Nomad: The Warrior (2006)

6% of critics liked it
(16 reviews)
46% of users liked it
(6,582 ratings)

Czech New Wave leader Ivan Passer picks up the torch originally ignited by Russian director Sergei Bodrov to bring Central Asia's first-ever event film to the light of the silver screen. Penned by Russian screenwriter Rustam Ibragimbekov, Nomad tells the tale of 18th-century Kazak military… More Czech New Wave leader Ivan Passer picks up the torch originally ignited by Russian director Sergei Bodrov to bring Central Asia's first-ever event film to the light of the silver screen. Penned by Russian screenwriter Rustam Ibragimbekov, Nomad tells the tale of 18th-century Kazak military strategist Ablai Khan -- a forward-thinking visionary whose efforts to unify his country eventually helped to define Kazakhstan's borders. Warned by a mystical Kazak warrior named Oraz (Jason Scott Lee) that a child who will unite the warring local tribes and free his people is about to be born, invading Jungar leader Galdan Ceren (Doskhan Zholzhaxynov) -- whose soldiers are currently occupying Kazakhstan -- instructs his assassins to target Mansur (Kuno Becker), the son of a local sultan. After being saved from a grim fate by none other than Oraz, Mansur is raised to become a fearless warrior whose vision of a unified Kazak state drives him to fulfill the ancient prophecy. Tirelessly training alongside his best friend Erali (Jay Hernandez), Mansur leaps into action when love interest Gaukhar (Ayanat Yesmagambetova) is abducted by malevolent Jungar swordsman Sharish (Mark Decascos). Originally set to be helmed exclusively by Passer, Nomad was finished by director Bodrov after a production hiatus threw the fate of the film into question and the European production partner Wild Bunch stepped in to help assure that the film was eventually completed. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 52 min.
Directed By: Sergei Bodrov, Ivan Passer
Written By: Rustam Ibragimbekov
Genres: Drama, Classics

In Theaters: Mar 16, 2007 Wide
On DVD: Jul 24, 2007
Studio: The Weinstein Co.

Critic Reviews

Stephen Hunter, Washington Post
The film is stilted and lame. Worse, the acting is as grim as the story is primeval.
Wesley Morris, Boston Globe
The filmmakers don't appear to know what's important, let alone how to pace an epic for big drama and maximum thrills.
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel
Kazakhstan supposedly spent $40 million in making this martial-arts epic. That bought a laughably corny Hollywood B-movie, gorgeous scenery, Hollywood B-actors and extras who plainly weren't members of the Screen Extras Guild.
G. Allen Johnson, San Francisco Chronicle
It harks back to those sand-and-sandals epics of the 1950s and '60s, with an international cast speaking in awkwardly dubbed English.
Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News
Though it has a familiar inevitability, the journey is generally compelling, thanks to fierce battles, a gorgeous landscape and heartfelt performances.
Lou Lumenick, New York Post
While the film has impressive 18th-century trappings and vivid battle scenes, the plotting and acting are rudimentary.
Heather Huntington, ReelzChannel.com
It really isn't my cup of tea.
Cynthia Fuchs, Common Sense Media
Awkward casting, dubbing mar violent Kazakh tale.
Don Willmott, Filmcritic.com
Rent it as a suitable test for your new widescreen TV, but don't expect movie magic.
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul), St. Paul Pioneer Press
Everything would be OK if the actors didn't open their mouths.
Jeff Shannon, Seattle Times
It embraces every cliché in the epic-movie playbook, relies too heavily on stale dialogue delivered in somber tones and offers little to its actors besides the opportunity to fashion some great-looking Eurasian costumes.
Josh Bell, Las Vegas Weekly
Meant to be sweeping and inspirational, Nomad is instead lurching and laughable, with terrible writing, awkward acting and clueless direction.
Eric Lurio, Greenwich Village Gazette
The use of "idiot plotting" to advance the story makes this laughable when it should be poetic.
Ken Fox, TV Guide's Movie Guide
Despite the central Asian locale, the film is largely rooted in the conventions of the American westerns and good old Hollywood Biblical epics like The Ten Commandments, as well as many of their attendant clichés.
Jim Hemphill, Reel.com
In the American-release version of the picture, the emphasis on spectacle and the paring away of all but the most essential exposition ends up having the opposite of its intended effect.
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
A throwback to yeteryear's epics, Kazakhstan's official entry for the Foreign-Language Oscar is an old-fashioned actioner using real locales and extras rather than CGI effects; lack of unified vision may derive from too many directors behind the camera

Read all 16 critic reviews

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Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

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Featured Audience Ratings

Carlos M

The gorgeous locations and epic fight scenes don't compensate for laughable dialogues, bad acting and a terrible story full of clichés.
Jens S

The story of a young warrior uniting the Kazakh tribes of the vast tundra plains against Mongolian invaders. Although it combines a few international B-movie stars to tell this tale, the film actually looks really good and far from cheap. The cinematography and landscapes are very… More
The story of a young warrior uniting the Kazakh tribes of the vast tundra plains against Mongolian invaders. Although it combines a few international B-movie stars to tell this tale, the film actually looks really good and far from cheap. The cinematography and landscapes are very beautiful, the soundtrack nicely pompous and fitting. Sadly, that's already the best you can say about this oddly boring film. Too many stereotypes and bad dialogues make it hard for the audience to get involved. The riding and sword fight action scenes are decent at best but have been done better and more exciting in many movies. Although things do get better towards the end it somehow leaves a stale taste in your mouth, considering how much better this could have been with a little more love for a decent story and lines.
Justin Y

To my knowledge, this is the first film I've seen out of Kazakhstan, which turns out to be a historical epic adventure about Ablai Khan. This is not as good as the likes of 300 or The Lord of the Rings, but it isn't trash… More
To my knowledge, this is the first film I've seen out of Kazakhstan, which turns out to be a historical epic adventure about Ablai Khan. This is not as good as the likes of 300 or The Lord of the Rings, but it isn't trash either.The story is straightforward, but there are times where it gets a little choppy. I want to say that this choppiness helps because a good portion of this flick is boring. I think some of the boredom goes away because of this. I am not saying that this is a good thing either. It just so happens that it helps in this situation.The first half of the film is the big letdown. The pace is slow and the action, which is decent at best, is at a minimum. The second half is more action, but it isn't enough to up the rating for this flick. The ending is lacking as well. There is sort of this big buildup right before it, but nothing BIG really happens.There is a decent sword fight in the second half, not the ending, and the rest of the fights are a let down. Mark Dacascos is better than this.The cast is questionable. This movie is from Kazakhstan, but you have the likes of Jay Hernandez, Jason Scott Lee, and Mark Dacascos showing up as the bigger characters. Jay Hernandez feels somewhat out of place, but Jason Scott Lee fits right in and becomes the best character of the movie. In case you are wondering, everybody speaks Kazakh, which is a huge plus.I find this film to be a hit or miss amongst most people. If you like these historical warrior movies, then give this a shot.
William G

Dubbed US take of derivative historical epic leads to laughs.
Leo L

Loved this movie!