It is not too bad for an attempt at trying to make a movie that appeals to a wide audience as well as having a semblance of historical accuracy.But it is a bad movie when it come to script and character development. In those aspects it is very like a lesser Spaghetti western. It is even more like one in some of the scenes that are created, including the small town in an open plain.There is no decent music to carry the movie along. We also also don't get decent cinematography.Bruno's eventual development of quadruple barrel gun provides some light relief, along with the ingenious method of loading. And then his his next role in the movie is to fall asleep! A few other stereo-types are thrown in along with subtitled maori language in place of bad dubbing of Italian.At least they didn't make Utu 2.

I didn't always know what was going on in this movie during my first viewing. On the simplest level, it is about a Maori soldier who declares war on white people for their crimes against his culture. He is a wild, unhesitant killer, yet maintains a certain charisma throughout the movie. In one scene, he goes to a church and cuts off the priest's head during the mass, sets it on the pulpit, and gives a speech. Like much of the movie, it shows terrible violence, but has a black humor along with telling a story from New Zealand's history.The army begins tracking the Maori soldier and they have several battles. We meet numerous characters, sometimes without much introduction. Eventually, the Maoris become outnumbered, and their leader is caught and executed. I think that this movie would be even more enjoyable if I were to read about the history behind it and then watch it again. Some of the stuff that goes by fast or doesn't get explained might be better appreciated that way.

This movie might remind you of "Dances With Wolves." I enjoyed it, and thought it gave a good insight into Maori history and culture.Leonard Maltin gave it a less-than-appealing review while another book loved it. I rank it more in the middle and more towards the "other book" with the second half redeeming it.If you are into something different, try out this New Zealand western. I am a HUGE fan of kiwi actor Bruno Lawrence (Williamson in this film). I recommend it.*** out of ****

Utu is quite a good film. Having said that, it is quite possible that we have seen it before in other settings.Utu is unique in that it is one of the few films available in North America dealing with the Maori culture of New Zealand. Other than that, the film is basically an anti colonial sentimented film which could have taken place almost anywhere else in the world where colonialism was experienced.Utu still manages to pack a punch in the very earnest way the main character sets out to rid his country of the white invaders. Utu, meaning revenge, is the basic theme of this story. The colonial army in the film pillages Maori villages. The Maori corporal who quits the army to fight against it seeks revenge. The story is simple, yet compelling.The film examines imperialism in a light not uncommon to stories of this nature, but it is better in the sense that it does not try to gloss over the anger of the natives by arming them conveniently with western values. That is a crime many movies are guilty of. The level of violence in the film is typical by genre standards, and it actually lends itself to the films raw emotion. This one's worth a look.