great Danish film, photography, costumes and perfect settings, the very moving and convincing magical and dramatic story, the dragon *. *, All very captivating, I fell in love...

Really Good Kid's Movie

[khart-27492 · 9/10 · 26 October 2020]

I liked this movie quite a bit. The shamers' daughter character did a very convincing job, she looked and acted the part very well. The plot wasn't complicated, but it was interesting and the scenery and costumes were terrific. It was refreshing to see a movie with very good production values that wasn't tiresomely murky, grisly or salacious.