In The Name of the King – A Dungeon Siege Tale / 2008 Fox / 127 Minutes / http://www.fox.com /
The secondary title for this film may be a little confusing for those individuals that have not played Dungeon Siege. For individuals that have not, it is a 2003 game (with a number of sequels) that is in the action RPG genre; individuals build their character up from their beginnings as a humble townsperson, gradually gaining experience (and comrades) along the way. Director Uwe Boll was particularly enamored with the game, and decided to go forward with “In The Name of the Kingâ€. The film’s premise is epic; the farmer has to fight an army of Krugs, which are enthralled by the evil wizard Gallian, to get back Solana, eir wife. As was discussed in the brief explanation of the game, the farmer character has to learn all of eir inherent skills, interacting with a number of interesting characters throughout the film.
A number of A-list stars make this a memorable fantasy film, including Ray Liotta as Gallian, Burt Reynolds as King Konreid, and John Rhys Davies as Merick. This film will find favor with anyone that liked Dragonheart, the Lord of the Rings movies, or has played Dungeons & Dragons in the last twenty-five years. The inclusion of current metal (albeit progressive metal) to the track’s score is a little bit of a curveball, but the film does well in pacing what could conceivably be a cliff-hanger movie into a two-hour package. I personally wonder what could be added to the film, as this cut is forty minutes shorter than the original cut. Perhaps there will be more in the way of battle scenes, which were conducted by the more than apt Tony Ching (House of Flying Daggers). There are a few added bonuses for those individuals that have purchased the DVD. Perhaps the most useful of these bonuses would have to be the ten and a half minute behind the scenes featurette.
Instead of talking over the featurette, there was a decision made to have just the actual noises and dialogue present. This affords a much more natural feeling to these, a sense that one is actually there viewing the actor’s craft. The alternative ending to a fight scene that is provided in the deleted scenes would have changed the whole feel of the film, which gives individuals a “what-if†to mull over for a considerable time. This DVD affords viewers with a solid fantasy film, some interesting featurettes, and a good way to spend a Saturday night.
Rating: 6.8/10