Robert Sheehan – Movies of the Soul

Vampire Owl: I did not know that this one also had Marvel origins.

Vampire Bat: You know that there are so many of them even in Avengers world.

Vampire Owl: Well, this one is surely better than Captain Marvel.

Vampire Bat: We all love the underdogs as they defeat the powerful.

Vampire Owl: Yes, Captain Marvel is too strong a character to be loved.

Vampire Bat: At least they should give her a Kryptonite to balance things.

Vampire Owl: Yes, they could even charge for the same.

Vampire Bat: You think that Kryptonite is available in markets?

Vampire Owl: I have seen a few in the goblin markets.

Vampire Bat: It is a showpiece meant for display, and is not an original one.

[Gets a chicken biryani and three cups of Darjeeling tea].

What is the movie about? :: Sonja (Matilda Lutz) had some terrible times in her homeland of Hyrkania as a child as she was forced to escape her lands after being attacked by barbarians who massacred most people. This leads to her wandering in the woods while searching for her people while keeping close ties to nature. As she chases a group of poachers who were seen killing wild animals, she comes across their camp which she successfully infiltrates without making any noise. But the emperor who controls the whole area outside forest, Dragan (Robert Sheeshan) arrives at the camp as he looks for a way into the forest and its hidden mysteries. Sonja is found by Dragan’s partner Annisia (Wallis Day), a fierce warrior, and both engage in a sword fight, which ends in Sonja getting knocked out and put in chains. As Dragan finds a map with her, he feels that he can find the other half of a book hidden in the forest among refugees that would grant him ancient scientific knowledge, enabling him to hold unlimited power.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Dragan brings a tied-up Sonja to the open space and tries torturing her to gain information about the forest and what is hidden in there. Sonja, though restrained and helpless, would not give him any useful information, which leads to her being taken to the capital city in a cage. There, she tries to escape, only to have her fully restrained in chains. She is held in a pit meant for warriors who have to fight and win in an arena to gain their freedom. Sonja is set against another warrior Petra (Rhona Mitra) whom she refuses to fight. Annisia asks for her to be killed for disobedience. But Dragan kills Petra as only person is supposed to survive the arena and Sonja has information for him, while the crowd cheered loudly much to Sonja’s dismay. She is locked up in the pit again, but Dragan has planned something bigger. Can she escape the captivity and become free again, while finding her people as she always wanted? Will Annisia get Sonja’s head as she has wished for since their first fight? Will there be peace in the land after a long time?

The defence of Red Sonja :: This movie happens to be a surprise strong entry into a genre which felt like having not future. They have also managed to bring an actress who can act this part so well and perform by blending in – she definitely carried the movie on her soldiers really well with a certain amount of confidence and the ability to handle both action and humour effectively. The movie would remain a fun ride throughout its run as the adventure never cease and so does the entertainment factor. There is nothing like a fantasy adventure with sword fights, saving the world from an evil emperor, magic in the forest, gladiator battles in an arena etc. The visuals that they have managed with the lower budget is very much grand, and seeing the castles, palaces, forests, ruins etc with a touch of magic keeps us interested. Even with the presence of mythical monsters like cyclops and other unnamed creatures, the magical elements are mostly present in a silent manner, keeping it a classic battle with swords while also having a touch of emotions.

Positives and negatives :: The movie could have used a better budget considering the scope and epic level of the whole thing set in a world which is different, huge and created for quite a long-running franchise considering the comics base. The first gladiator battle also ends too soon, even though the grandeur was visible and there to be taken. The emotional ending is beautiful, and there are some fine twists about origin stories, and thankfully, it does not go the Mad Max route without that much of hope. The final moments provide scope for the titular character fighting bigger and more classic battles, and adventures with the possibility of more magic – what better than those stories of saving the world with swords and magic rather than guns and machines? Well, this is also about an underdog coming to the top rather than having an all-powerful hero, even though the final moments of battle were a little bit too predictable. But you know that you are immersed in this world and there is no stopping the same.

The performers of the soul :: Matilda Lutz who plays the titular character leads the way very well, and after we had seen her in horror movies like Rings and A Classic Horror Story, the Italian actress blends into action and adventure very well too. She runs through the action sequences really well and there is a touch of humour around as light-hearted action seems to make an impact too. She seems to have owned the role and is ready for that possible sequel in the form of such action queen that we have all deserved since movies like Underworld and Resident Evil had gone the extra mile with the lady protagonists. Wallis Day whom we know for Infinite has a very strong presence, and scores even with that stone cold look as much as the brutal battles where she excels. Robert Sheehan’s work is something that we will remember for the different portrayal of an emperor. Rhona Mitra’s lady warrior stays strong enough when she is there, but becomes expendable very soon. Michael Bisping and Martyn Ford have strong presences physically around there too.

How it finishes :: As the movie is on Lionsgate Play app, the best option to watch it might be to take a good unlimited Airtel offer and watch it among the collection of OTTs which come with the offer. The Sword and Sorcery genre does have a better stronghold here at a time when fantasy itself was losing steam. This is also pure nostalgia for most of us, also reminding one of Conan the Barbarian in its original mode. There is that imagery of fighting against evil empires as there have always been, and also the proven idea that power corrupts more than anything else. With Matilda Lutz as the next action star, and having a whole world to build a story, let us see how well they can try to make a sequel, for it is a necessity to keep the character alive. Both Marvel and DC seem to have a weak second level of characters for Avengers and Justice with a new age and the only exception is Thunderbolts that remain interesting; it calls for characters like this one.

Release date: 13th August 2025
Running time: 110 minutes
Directed by: M J Bassett
Starring: Matilda Lutz, Wallis Day, Robert Sheehan, Michael Bisping, Martyn Ford, Eliza Matengu, Veronica Ferres, Luke Pasqualino, Katrina Durden, Rhona Mitra, Trevor Eve, Philip Winchester, Ben Radcliffe, Manal El-Feitury, Danica Davis, Kate Nichols, Tony Way

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

What is the movie about? :: Far into the future, following an event which caused the destruction of most of Earth, cities exist here and there, with people and resources associated with them, and they move on wheels looking for options. Among them are the predator cities which feed on those smaller cities, capturing the people and taking their resources in a world which has nothing much left after that event which ended the normal flow of events. The big predator city of London chasing a small mining town is one of those events that is shown in the beginning itself. Thaddeus Valentine (Hugo Weaving), the man in charge has things going his way, but all of a sudden, a masked lady comes from the group of the people from the captured town and stabs him, only to be stopped from doing the same again by Tom Natsworthy (Robert Sheehan), thus Thaddeus surviving with a wound which could be treated easily.

So, what happens with the events to follow? :: The woman is identified as Hester Shaw (Hera Hilmar) who wants to murder Thaddeus who was responsible for killing her own mother and giving her the scar on the left of her face. As she fails in doing the same, Tom chases her, but is thrown out of the city along with her by Thaddeus who suspects that he knows something about his secret past. The two are forced to team up and try to survive together in a world which has nothing to provide hope for people left alone. The scorched grounds leave them with no resources to survive, and they end up being captured by slave traders. While Hester is being displayed on stage and sold to the highest bidder, Anna Fang (Jihae), an outlaw who fights against Thaddeus shows up, and saves her from slavery. Hester escapes with Tom, but someone else shows up.

And what else is to follow here? :: Shrike (Stephen Lang), the last of an undead battalion of soldiers shows up and goes for Hester. Thaddeus counts on the undead soldier to kill her, while she continues running with Tom and Anna. Shrike will not stop until he gets what he wants. It turns out that there is more than what meets the eye about Thaddeus and his own daughter Katherine Valentine (Leila George) figures that out with the help of an apprentice engineer Bevis Pod (Ronan Raftery). There are more evil plans at work, and if they don’t figure out the same soon enough, there is going to be terrible consequences. Thaddeus has a weapon that can make the worst happen, and the seriousness regarding the same won’t be understood by most people, except for our protagonists – but will they be too late with this? Will London gain superiority over each and every other city?

The defence of Mortal Engines :: The visuals are the best thing about this movie. The post-apocalyptic world and the machines are amazingly good, and far above the quality of some of those other flicks which claim to be grand visual treat. The colours are very nicely used, and the world detail gets full marks. You will find the big explosions in the climax to be too good, visually as well as in relation to the sound effects. There are some fine action sequences, and the thrills are present throughout the flick. Even with all these in the front, there seems to be something that lies beneath – the idea about the rich and the powerful feeding on the poor, and the desire for more power and control. One can see how important war becomes, even after there was a destruction of the world which came so close to destroying humanity itself to be replaced by another species.

The claws of flaw :: People might want more to be explained with this movie, and more could have surely been shown directly. The story surely could have used more focus, and the whole world itself could have had some smart explanations. Even the predator cities could have had their parts shown more clearly, and the same could have been part of big fights with other cities all around the world – it would have made the audience more familiar with the idea before the whole thing developed further. Those who are not used to watching this kind of movies won’t be that comfortable – well, this is a movie which has released even outside the main cities, and so that could have helped a lot. The steampunk genre can always use more of everything, as the possibilities are endless that way – genres of fantasy, horror and historical fiction could have been here stronger.

The performers of the soul :: Hera Hilmar as Hester Shaw is surely the one person who steals the show so well, not just with the action sequences, but also with those emotional moments – the scar or the red scarf that hides it elevates the level of her character with the looks itself. She does have a grand introduction too, as that sets the events of the movie going forward in a nice manner. Hugo Weaving plays a powerful villain here, and one has to love his plans regarding the world. Robert Sheehan just got a certain secondary level of job to do in comparison to Hera. Jihae makes some impact with the action scenes. Leila George plays her role in an interesting manner. Meanwhile, you will feel that Stephen Lang’s undead soldier Shrike might be the one character to remember for long.

How it finishes :: Mortal Engines, not to be confused with that terrible Mortal Instruments, will be another interesting visual treat full of action, which you just can’t ignore this weekend. With the other English movie of the weekend being The Possession of Hannah Grace, and Robin Hood already out of the equation, this one should be able to spend some good time out there. It boasts of coming from the makers of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, and that is more than one reason to be hopeful about this particular flick. There is no doubt that it will provide some nice entertainment, and we can only be glad that a sequel can make this even better. Let us have more movies like this one, even better done. We remember Mad Max: Fury Road, and we know where it can go.

Release date: 7th December 2018 (India); 14th December 2018 (USA)
Running time: 128 minutes
Directed by: Christian Rivers
Starring: Hera Hilmar, Hugo Weaving, Robert Sheehan, Jihae, Ronan Raftery, Leila George, Patrick Malahide, Stephen Lang, Colin Salmon, Mark Mitchinson, Menik Gooneratne, Mark Hadlow, Kee Chan, Sophie Cox, Caren Pistorius