The Dead Lands (2014)

After his tribe is slaughtered through an act of treachery, the teenage son of a slain Maori chieftain looks to avenge his father's murder and bring peace and honor to the souls of his loved ones.

Director:

Toa Fraser

Writer:

Glenn Standring

Stars:

James Rolleston, Lawrence Makoare, Te Kohe Tuhaka

4 wins & 9 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
James Rolleston	...	Hongi
Lawrence Makoare	...	The Warrior
Te Kohe Tuhaka	...	Wirepa
Xavier Horan	...	Rangi
Raukura Turei	...	Mehe
George Henare	...	Tane
Rena Owen	...	Grandmother
Pana Hema Taylor	...	Mana
Calvin Tuteao	...	Ka
Jamus Webster	...	Tahi
Bianca Hyslop	...	Pipi
Isabella Rakete	...	Keri
Matariki Whatarau	...	Tama
Wairangi Koopu	...	Raupatu
Jeff Ruha	...	Mere

Storyline

After his tribe is slaughtered through an act of treachery, Hongi, a Maori chieftain's teenage son, must avenge his father's murder in order to bring peace and honor to the souls of his loved ones. Vastly outnumbered by a band of villains, Hongi's only hope is to pass through the feared and forbidden Dead Lands and forge an uneasy alliance with the mysterious Warrior, a ruthless fighter who has ruled the area for years.

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Plot Keywords:

severed head | cannibalism | martial arts | murder | hallucinogenic mushroom | 

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Taglines:

Where the warrior spirit was born

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Genres:

Action | Adventure

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for brutal bloody violence

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

New Zealand UK

Language:

Maori

Release Date:

30 October 2014 (New Zealand)

Also Known As:

Savasçi

Filming Locations:

New Zealand

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$1,327, 17 April 2015, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$4,426, 3 May 2015

Company Credits

Production Co:

Day Tripper Films,General Film Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

107 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Director Toa Fraser's first name actually means "warrior" in Maori, though he is actually of Fijian descent.

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Goofs

At the very end of the movie when the warrior rises up in the woods and stands there with a light on his face, a car drives past in the background.

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Quotes

The Warrior: I have a blackness that comes upon me - where even the God of War would not venture!

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Soundtracks

Waiata Atahu
Written by Te Manahau Morrison
Performed by Raukura Turei

User Reviews

Huge disappointment

Greetings from Lithuania.

"The Dead Lands" (2014) tries to mix some genres, ideas, visual scenes it fells short very quickly in creating a simply involving movie. The story here isn't bad, but it is so uninvolvingly made that i finished watching this movie in like a week - seriously. I just didn't care AT ALL about two main characters, i didn't connect to them and i couldn't care less about the outcome. I liked the landscapes although, nature is very beautiful in here, but sadly that is the only positive thing i can say about "The Dead Lands".

Overall, "The Dead Lands" isn't a terrible movie, it isn't a very bad one either, it's just that i tries mix some genres, but fails to create a simply involving movie. The story is very simple, but that isn't a problem. Problem is that couldn't care less for this story - editing, directing and especially script are very poor. Acting was OK just by the guy who played this "flesh eater" - everyone else were very quickly forgettable. There are plenty more better movies in the market, you can skip "The Dead Lands".