Reviewed by: Dare Devil Kid (DDK)
Rating: 2.5/5 stars
With a stylish look and 86-minute runtime, "Sword of Vengeance" is chock full of action, violence, retribution, and minimal dialogue. The script revolves around a Norman prince (Stanley Weber) who seeks revenge on his father's murderer - his ruthless uncle, Earl Durant (Karel Roden). Gaining the trust of a band of exiled and beleaguered Saxon farmers, he leads them into battle against Durant and his army, exploiting them in his quest to satisfy his code of honor. Does the prince find his retribution, and will he be willing to sacrifice everything and everyone to quench his thirst for bloody vengeance forms the crux of the story.
The film showcases a great use of color, making the battlefield look hazy and depressing. It's also heavy on style, has a great production design (considering its budget), and boasts impressive sets. There is an interesting background score to boot - very electronic and not at all what you might expect from a film set one thousand years ago, but nevertheless refreshing and merged well with the scenes.
The bleak and desolate landscape, the depiction of the silent warrior, and the tyranny of the Normans over the Saxons are all well- portrayed. Unfortunately, the plot feels scattered, and the character development, subpar. The audience is only treated to flashbacks of our prince's past; how he got to where he is remains open to conjecture (and not of the less known the better kind). Though Weber does a good job of portraying his character, the writing and story does not provide adequate depth for the audience to sympathize with him, nor to be wholly engaged in his pursuit. Also, the historical authenticity of the portrayal of female Saxon warriors with one of being the leader (no less) of the ragtag and of Saxons is dubious to say the least. It's a given that the movie is a fictitious tale set against a historical backdrop, meant solely for entertainment, but this stretch of liberty taken by the filmmakers is somewhat hard do digest. And, as much as I'm an advocate for gender equality, it cannot trump reality.
"Sword of Vengeance" is basically one long battle sequence against a dark, brooding landscape interspersed with morose characters. Standing out from the bunch is Annabelle Wallis who breathes life into her battle worn character Anna. She is shown as a brutalized form in her introductory scene, and, then as the movie progresses, her inner warrior comes out. Obviously, Anna has to mix it up with the men, in battle and in the, um, bedroom, and Wallis has the proper combination of beauty and brawn to be believable in both aspects.
Among the pros of 'Sword Of Vengeance' are its scenery, costumes, and score, which are pretty good, considering it's limited budget. The battle scenes are engrossing, barring certain portions where the use of slow-motion becomes excessive. The final battle looks epic with arrows, flames, pits, swords, axes, and plenty of mayhem. If you can look past the weak narrative and lack of character development, the film is worthy of an Itunes or Amazon download, especially for action buffs.
Rating: 2.5/5 stars
With a stylish look and 86-minute runtime, "Sword of Vengeance" is chock full of action, violence, retribution, and minimal dialogue. The script revolves around a Norman prince (Stanley Weber) who seeks revenge on his father's murderer - his ruthless uncle, Earl Durant (Karel Roden). Gaining the trust of a band of exiled and beleaguered Saxon farmers, he leads them into battle against Durant and his army, exploiting them in his quest to satisfy his code of honor. Does the prince find his retribution, and will he be willing to sacrifice everything and everyone to quench his thirst for bloody vengeance forms the crux of the story.
The film showcases a great use of color, making the battlefield look hazy and depressing. It's also heavy on style, has a great production design (considering its budget), and boasts impressive sets. There is an interesting background score to boot - very electronic and not at all what you might expect from a film set one thousand years ago, but nevertheless refreshing and merged well with the scenes.
The bleak and desolate landscape, the depiction of the silent warrior, and the tyranny of the Normans over the Saxons are all well- portrayed. Unfortunately, the plot feels scattered, and the character development, subpar. The audience is only treated to flashbacks of our prince's past; how he got to where he is remains open to conjecture (and not of the less known the better kind). Though Weber does a good job of portraying his character, the writing and story does not provide adequate depth for the audience to sympathize with him, nor to be wholly engaged in his pursuit. Also, the historical authenticity of the portrayal of female Saxon warriors with one of being the leader (no less) of the ragtag and of Saxons is dubious to say the least. It's a given that the movie is a fictitious tale set against a historical backdrop, meant solely for entertainment, but this stretch of liberty taken by the filmmakers is somewhat hard do digest. And, as much as I'm an advocate for gender equality, it cannot trump reality.
"Sword of Vengeance" is basically one long battle sequence against a dark, brooding landscape interspersed with morose characters. Standing out from the bunch is Annabelle Wallis who breathes life into her battle worn character Anna. She is shown as a brutalized form in her introductory scene, and, then as the movie progresses, her inner warrior comes out. Obviously, Anna has to mix it up with the men, in battle and in the, um, bedroom, and Wallis has the proper combination of beauty and brawn to be believable in both aspects.
Among the pros of 'Sword Of Vengeance' are its scenery, costumes, and score, which are pretty good, considering it's limited budget. The battle scenes are engrossing, barring certain portions where the use of slow-motion becomes excessive. The final battle looks epic with arrows, flames, pits, swords, axes, and plenty of mayhem. If you can look past the weak narrative and lack of character development, the film is worthy of an Itunes or Amazon download, especially for action buffs.