Karry Best movie of this year hands down!

Solemplex To me, this movie is perfection.

Claysaba Excellent, Without a doubt!!

Kimball Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

Michael Ledo This is a long epic tale that takes place in New Zealand before there were settlers. Two warring tribes come together for peace, only for one tribe to do the genocide thing on the other. The King's son manages to escape and vows revenge. As the victors return home, the son follows them through the cursed "Dead Lands" filled with witches and a huge cannibal warrior.The film was extremely interesting for the first 50 minutes. I thought it should have been shorter. The film is told with subscripts. Lawrence Makoare who played Lurtz in LOTR, plays the warrior. The end has a slight twist.No swearing, sex, or nudity

peter-70326 Warrior. Mana. Honour. Rubbish. A less-than-subtle attempt to make murder and mayhem appear justifiable by cloaking it in tribal Honor and duty. In fact its rubbish, full of ignorant and brutal violence, and macho-male BS....not to mention a whole lot of clunky writing, poor plot, poor character development and utterly banal story line. It unfortunately perpetuates the myth of indigenous peoples being uncivilized heathen (which couldn't be farther from the truth) and does no service to the Maori peoples. If your thing is Bruce Lee movies set in the wilderness, with the main protagonists clothed only in feathers and ferns this movie may be for you.

A_Different_Drummer I am tempted to call this the "original" martial arts film, the template from which all the others followed.My reasoning? Everything about this wonderful film, the language, the scenery, the actors, the story, the fighting style, -- they bespeak a culture far older than anything in China, Japan, Korea, Thailand, or wherever your favourite fight flicks come from.Something old. Something that speaks directly to your DNA. Something visceral.Running at almost 2 full hours -- which would be a challenge even for JJ Abrams -- there were hardly any lulls.The story was iconic, and mesmerizing.And unpredictable, which is the hallmark of a really good story.Near the end, just when you think you know what is coming, the "odd couple" revenge duo (see the other reviews for backstory) encounter what appears to be a beautiful maiden who ventured into the Deadlands innocently just to capture some birds, because they were scarce in her area.Within a matter of moments -- no one is more surprised than the audience! -- the older man (the young boys Sifu, to continue the metaphor) is fighting this mere wisp of a girl. And the girl almost manages to outfight the man, the very same giant of a man who a few scenes earlier had chewed through a group of young warriors like Jackie Chan in a back alley.Extraordinary and one of a kind.

quincytheodore The Dead Lands offers myriad of tribal warrior codes, brutal combat and near mythical depiction of ancient culture. Though it may set in archaic time, the visual is crisp and portraying the natural landscape with elegance. Clash of flesh and weapon are aplenty, this is not for the viewing of fainthearted as the scenes are surprisingly full of gore and blood.Its premise is quiet simple. A boy's clan is attacked by the opposing rival clan led by the ambitious son of their chief. With false pretext and sudden ambush, the clan suffers greatly. The boy then must walk the path of vengeance which leads him to a scared ground and a warrior with dubious past. Acting-wise the film is brash, filled with both honor code and battle cries.Casting looks good, the actors physically look intimidating. The old warrior has menacing air as one who has been shouldering heavy burden his entire life. This is an anti-hero story as well as how honor can mean so differently for each person. The characters all have their own salvation to search, but they do so with significantly different paths. Relationship between the boy and the warrior is interesting since both of them barely agree on anything yet still strive for a common goal.Fighting is especially well-choreographed. In a few scenes there are mutilations which will make audience cringe, these are honestly rather unexpected. It's nice to see that the film includes a lot of Maori myth and style with motions as well. There's inclusion of mythology for unworldly presence, it's presented dynamically as how the ancient people would see it.Unfortunately, the film possesses a couple of flaws. It's very combatant oriented, so some of the philosophical themes might not translate well for broader audience. The film has stumbled in halfway point as the visual gets uncomfortably dark and the pace halts.Still, even with several hindrances, The Dead Lands is a great and brazen cultural visit.