A hidden gem in indie fantasy
I saw this film on Netflix out of pure boredom and curiosity. That curiosity stemming from seeing the previews on youtube then later noticing that it was getting some positive feedback from people who declare themselves to be fantasy fans. Is an OBVIOUSLY low budget fantasy film worth a look than the high production values of Hollywood Fantasy blockbusters. Well...
The Plot
When an elf bounty hunter named Nemyt (Danielle Chuchran) slays a dragon rider, she becomes cursed with a dark mark that has her connected to a dark god. Wanting to find a way to remove the dark mark, she encounters Keltus (Richard McWilliams) a holy knight who is on a mission to destroy the Dark God and Kullimon (Paul D. Hunt) an orc chieftain who seeks revenge against his horde who abandoned him for the Dark God. Together the unlikely trio embark on a perilous journey to eradicate this powerful force of evil.
Analysis
There is one genre that is not built for indie films, and it is the fantasy genre. There are so many expenses needed in order to create a believable world. It is fascinating when small studios try, in order to capitalize on any Hollywood film that carries the fantasy banner. With modest budgets however, these film rarely find a way to live up to the fantastical stories they tell. And most of the time, they are just recycled plots with recycled characters. Yet for some reason, this film, while it has recycled plots and recycled characters, is something special. Something innocent and admirable that other movies made by the production company that produced this seems to lack. I'm not quite sure what it is, but there is just something about it that is... magic.
Review
It should be noted right from the beginning that this is a very low budget film. Yet with the budget this film had, the final product is definitely passable. Even watchable about 90% of the time. The 10% that I find unwatchable are the scenes involving the CGI dragon that is not fully animated or rendered and the giant creature that was made out of terrible patchwork. But as I said before, the 90% that is watchable is pretty damn watchable.
I should also put this up front right now. The story is not that original. I mean, if you're a fantasy fan, you know every single beat of this story. A band of heroes from different backgrounds with different skills must join forces to combat a greater evil. It is the standard fantasy story, and seeing as how audiences tastes have evolved from Lord of the Ring to Game of Thrones, the standard fantasy story may not be what audiences want. Even the dialogue in the story is the standard cliche fantasy dialogue that could even be found in fairy tale stories. So why is this film worth mentioning if the story is predictable and the dialogue is not that amazing? Well... because of the three leads.
I'm not joking when I say this, but there is something compelling about the three leads in this film. Danielle Chuchran, who you will not remember as playing Thing One from Mike Myers' Cat in the Hat, plays Nemyt, a mash up of two fantasy character archetypes: the female elven warrior and the rogue scoundrel. While I'm sure this mash up has happened in fantasy novels, it was definitely fresh to see the two combined for a live action film. Her acting may not be strong, but when it hits its marks with this character it really sells you that this is not a graceful elf from Lord of the Rings but a broken one. Paul D. Hunt plays the Orc warrior, Kullimon, who is not a creature of pure evil like mainstream audiences would associate with Lord of the Rings but rather just a race of people who do things that are not considered good. His charismatic and likable performance that clashes with the nearly ultra serious Nemyt. Their chemistry definitely works on screen, and there is some joy to be seen of having an elf and an orc work together. Something that only World of Warcraft players and hardcore fantasy fans are aware is a possible thing. And lastly there is Richard McWilliams as Keltus, our heroic holy knight. He is definitely not the strongest character of the two and very stereotypical, but being surrounded by two strong characters masks his flaws.
Besides frome the leads, there is something fascinating about this fantasy world that the writer and director created. It feels believable and it is obvious that they are huge fantasy fans. From the possibility of a rogue elf to having the orcs not be evil but just people who want to survive, it really shows that a lot of thought was put into making this a pure fantasy film. Unfortunately making it a pure fantasy film may have been too much, because as I stated before, this is a standard fantasy story. Yet, it is because of the low budget and creativity of the world that makes this film stand out from the others their production company has made. Less is more as it doesn't have clashing armies or CGI monsters attacking every ten minutes. Instead it focuses on the three leads, which is a good thing, even though the dialogue isn't original at least their earnest performances will keep you watching. This film is especially hopeful for independent filmmakers who dream of creating a fantasy film but lack the resources to do so. These people can do it, so why can't others? And maybe some will look at what these guys can accomplish and think of what they can do better.
I should also add that the action scenes that center around Chuchran's Nemyt are probably the most satisfying. It is obvious that the director doesn't know how to shoot action, but at least Chuchran has some excellent martial arts experience as it show with how she handles her blade.
Final Thoughts
There is something charming and innocent about this movie. You can see the passion of the filmmakers who genuinely want to make the best fantasy film they can with what little they have. If this was a youtube production it would be considered amazing, as it definitely looks like one step above a youtube production. The cast is likable, and while it may not be an amazing fantasy film, it is a fantasy film for fantasy fans. If you're not a fantasy fan or an aspiring indie filmmaker or someone with an open mind, this is definitely not for you.
SCORE: 6.7/10 - A valiant effort that could've been better despite their lack of budget
Analysis
There is one genre that is not built for indie films, and it is the fantasy genre. There are so many expenses needed in order to create a believable world. It is fascinating when small studios try, in order to capitalize on any Hollywood film that carries the fantasy banner. With modest budgets however, these film rarely find a way to live up to the fantastical stories they tell. And most of the time, they are just recycled plots with recycled characters. Yet for some reason, this film, while it has recycled plots and recycled characters, is something special. Something innocent and admirable that other movies made by the production company that produced this seems to lack. I'm not quite sure what it is, but there is just something about it that is... magic.
Review
It should be noted right from the beginning that this is a very low budget film. Yet with the budget this film had, the final product is definitely passable. Even watchable about 90% of the time. The 10% that I find unwatchable are the scenes involving the CGI dragon that is not fully animated or rendered and the giant creature that was made out of terrible patchwork. But as I said before, the 90% that is watchable is pretty damn watchable.
I should also put this up front right now. The story is not that original. I mean, if you're a fantasy fan, you know every single beat of this story. A band of heroes from different backgrounds with different skills must join forces to combat a greater evil. It is the standard fantasy story, and seeing as how audiences tastes have evolved from Lord of the Ring to Game of Thrones, the standard fantasy story may not be what audiences want. Even the dialogue in the story is the standard cliche fantasy dialogue that could even be found in fairy tale stories. So why is this film worth mentioning if the story is predictable and the dialogue is not that amazing? Well... because of the three leads.
I'm not joking when I say this, but there is something compelling about the three leads in this film. Danielle Chuchran, who you will not remember as playing Thing One from Mike Myers' Cat in the Hat, plays Nemyt, a mash up of two fantasy character archetypes: the female elven warrior and the rogue scoundrel. While I'm sure this mash up has happened in fantasy novels, it was definitely fresh to see the two combined for a live action film. Her acting may not be strong, but when it hits its marks with this character it really sells you that this is not a graceful elf from Lord of the Rings but a broken one. Paul D. Hunt plays the Orc warrior, Kullimon, who is not a creature of pure evil like mainstream audiences would associate with Lord of the Rings but rather just a race of people who do things that are not considered good. His charismatic and likable performance that clashes with the nearly ultra serious Nemyt. Their chemistry definitely works on screen, and there is some joy to be seen of having an elf and an orc work together. Something that only World of Warcraft players and hardcore fantasy fans are aware is a possible thing. And lastly there is Richard McWilliams as Keltus, our heroic holy knight. He is definitely not the strongest character of the two and very stereotypical, but being surrounded by two strong characters masks his flaws.
Besides frome the leads, there is something fascinating about this fantasy world that the writer and director created. It feels believable and it is obvious that they are huge fantasy fans. From the possibility of a rogue elf to having the orcs not be evil but just people who want to survive, it really shows that a lot of thought was put into making this a pure fantasy film. Unfortunately making it a pure fantasy film may have been too much, because as I stated before, this is a standard fantasy story. Yet, it is because of the low budget and creativity of the world that makes this film stand out from the others their production company has made. Less is more as it doesn't have clashing armies or CGI monsters attacking every ten minutes. Instead it focuses on the three leads, which is a good thing, even though the dialogue isn't original at least their earnest performances will keep you watching. This film is especially hopeful for independent filmmakers who dream of creating a fantasy film but lack the resources to do so. These people can do it, so why can't others? And maybe some will look at what these guys can accomplish and think of what they can do better.
I should also add that the action scenes that center around Chuchran's Nemyt are probably the most satisfying. It is obvious that the director doesn't know how to shoot action, but at least Chuchran has some excellent martial arts experience as it show with how she handles her blade.
Final Thoughts
There is something charming and innocent about this movie. You can see the passion of the filmmakers who genuinely want to make the best fantasy film they can with what little they have. If this was a youtube production it would be considered amazing, as it definitely looks like one step above a youtube production. The cast is likable, and while it may not be an amazing fantasy film, it is a fantasy film for fantasy fans. If you're not a fantasy fan or an aspiring indie filmmaker or someone with an open mind, this is definitely not for you.
SCORE: 6.7/10 - A valiant effort that could've been better despite their lack of budget
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