The Last Redemption

I watched like 20 minutes of it, enough to find everything: budget, story, characters, dialogue, fighting, acting, direction to be terrible. I mean, the starting scene is a woman carrying a child in slow motion and monologuing using words like "math". She's supposed to be a medieval outlaw.

I actually wanted to see this because Kevin Sorbo and orcs, I thought it was another Arrowstorm Entertainment production, but it's another entertainment's and it's not good at all.

What really spooked me is that really good veteran actors were doing so poorly: James Cosmo, Angus MacFayden, even Kevin Sorbo, even if he mostly plays himself at all times. The moment they introduced a small girl that couldn't act if her life depended on it, I turned it off.

This film offers a perfect blend of adventure, action, and emotional depth, satisfying both fans of the fantasy genre and those seeking a meaningful story. The plot focuses on Diana, portrayed by Natalie Burn, a bold and resilient outlaw determined to fight against the oppression represented by the tyrant Lord Roland, played by Kevin Sorbo.

Burn's performance is extraordinary; she manages to convey the strength and vulnerability of her character, allowing viewers to experience her journey of struggle and redemption. Sorbo, on the other hand, delivers a portrayal of a charismatic and formidable villain, whose intensity greatly enriches the film. The chemistry among the cast is palpable, and each actor adds significant value to the storyline. John Real's direction is skillful and well-balanced; his keen eye for detail populates the film with breathtaking scenes and well-choreographed action sequences, maintaining high adrenaline levels and audience interest. The soundtrack perfectly accompanies the events on screen and intensifies the emotions in every crucial moment. The music enhances the emotional involvement, making viewers feel part of the story. In summary,

"The Last Redemption" is a film that goes beyond mere entertainment; it is a true gem to discover!

No pun intended - obviously this movie is a vehicle for the actor formerly known as ... portraying Hercules on a tv show. Now this is a fantasy movie - you kind of have to love the genre to be able to enjoy what is going on.

The costumes are actually quite well done, the sets and design are also decent (I assume this was very low budget, you might want to cut it some slack, depending on your expectations).

The acting and the story on the other hand ... well I'd say quite flawed. There's betrayal but especially confusion going on - not in the best sense possible to say the least. I've seen worse, but am surprised about the high rating this has at the moment (especially with so many who voted for it) - usually I am the one who votes higher than the average ... well exceptions are part of the rule or however the German saying goes I reckon.

Given my life-long fascination with fantasy in both book and movie format, of course I needed no persuasion to sit down to watch the 2024 movie "The Last Redemption". Sure, I had not heard about the movie, and thus hardly knew what I was in for. And the fact that so many fantasy adventure movies turn out to be questionable affairs, I have to admit that I wasn't exactly harboring the biggest of expectations to director John Real's 2024 movie.

Writers Adriana Marzagalli and John Real put together an adequately entertaining and enjoyable script. The storyline is adequately written, though it lingers heavily on the political aspect of usurping the throne and someone plotting to do so, so there is a bit of political powerplay in the movie as well. Just don't go in here expecting a swords-held-high and magic-spells-flying-everywhere type of fantasy movie, as you will be sorely disappointed.

The movie does have a couple of familiar faces on the cast list, with the likes of Kevin Sorbo, Angus Macfadyen, Natalie Burn and James Cosmo. The acting performances in "The Last Redemption" was good.

The costumes, props, sets and scenery in the movie were good, and definitely added nicely to the overall impression of the movie. It is a pretty low-key fantasy movie, so don't go expecting an abundance of high-fantasy stuff such as magic, fabulous creatures, dragons, etc. There are a couple of orcs to be seen, and that was about it.

While this movie is watchable, it is hardly a movie that warrants more than a single viewing. And it definitely is no contender for fantasy movies such as the "Lord of the Rings" movies, for example.

My rating of director John Real's 2024 fantasy adventure "The Last Redemption" lands on a five out of ten stars.

This had the potential to be something great. Its story is actually engaging, with solid world-building and an interesting premise. Unfortunately, everything else drags it down.

The acting is wooden and unconvincing, making it hard to connect with the characters. The dialogue feels unnatural, as if the script was written in a rush without a second draft. And the directing? A complete mess. Scenes feel disjointed, pacing is all over the place, and emotional moments fall flat because of poor execution.

It's frustrating because there's a good story buried underneath all these flaws. If only it had been handled by a more capable team, this could have been a fantastic film. Instead, it ends up as a disappointment.