Interesting sword and sorcery tale. Nothing particularly makes it stand out, though, and the huge variation of accents between the actors is a bit distracting.
I picked this up fully expecting some horrible fantasy crap fest. There are a lot of them out there. But this was actually pretty good. it was a very accurate retelling of the Ring saga and a very good one at that.
barely passable movie, a shame since the original material gives for much more. overall, it looks like a cheap made-for-tv production, so from the very first scenes you know what to expect.
This was really cool! Somehow I expected just another made-for-TV movie, but it is actually an awesome spectacle and a beautifully rendered story. The actors could have been a bit less histrionic though.
I remember the "saga of the nibelungs" from my childhood. (Growing up i Germany)Kinda nice to hear/see about it again...refresh my memorie. The story ws nicely told, a little long but I enjoyed it. I did like the cast, think they did a good job.
Baring The Lord Of The Rings (which was incidentally loosely based upon the story this film was made from), I can't think of any Fantasy films that could top this. Hugely underrated.
i love watching historical, mythical, fantasy movies, and this movie judge them all, it was a great movie, a love story that end tragicly, very sad, but anyway im engrossed watching it, if you like this kind of film, i recommend to watch it, even the actor didnt delivered it the way we want it, it still nice watching it.. i love it all in all...
I just watch this movie, I thought it was great. The type of story I like, but the two good people died at the end. So it was a tradity. I recommed it highly if you are into Mideval period stuff.
I don't know anything about mythology. So I can't judge these movies. The story was beautiful, but the main actor wasn't give me any strong feeling. I guess this general meaning is all about those ladies then.
Every now and then you'll come across a B rated movie thats great. This is that movie. If your into Historical/Fantasy I strongly recommend this movie. Great story.
First of all, I'd like to say I have a true passion for germanic mythology, and I even consider myself as pagan, and more precisely; Odinist. The saga of Siegfried and the ring of the Nibelungen being one of the most epic tales of the germanic pantheon, at the same level as Achilles for the greeks, I was very interested in seeing this TV movie adaptation of this epic adventure.
And I must say I liked it pretty much. It isn't totally accurate to the myth but it does give a general view of the story, and I'm happy they made such an adaptation which shows that germanic myths are as rich as those of the greeks and egyptians. Unfortunately, the actor in the role of Siegfried played very badly, so the conversations seeme quite fake. Nonetheless its an enjoyable ride to another world of fantasy, the germanic one, which is starting to become more and more appealing to the public mass with the success of films such as The Lord of the Rings, Narnia, and many others, without mentioning the recent adaptations of the Beowulf tale, of which another film will soon come out in theaters.
Don't expect a masterpiece, this is still just a TV movie... but give it a shot.
a beautiful epic love story. the movie may seem too long but you will eventually get hooked into it. it's basically an ill-fated love story with a tragic ending...kinda disappointing...
Great movie! If you like epic tales of adventure, discovery, love, betrayal, brotherhood, etc.. then you'll like this moive. The acting, costumes, and location put this movie on the same calibur as LOTR.
Only a short time ago I revisited the fantasy genre with "Beastmaster," which likely would have been much more entertaining had I been inebriated or dead. Despite the richness that such settings can bring as a cinematic experience, directors and writers just seem to hit a creative block as soon as they try to tackle a fantasy tale. Inevitably, almost all such films have scantily clad male leads that suffer from the heartbreak of "Arnolditis," as well as obligatory cleavage shots of women in fur bikinis. (Fur bikinis: Available at your local Gap this summer.) But "Dark Kingdom: The Dragon King" has an advantage over its many lowly peers in having a wonderful narrative to draw from: the "Nibelungenlied." Considering the richness of that epic poem, the film should have been a lot better than it is. "Dark Kingdom: The Dragon King," unfortunately suffers from a long title and an even longer running time that quickly outstays its welcome.
The saga opens well with a young Siegfried witnessing the slaughter of his family, surviving at the expense of his mother's life. These scenes, as with most of the film, possess beautiful cinematography despite their dark subject matter. After being pushed down the river by his dying mother, Siegfried is adopted by an old fisherman who scoops him from the rapids. Fast forward twelve years, and we see Brunhild, a warrior queen played by the ever attractive Kristanna Loken, being told that one man will eventually defeat her in battle. Which man does this prophecy refer to? Our hero, Conan. Er...Siegfried. And in a convenient coincidence, the two fated lovers happen to see one another as her boat passes his riverside home. They share a moment.
Here is where the problems really begin. When they finally encounter one another face to face, Siegfried--now played by Benno Furmann--proceeds to beat Brunhild with a stick, which must be a big turn on, as they sleep with one another shortly thereafter and pledge their undying love. (At least now I know what I've doing wrong this whole time: I need to whack any potential love interests with a branch to attract them.) All of these events are accompanied by some extremely bad dialogue, and when I say bad dialogue, I mean the kind of lines in which the actors practically can't wrap their mouths around the words out of sheer awkwardness. As the story progresses, these moments occur more and more frequently. Furmann, as Siegfried, offends the ears most consistently, throwing out somber declarations like "You will be avenged, mah lady. Uh swayr it." Most of the other cast members luckily possess better pronunciation, making their performances more tolerable.
By the half hour mark in the film, the terrible dragon Fafnir awakens and begins ravaging the countryside. When faced by Siegfried, the dragon stretches its jaws wider than its own head, draws in a breath and...blows a fireball the size of a campfire. Not exactly the way to intimidate the competition. After killing him and bathing in his blood, Siegfried becomes invincible, but a falling leaf covers a single spot on his back, creating a proverbial Achilles' heel that will inevitably be his downfall. The rest of the film chronicles Siegfried's relationship with Brunhild and the royal family of Burgund, both of whom want to possess him in some form and aren't afraid to say so in overly solemn tones. Siegfried blissfully ignores them and practices his phonics, which he is unfortunately not as good at as battle.
Virtually nothing in the course of the film holds much interest due to the dry production, and despite being shortened from its original release in Germany, it still feels as though it runs far too long. Many of the wilderness scenes have a tranquil beauty to them, but other sets fall prey to the dim lighting and atmosphere found in almost every other fantasy film. With the success of Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, the genre has been experiencing a resurgence, but if the releases continue to share the lackluster qualities of "Dark Kingdom: The Dragon King," it has little hope of lasting.
This was a great movie! I really enjoyed it, the actors were great, especially Kristanna Loken! She's incredibly beautiful and believable as the powerful queen of Iceland Brunhild.. Very well done!
Dark Kingdom is a beautiful fantasy and love story. I love to watch this over and over. Just something about a pretty bright colored eyed blacksmith turned dragonslayer that gets to me. Never mind that his dragon looks lizard-like than an actual dragon with wings. It's well made and realistic.
This chick was hotness, but the dude could have looked hotter. I think it was a little bit too much like Achilles, only not the heel. It was very good though, definitely was better then I anticipated.
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