CLASH OF EMPIRES -- DVD Review by Porfle

 

Originally posted on 8/17/11

 

Malaysian historical legend gets a retelling in the small-scale epic CLASH OF EMPIRES (2011), aka "The Malay Chronicles: Bloodlines."  But while providing some entertainment and the occasional "ooh, ahh" moment, it's not quite the stirring and inspirational saga it aspires to be. 

You have to hand it to director/co-writer Yusry Kru for being ambitious and trying to wring as much spectacle as he can out of what appears to be a non-Hollywood budget.  There's some sweep to the story (circa 120 A.D.) of a Roman prince and a Chinese princess whose pre-arranged marriage on a neutral shore is interrupted by an attack by the dreaded pirates, the Garuda. 

Their most ruthless warrior, Kamawas (Khir Rahman), whose magic amulet gives him invincibility, kidnaps the princess for ransom.  Merong, a Malaysian rogue hired to guard the prince, leads the local tribesmen in battle against the Garuda after discovering that he is the great warrior whom prophecies foretell will unite them in victory. 

CLASH OF EMPIRES blends elements of high seas adventure, historical warfare, and romance with generous doses of mysticism and sorcery.  The paunchy Garuda chieftan Taji gestures broadly at the gods to bring thunderbolts down on his enemies while armies on the seashore engage in speeded-up combat that's impressively violent while not being especially well shot or choreographed.  What the battle scenes lack in finesse, however, is made up for by the sheer amount of slice-and-dice action.



Stephen Rahman Hughes as Merong displays some martial arts dexterity and lots of enthusiasm along with a welcome sense of humor.  Much of the first half of the film, in fact, in played rather lightly, especially with the corny romantic banter between Prince Marcus (Gavin Stenhouse) and the reluctant bride-to-be, Meng Li Hua (Jing Lusi).  The antics of the Princess' handmaiden Ying Ying (Nell Ng) may even start to grate on your nerves after awhile.

Things get serious, however, with the Princess' abduction and Merong's realization of his true destiny.  As his ships near the Geruda camp, the film does its best to expand to epic proportions while not quite getting there.  Merong's "sword day" motivational speech to his men doesn't have that RETURN OF THE KING vibe it strives for although it seems to have the intended effect of making them all willing to die. 

The magical element returns when Merong unveils a death ray he's constructed from broken mirrors, which causes the enemy to burst into flames and flop limply out of their boats.  Flabby fight choreography tends to drain the excitement out of much of the subsequent battle, while some low-level CGI gives certain scenes a rinky-dink veneer. 



At times the film suffers from murky cinematography that looks like its been tinkered with too much digitally--a few more bursts of vivid color here and there would've greatly improved the visuals.  Exotic locations and good production design are a big help, as is Edry Abdul Halim's lively score as performed by the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra.

The DVD from Image Entertainment is in 1.78:1 widescreen with Dolby 5.1 surround sound and subtitles in English and Spanish.  The sole extra is a theatrical trailer.

CLASH OF EMPIRES is an earnest depiction of Malaysian folklore that tries hard to match the grandeur of other epics but can never quite rise above its own limitations.  Still, it's relatively entertaining in its own modest and rather endearing way. 

 

CLASH OF EMPIRES -- DVD Review by Porfle

MERLIN: THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON -- DVD Review by Porfle

 

Originally posted on 1/27/11

 

I thought this series was going to be hard to get into, but after only one episode I had settled comfortably into the magical world of BBC-TV's MERLIN: THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON.  For fans of the legend of Merlin, Arthur, and Camelot, all the familiar elements are here--they've just been taken apart and reassembled in very different ways.

This time,  Merlin (Colin Morgan) is an awkward, callow young apprentice to the wizened old court physician, Gaius (Richard Wilson), who is like a father to the boy.  Merlin was born with magical powers but must keep them secret since King Uther Pendragon (Anthony Head) has outlawed sorcery of any kind in Camelot.  Only Gaius, a former sorcerer himself, knows Merlin's secret.  Uther's ward, the beautiful Morgana (Katie McGrath), is also developing similar abilities which keep her in a constant state of anxiety.

Prince Arthur (Bradley James) shows the potential of becoming the wise king we know he'll someday be, yet remains arrogant and vain.  As Arthur's personal servant and friend, Merlin tries to help him develop his better qualities while also secretly using his magic to protect the prince, and Camelot itself, from harm.  The object of Arthur's affections is Morgana's trusted maid, the dusky-hued beauty Gwen (Angel Coulby), although we know, of course, that she will someday be smitten by dashing Lancelot.  Or will she?  In this version, you can never be sure.


"The Curse of Cornelius Sigan" gives us our first look at Merlin's power as he battles an evil sorcerer whose soul has inhabited the body of a weaselly con man named Cedric.  This one features a full-scale attack on Camelot by some flying CGI gargoyles that are pretty well-done.  (Overall, the show's digital effects aren't bad for a weekly series.)  It also introduces us to the Great Dragon (voiced by John Hurt) who is chained in a vast cavern below the castle and from whom Merlin often seeks magical advice, with the promise of someday releasing the creature.

A bounty hunter hired by Uther's sworn enemy King Odin stalks Arthur in "The Once and Future Queen", which advances the story of Arthur's growing love for servant girl Gwen against the backdrop of a jousting tournament.  "Lancelot and Guinevere", with Gwen being mistaken for Morgana and held for ransom, brings future knight Lancelot into the mix and begins the ill-fated love triangle that will someday bring ruin to Camelot.  (Maybe...)  In "The Nightmare Begins", Morgana discovers her true nature and flees to a Druid village for some sympathetic advice.  Here, we meet the child Mordred. 

One of my favorite episodes is the two-parter "Beauty and the Beast."  Sarah Parish guest-stars as a hideous troll who uses a magic potion to impersonate a noblewoman and bewitch King Uther into marrying her.  Parish wears some highly effective makeup and a body suit which transform her into one of the most revolting creatures ever--she makes Jimmy Durante look like Jayne Mansfield--and her unrestrained performance in both guises is outstanding. 

It's also fun when she drops the "ladylike" act in private and reverts to her usual trollish behavior while still looking like Lady Catrina.  This is probably the season's most overt dive into broad comedy, especially when the blinded-by-love Uther gets romantic with his nightmarish, flatulent bride.  You may need to keep a barf bag handy for this one.


Charles Dance gives a gleefully sinister portrayal of "The Witchfinder", hired by Uther to sniff out sorcery in Camelot by any means necessary.  His efforts result in Gaius being sentenced to burn at the stake.  In "The Sins of the Father" we meet the beautiful and mysterious sorceress Morgause, who turns Arthur against his father.  This episode builds to one of the more intensely dramatic endings of the season.

"Lady of the Lake" gives Merlin a chance to fall in love when he helps a lovely sorceress escape from a ruthless bounty hunter, only to find that she hides a deadly secret.  "Sweet Dreams", another comedic story, finds Arthur and a rival king's insufferable daughter bewitched into falling madly in love during a royal peace summit. 

The final three episodes in the set--"The Witch's Quickening", "The Fires of Idirsholas", and "The Last Dragonlord"--are full of exciting surprises as the season builds to its finale.  Morgana's story takes some drastic turns with the return of Morgause and Mordred, while Camelot itself comes under attack from supernatural forces that threaten to destroy it.  A major revelation for Merlin comes shortly before he and the Great Dragon face off as enemies at last, in a season ender which, thankfully, doesn't completely leave us hanging.

While at times poking a bit of fun at itself with a few deliberate anachronisms in speech and behavior, MERLIN's indulgences in lighthearted comedy have none of the hokiness of a show like "Xena" or "Hercules."  The more realistic tone allows the writers to include frequent moments of high drama that elevate the show above the norm.  Several episodes are surprisingly moving, while others simmer with intrigue.  Action-wise, the stories are filled with swordfights, monsters, and colorful villains.
 

The production values are lavish, with elaborate set design and costumes and scenic locations (including an actual 14th-century castle in Paris) contributing to the overall atmosphere.  Each episode is enhanced by a stirring musical score fit for a big-budget fantasy epic.  The lead actors are engaging, particularly Colin Morgan as Merlin and Richard Wilson (HOW TO GET AHEAD IN ADVERTISING) as Gaius. 

The 5-disc DVD set from BBC-Warner is in 16:9 with Dolby Digital sound and English subtitles.  Disc #5 contains the special features, which include the 34-minute featurette "The Making of Merlin", a cast and crew introduction to season two, a photo gallery, and desktop wallpapers.  The set also includes cast and crew commentaries for selected episodes, plus cool animated menus. 

The highlight of the special features disc is the BBC series "Merlin: Secrets and Magic" consisting of 14-minute segments covering each episode in detail.  My favorite is the one showing Sarah Parish's amazing makeup transformation into the hideous troll from "Beauty and the Beast."

With a fine cast of characters and a vibrantly  healthy sense of wonder, MERLIN: THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON is total fantasy fun all the way.  It may play fast and loose with the legend, but it's nice wondering what's going to happen next instead of just waiting for all the familiar pieces to click neatly into place.

MERLIN: THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON -- DVD Review by Porfle

SEASON OF THE WITCH -- DVD Review by Porfle

Originally posted on 6/10/11

 

The best way I can describe director Dominic Sena's SEASON OF THE WITCH (2011) is that it's too bad to be really good, but too good to be really bad.  It's the kind of movie I'd be tempted to give up on after about ten minutes if it weren't so much fun to watch.

Nicolas Cage, an actor I really like even though people seem to enjoy not liking him these days, is pretty much miscast as a badass Christian soldier during the Crusades.  But this is probably a good thing, because it wouldn't be quite as much fun watching a more appropriate actor in the part.  The closeup of him snapping into battle mode with that silly-looking helmet bobbling on his head is a priceless moment.

After a good old-fashioned witch-hangin' backfires on an unlucky priest, we switch to Cage as Behman and Ron Perlman as his rowdy sidekick Felson, kicking ass during an elaborate montage of battles a la Kurt Russell at the beginning of SOLDIER.  One passage resembles a 14th-century beer commercial as Felson, in the midst of carnage, bellows "I'm building up a powerful thirst, my friend!" and the next scene shows them in a pub wallowing in beer and babes.



This expensive-looking CGI kill-a-thon, done in the style of 300 and LORD OF THE RINGS, ends with Behman and Felson deserting after the slaughter of some women and children sours them on battle.  They return to England, engaging in some of this film's really bad dialogue along the way:

"We've been walking all day and haven't found a soul."
"Keep your souls.  Let me find a chicken."

--only to find the Black Plague in full swing.  Captured as deserters, Behman and Felson are offered freedom by a dying cardinal (Christopher Lee, unrecognizable under some heavy disfigurement makeup) if they'll transport a suspected witch to a distant monastery.  There, the monks are said to possess a book which can remove her powers and, hopefully, end the plague. 

Joining them on the trip are steadfast priest Debelzaq (Stephen Campbell Moore), brave knight Eckhart (Ulrich Thomsen), Hagamar, a comical con man paroled from the stocks to serve as their guide (Stephen Graham), and Kay (Robert Sheehan), an altar boy who wants to be a knight.  Their long, arduous journey is the best and least goofy section of the film, with some interesting dramatic moments arising from the question of whether or not the young woman in the cage is really a witch.  Indications are positive as Claire Foy deftly alternates between winsome innocence and witchlike malevolence.



The obligatory "crossing of the rickety rope-bridge over a vast gorge" scene is well-done with some really good SPFX.  Later, when a pack of ferocious wolves attack, we get our first taste of bad CGI as they magically morph into even fiercer beasts.  But it's when our heroes finally reach the mountaintop monastery and confront the greatest supernatural evil of all that SEASON OF THE WITCH begins to resemble an upscale SyFy Original Movie.  Even a rousing battle against a horde of wall-crawling zombie monks can't rescue the film's finale from the cringeworthy CGI used to render its main villain. 

Too bad that a fairly entertaining movie with such good production values should go so far off the rails at the end simply because of some hokey, cartoony CGI creature.  Especially since the ending as originally filmed (which is contained in the extras menu) was so much more effective before someone had the bright idea of digitally mucking it up.

The DVD from 20th-Century Fox Home Entertainment is in 1.78:1 widescreen with English 5.1 and French 2.0 Dolby Digital sound.  Subtitles are in English, French, and Spanish.  Extras include deleted scenes, two featurettes, the alternate ending (in which the zombie monks have a more EVIL DEAD quality that I like), and the film's trailer.

Despite the many good moments contained in SEASON OF THE WITCH, some of its dialogue and situations will no doubt provoke a lot of viewers to go into full-out MST3K mode.  But as far as I'm concerned, any 14-century action-horror flick with Nick Cage and Ron Perlman as manly knights slashing their way through a succession of witches, zombies, and Godless infidels can't be all bad.

SEASON OF THE WITCH -- DVD Review by Porfle