Abelar: Tales of an Ancient Empire (2010)
"Tales of an Ancient Empire" (original title)

A princess is on a quest to unite the five greatest warriors to save her kingdom from a demon sorceress.

Director:

Albert Pyun

Writer:

Cynthia Curnan

Stars:

Kevin Sorbo, Melissa Ordway, Michael Paré

Cast

Credited cast:
Kevin Sorbo	...	Aedan
Michael Paré	...	Oda
Melissa Ordway	...	Princess Tanis
Sasha Mitchell	...	Rodrigo
Lee Horsley	...	The Stranger
Ralf Moeller	...	General Hafez
Whitney Able	...	Xia
Scott Paulin	...	Tou-Bou Bardo
Matthew Willig	...	Giant Iberian
Inbar Lavi	...	Alana
Dallas Ryan	...	Viking
Jennifer Siebel Newsom	...	Queen Ma'at
Olivier Gruner	...	Corsair Duguay
Janelle Marra	...	Rajan (as Janelle Taylor)
Sarah Ann Schultz	...	Malia

Storyline

A princess is on a quest to unite the five greatest warriors to save her kingdom from a demon sorceress.

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Plot Keywords:

sequel | female nudity | sword and sorcery

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Genres:

Action | Adventure

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some violence and nudity

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

31 July 2010 (USA)

Also Known As:

Abelar: Tales of an Ancient Empire

Filming Locations:

Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

New Tales

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

6-Track Stereo

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Connections

Follows The Sword and the Sorcerer (1982)

User Reviews

A pleasure after shaky start

Some recent Albert Pyun movies have fallen short of his "low budget guilty pleasure" niche. Amid pressure to deliver in what seems to be his highest profile film in years, "Tales of an Ancient Empire" is a dense and stylish start to what Pyun clearly envisions as a series that offers many lusty and very guilty pleasures pleasures head and shoulders above the dreg that is Syfy or Asylum fare. It starts on a rocky shoal of imagery and quality. Its almost as if the first four minutes belonged in an alternate universe of movies. But after, Pyun finds his footing. Coarse, initially convoluted and densely populated by roguish characters, it's an intriguing world that hews closer to "Richard the 3rd" than "The Sword and the Sorcerer" with all the expected back stories that propel the plot. After watching this Part One of these "Tales", I'm hooked, with the disclaimer that this ambitious venture requires a no-reading- the computer screen-while-watching commitment. It's not easy to track and is not meant to be. Above all Tales is about family and the deep wounds that can fester in a child or jilted lover and how that can drive the wounded party to despicable acts. Kevin Sorbo shines best as he perfectly balances the pathos of being a abandoned bastard and the charm of a greedy rogue. Whitney Able (a breathtaking sorceress vampire) and Melissa Ordway (the ravishing Princess Tanis) also provide strong characters and performances. Victoria Maurette struggles a bit with her Kara, a half human, half vampire creature who is never quite as unabashedly sensual as the role calls for. As with most Pyun efforts, Tales is beautifully shot with rich compositions, although degraded somewhat by spotty editing and some dodgy low budget special effects. Cynthia Curnan's script is more literate and clever than is found in this sub- genre. Indeed, its the use of language that distinguishes the film. Certainly, Tales is destined to capture a smaller audience than it's hackneyed sword and sorcery predecessor but it carries a higher ambition and creative verve. I can see fan boys with ADD turning against this but for those who enjoy a rich tapestry of colorful characters and plot lines, Tales is perfectly in your wheelhouse.