An odd little film, not entirely satisfying but not entirely ridiculous at the same time. By all accounts this Scandinavian fantasy film was based on a young adult novel published in Denmark, and it follows the usual template of having the younger characters battling against some evil and oppressive adults. In terms of look and appearance - this is a very visual production - this is often superior to similar American fare.The main thing that's noticeable about this film is how much of an influence GAME OF THRONES has been on it. You could be forgiven for thinking the opening scenes are set in Castle Black, the look of the costumes and sets are so similar. There aren't a great deal of special effects here but there are some well-realised dragons and the like. The pacing is fast and even if you never get fully immersed in the storyline or the characters, it keeps you watching regardless. The great actor Soren Malling (A HIJACKING) plays one of the villains.
... View MoreNot having read the books, the only reason i watched this was that I seemed to recall some 5 star reviews when it came out. I Wonder compared to what !!! The 4 stars are for the settings and effects. The acting is better left unmentioned. Some of the child actors actually seems to be doing better than the adults. It's possible in all fairness that they had severe problems with taking the dialogue seriously. The lines they get seems very stiff and pathetic. The Drakan character is especially ridiculous. So OK, this is a children's movie but the Harry Potter series proved that it's possible to make a movie that can also be enjoyed by adults. Oh and those overgrown lizards passing for dragons. Lol what can I say ?
... View MoreDina (Rebecca Emilie Sattrup) has no friends; nobody wants to be around the Shamer's daughter and her mother Melussina (Maria Bonnevie) is viewed by all as a witch, necessary perhaps but a witch nonetheless. And Dina has inherited her mother's gifts, for good and for ill. When the ruling family of the castle and town of Dunark are brutally murdered, it seems the deed was done by the eldest son Nico (Jakob Oftebro), but he refuses to admit guilt and so Melussina is called to "see" his guilt. She fails, and so high- ranking Draken (Peter Plaugborg) brings Dina to the town, but she too fails to elicit guilt in Nico. Draken, however, is determined to condemn Nico and take control of the town, and he not only has most of the ranking officers on his side, but a nasty surprise in the castle's dungeons - dragons! Can Dina find allies to help save herself and her mother? Or will the dragons eat them all?....This is a wonderfully medieval-styled film, with well-realized characters and a very strong female lead, plus some really terrific dragons (more lizard-like than we've seen of late). The film is based on the first of a well-loved Danish YA series, The Shamer Chronicles by Lene Kaaberol, and on the basis of this adaptation, I think the books would be well worth seeking out in translation. At turns dark and humorous, "The Shamer's Daughter" is a solid, action-packed and yet quite touching and emotional film, well worth finding if you can!
... View MoreAwesome for kids - but if you are 12+ you will feel like you are reading a children's book, which isn't the case with the actual book.As a reader of the books, and so a fan of the series, I went and saw the film with high expectations, and hoping for a sense of ''breathtaking''. This was, however, unfortunately not what happened. In my opinion, the acting and setup seems like a theater from public school 5th grade. Of course it's child actors who play the more significant roles. But if you can't find children with skills, one should simply make the characters a few years older.But fortunately there are the skilled and seasoned adult actors, or are there? These tanned actors work equally as if they were extras in a school play. The animations and props were good, and it certainly does not resemble a B-movie. But I hope that a film company with a somewhat higher budget, sees the potential of the extraordinary storyline and therefore makes a re-make of it.If you have not read the books, I think that the film may be a bit confusing and seem shallow, with a bad plot.Looking forward to ''Skammertegnet'' - if this were to be produced of course.
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