In The Name Of The King: A Dungeon Siege Tale - C'mon! Give it a chance!

It

Yes, yes, I've heard the flutter about how this is just a weak ripoff of Lord Of The Rings. I say, 'bah!', and also say if you watch it with reasonable expectations, and without the uncomfortable seating provided by a high horse, you can enjoy this movie on the borderline levels of good B-grade action/fantasy as it was meant to be.

I'm not saying In The Name Of The King: A Dungeon Siege Tale is perfect. There were casting problems. The producers obviously went for the biggest names they could buy, instead of doing their job and finding the best fit for the role. I'm sure this is part of why the film received such a harsh reception.

Burt Reynolds seemed uncomfortable in his role as the king, which threw the pace off. Any Shakespearean-style actor would have been a better, more realistic fit. Matthew Lillard has fun bowing and scraping, and scheming behind his uncle, the king's, back, but he is mostly a conglomeration of his 'doofus' roles. Leelee Sobieski wouldn't have been my first choice for the daughter of a magus, but she does well with the role despite inconsistencies with her character. John Rhys-Davies plays the stern father, and devoted magus to the king, and looks healthier than he has in roles I've seen him in lately. Claire Forlani plays Jason Statham's character's sweet, but tough wife, and is one of the wiser choices in casting. Kristanna Loken is under-utilized as the leader of a group of forest women. If more attention had been given to them I think it would have been a better story overall. Ron Perlman is tough and likable as ever, just gearing up for his role in a made-for-television version of Hamlet. Mr. Perlman is another keeper. Ray Liotta plays the main bad guy, and sneers through his clouds and mist, takes advantage of magi's daughters, and kills off main character's sons. I'm not sure Ray was the right fit for this character, either, but he is still charismatic. Jason Statham plays Farmer, and while quite capable in action sequences, and not a bad actor, he's another choice obviously made solely on box office attraction.

I've only seen the 165 minute version, so I can't judge what the shorter theatrical experience may have provided. Yes, this did drag in spots, and ended abruptly, but what was in between kept me entertained. The action and fighting sequences with Jason Statham are awesome, and his usual fast-paced, fluid style. The battle scenes were typical, and bordered on the ludicrous when they threw in ninja warriors, but overall not bad.

The plot itself is based on a video game, so you know it's not going to be Oscar-worthy. It's your typical medieval 'historical' piece. Throw in ugly bad guys, wizards, lush scenery, obvious blue screens and you've got the makings of a great B-movie. There's political intrigue, murder plots, and a king's long lost son. There's cruelty and brutality, but it's very tame with the PG-13 rating. There's also humor, however, and it is well-placed throughout the movie so we're not constantly beaten down by the heavy storyline. I always like movies with interesting characters, and this one did have several.

I have to mention that this movie also does something very few movies in this genre do. They have the right kind of bands do the soundtrack! Instead of some genre that doesn't fit, or just nothing but orchestral, they actually got power metal bands like Blind Guardian, Threshold, and Hammerfall to do some awesome songs. My husband enjoyed the movie based on that alone!

This movie isn't breaking new ground. Maybe some people thought it should have, and that's why it's so horribly-reviewed elsewhere. I say give it an honest viewing, understanding that it's based on a video game, and meant to be entertainment. To get the 165 minute version, which is what I recommend, you have to get the Blu-Ray DVD, or catch it on your premium movie channels, like I did. Climb down off that pretty little CGI-horse you flew in on, take a deep breath, and repeat after me: "I can enjoy this movie and Lord Of The Rings, too."