ESG 2020's Movie Review Of Vikingdom - The Blood Eclipse
Good Story Telling Let Down By Bad Hair Pieces And...
This is KRU Studios' most ambitious project about a forgotten King, Eirick Bloodletter (Dominic Purcell) who is tasked with the quest to save the Middle Kingdom from the insecure and angry Thor, the God Of Thunder .
Together with a retinue of rag-tag volunteers, they embarked on a journey fraught with danger and derivatives the viewer will get used to. My advice for those intent on watching this movie is to suspend reality and fastidious standards and to just enjoy the movie. It is among the rare movies from Malaysia with good story telling with its plot's twists and turns.
Let's have a closer look at some of the characters in the movie.
Purcell's wooden acting as Eirick blends well with the wooden structures on the set which seem to be among the motif of the movie. His chemistry with Brynna (Natassia Malthe), the captain of the ship for their perilous journey seems passable enough as she is to ensure safe passage and motivation for Eirick and the volunteer warriors. Divinities in the form of Frey (Jesse Moss) and Freyja (Tegan Moss) have their respective agendas of assisting Eirick in his quest. Frey, the male divine manifestation, whose costume looks like it is designed as if for him to float instead of walking for fear of him tripping on the apparel. Freyja, the female manifestation, whose costume looks like it came from the bodice and legging of a fashion week design.
Jon Foo as Yang, a slave from China does not look exotic enough but he has among the best fight sequences in the movie. Craig Fairbrass as Sven, the sidekick for Eirick tolerated well the use of an egregiously done wig throughout the movie. Some of the other characters wearing hair pieces had their hairline covered with headbands to cover the 'malady'. Alcuin (Patrick Murray) the wizard is a disheveled, emaciated and somewhat disoriented looking version of the luminary white wizard of a great movie viewers are familiar with, often holding the staff with a lit mast and nothing can be more derivative than this. Conan Stevens as Thor looks more like a one dimensional villain in WWE.
As regards production design, other than the wigs 'debacle', this is among the departments in the movie that could do with observance of minute details and finesse in creativity. The brightly lit greenish in color giant quartz crystals submerged in the water in the hell scene seem out of place in a macabre and sombre environment. CGI and the rendering have been bold and innovative efforts but the aspect involving the gatekeeper of hell in particular which stumped me for being passed as the final product by the creative panel. The creature has a head like a dragon with an uncharacteristically short body. In the wide shot, it looks like the son of Sylvester the cat which the former has a big head with a small body chasing the mouse.
There is a scene in the cave when Brynna and Yang are on their way to save Eirick when they are about to encounter their enemies who are still quite a distance away. The enemies have not seen them yet and Brynna and Yang hid among the rocks. They could have just let their enemies pass by without ambushing them and avoid a near fatal encounter. This is reminiscent of the James Bond movie, Dr No, when Bond and two others with him in a river could have remained hidden from an enemy soldier instead of taking on him by surprise.
Among the relics to be acquired as the condition for Thor to proceed with his scheme is the necklace of Mary Magdalene. This condition is a bit corny and contrived to be one of the relics of an owner whom as at that period of time has not been known yet to be of any religious significance and the necklace being identified as a relic.
As I mentioned earlier, the movie has good story telling but certain departments are found wanting. Major international distributors and movie aficionados do not compromise on details oversight before accepting a movie as being of high quality and be a box office hit. Let's hope KRU Studios endeavor to enhance the workings of the relevant departments to achieve the international success it aspires to.
