EarDelightBase Waste of Money.

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NekoHomey Purely Joyful Movie!

Mandeep Tyson The acting in this movie is really good.

851222 Greetings from Lithuania."The Dead Lands" (2014) tries to mix some genres, ideas, visual scenes it fells short very quickly in creating a simply involving movie. The story here isn't bad, but it is so uninvolvingly made that i finished watching this movie in like a week - seriously. I just didn't care AT ALL about two main characters, i didn't connect to them and i couldn't care less about the outcome. I liked the landscapes although, nature is very beautiful in here, but sadly that is the only positive thing i can say about "The Dead Lands". Overall, "The Dead Lands" isn't a terrible movie, it isn't a very bad one either, it's just that i tries mix some genres, but fails to create a simply involving movie. The story is very simple, but that isn't a problem. Problem is that couldn't care less for this story - editing, directing and especially script are very poor. Acting was OK just by the guy who played this "flesh eater" - everyone else were very quickly forgettable. There are plenty more better movies in the market, you can skip "The Dead Lands".

Leofwine_draca THE DEAD LANDS is the Kiwi version of APOCALYPTO, there's no two ways about it. The two films are way too similar for the similarities to be mere coincidences. And as I consider APOCALYPTO to be one of the very best films ever made, this rather low budget riff can't hope to hold a candle to the calibre of the Mel Gibson movie. Even so, it turns out to be quite enjoyable as a straightforward action flick.The story involves an upright, youthful hero whose tribe are massacred by enemies who then escape on foot across a barren and inhospitable landscape. He gives chase but can't hope to tackle them alone, so employs the services of a powerful and infamous warrior who eats the flesh of man to help him. This is where the film gets interesting: Lawrence Makoare (LORD OF THE RINGS) essays the role of the cannibal and is the only fleshed-out character in the whole thing. I love films where the bad guys are the heroes and Makoare's performance makes this film worthwhile and not JUST an APOCALYPTO rip-off.Elsewhere, the film is heavy on the action, although not quite as grisly as you'd imagine. The good news is that the action direction is fine, with choreography allowing you to see the protagonists instead of over-editing things too much. As a whole, THE DEAD LANDS weaves a lush and vibrant-looking picture that brings to life the Maori way, and how many Maori action films do we get in cinema anyway? Watch out for Pana Hema Taylor (from TV's SPARTACUS) as one of the bad guys.

surface-55086 Due to my current time restraints I'm going to skip the usual intellectually enthusiastic movie exaltation and just cut right to some idiotically strait-forward praise.This movie was quite an amazing surprise. I didn't expect it to be so good, to the point where I haven't seen an action movie like it in at least a year. And when I use the word "good," it's to symbolize an all-encompassing quality. The depths of the human spirit were represented in the film, clearly and intensely, not considering it's depletion of maybe romance and humor, at it's worst. I found the drama unmatched, and the action and cinematography are extremely inventive. Not to mention: it's the only good Mauri period piece I've ever seen, so I think I might've been waiting a long time for something like this.A true work of art.

Tom Dooley Please note Mild Plot Spoilers* Set in pre colonial times we are taken back to a time when Maoris ruled New Zealand. Two tribes have had an ancient rivalry that has been put to rest but a young war chief – Wirepa (Te Kohe Tuhaka) wants to gain glory in battle by reigniting the enmity. He attacks the other village and the Chief's son is one of the few survivors. This is Hongi (James Rolleston) and he goes after them – hell bent on revenge.Only they decide to travel through the 'Dead Lands' where it is known that a warrior spirit lurks and will kill and eat any who trespass – but they decide to tempt the spirits anyhow.Now what follows is a pretty full on action packed ride, with a lot of martial arts fighting and blood splatter carryings on. The landscape is show cased here too in some beautifully realised shots and the music is all done very well – with a mix of genres to reflect the on screen action. There are a couple of plot holes or stretches of the imagination, but they are minor and will only detract from your enjoyment if you let them. The acting is all pretty solid, but Lawrence Makoare as the 'Warrior' carries the role excellently with vim, pathos, cynicism and pure stage presence.This is also filmed entirely in Maori with sub titles and was sponsored by the New Zealand Film Board and runs to around 100 minutes. If you like an action film with good old fashioned warriors but some modern fighting thrown in then I can seriously recommend this one.