One of my all time favorites.

There are better movies of two hours length. I loved the actress'performance.

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

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".

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.

I am tempted to call this the "original" martial arts film, the template from which all the others followed.My reasoning? Everything about this wonderful film, the language, the scenery, the actors, the story, the fighting style, -- they bespeak a culture far older than anything in China, Japan, Korea, Thailand, or wherever your favourite fight flicks come from.Something old. Something that speaks directly to your DNA. Something visceral.Running at almost 2 full hours -- which would be a challenge even for JJ Abrams -- there were hardly any lulls.The story was iconic, and mesmerizing.And unpredictable, which is the hallmark of a really good story.Near the end, just when you think you know what is coming, the "odd couple" revenge duo (see the other reviews for backstory) encounter what appears to be a beautiful maiden who ventured into the Deadlands innocently just to capture some birds, because they were scarce in her area.Within a matter of moments -- no one is more surprised than the audience! -- the older man (the young boys Sifu, to continue the metaphor) is fighting this mere wisp of a girl. And the girl almost manages to outfight the man, the very same giant of a man who a few scenes earlier had chewed through a group of young warriors like Jackie Chan in a back alley.Extraordinary and one of a kind.

The Dead Lands offers myriad of tribal warrior codes, brutal combat and near mythical depiction of ancient culture. Though it may set in archaic time, the visual is crisp and portraying the natural landscape with elegance. Clash of flesh and weapon are aplenty, this is not for the viewing of fainthearted as the scenes are surprisingly full of gore and blood.Its premise is quiet simple. A boy's clan is attacked by the opposing rival clan led by the ambitious son of their chief. With false pretext and sudden ambush, the clan suffers greatly. The boy then must walk the path of vengeance which leads him to a scared ground and a warrior with dubious past. Acting-wise the film is brash, filled with both honor code and battle cries.Casting looks good, the actors physically look intimidating. The old warrior has menacing air as one who has been shouldering heavy burden his entire life. This is an anti-hero story as well as how honor can mean so differently for each person. The characters all have their own salvation to search, but they do so with significantly different paths. Relationship between the boy and the warrior is interesting since both of them barely agree on anything yet still strive for a common goal.Fighting is especially well-choreographed. In a few scenes there are mutilations which will make audience cringe, these are honestly rather unexpected. It's nice to see that the film includes a lot of Maori myth and style with motions as well. There's inclusion of mythology for unworldly presence, it's presented dynamically as how the ancient people would see it.Unfortunately, the film possesses a couple of flaws. It's very combatant oriented, so some of the philosophical themes might not translate well for broader audience. The film has stumbled in halfway point as the visual gets uncomfortably dark and the pace halts.Still, even with several hindrances, The Dead Lands is a great and brazen cultural visit.