The Gaelic King (2017) User Reviews

Entertaining low budget film

[JungleJeffyGoesToMars · 5/10 · 22 March 2021]

This movie is great for fans of the sword and sorcery genre, as well as fans of B-Movies.

The positives: strong acting with the exception of one or two awkward scenes. Right away this puts the movie ahead of most b-movies. The story is well done, straight forward, and entertaining. The music is great, particularly the song during closing credits.

The negatives: the fight scenes are entirely unbelieable. I'm not sure if any of the actors had previous stage fighting experience. Also, the special effects distract from the film, especially during the final battle scene.

If you're the sort of viewer that doesn't mind bad effects and unconvincing fight scenes you'll you enjoy the movie.

Live adventure

[chuckxx · 3/10 · 2 June 2021]

This movie reminds me of the life adventures in the forest we did when we were young. Acting is about that level.sort of ridiculous.

The Gaelic King

[CinemaSerf · 5/10 · 6 August 2023]

Set amongst the glens of the ancient kingdom of Dalriada, this is quite a decent no-budget fantasy adventure that follows "Alpin" (Jake McGarry) and his young son "Finn" (Noah Irvine) as they traverse the wilderness trying to find a means to reclaim his regal inheritance. They arrive in the village of "Unust" (Simon DeSilva) where after a bit of a tussle, they discover that their children have all been kidnaped by an evil sorceress ("Riada"). An alliance looks the best plan and off into the forest they go. Along the way, they are set upon by the Pictish queen "Nathara" (Kerry Browne) whom they must also convince to join their quest... It's all pretty standard storytelling fayre, this film - but there is some lovely Argyllshire photography and a last twenty minutes that actually deliver some mystical visual effects quite effectively bringing about the entirely predicable denouement before a Clannad-style closing balled. The acting and the writing are entirely forgettable, though, and the action scenes are distinctly uncomplicated - sort of sword going under the armpit sort of style that you'd have used in school play. It's adequate.

That was different.

[nogodnomasters · 2/10 · 18 August 2017]

The film starts out in 790 AD (not to be considered historical) with a Pict/Gael conflict with the Gael king being killed and his two sons go into exile. The film picks up 10 years later as our sons are incognito as they visit a village in peril...and by village I mean a half dozen thatched huts. They is some internal drama as they go after those who are stealing the village people, all children. Not to give away too much, but it is the evil sorceress and her minions who wear sunglasses at night, but don't listen to Corey Hart.

The first half of the film was tolerable even though it was clear neither Jake McGarry nor Noah Irvine were going to win any award for acting. The small community was forgivable because of the budget. And then the fighting started and it was clear there was zero fight choreography in spite of the nine listed stunt co-coordinators and their assistants. At times the fighting hit the Ed Wood level of "so bad it was good." I didn't know how to take the eye laser thing. Not as good as the real budget alternative history films.

Guide: No swearing, sex, nudity, or acting.

Oh dear.......

[s3276169 · 1/10 · 16 July 2017]

Having watched 10 minutes of this flick my one and only reaction was "oh dear".....

In my opinion this really is an amateur effort.It reminds me of the sort of thing you might expect a volunteer dramatic society to put on for the oldies. That said, it would not matter how old I got I don't think I could sit through The Garlic King or Gaelic King or whatever this is supposed to be.

My advice steer well clear. One out of ten from me.

a horrid film, don't waste a minute of your life on it

[edwardnutbeam · 1/10 · 16 July 2017]

this "film" is terrible, borders on depressing to think that money although not a lot was spent on this. a title with a thousand possibilities and reading the previous reviews, you would think the title.... the actors are unknown yes, but they are bad to boot, i know the budget is low, but please, it was unbearable, effects are more so, but it is the story that takes the prize, watch it drunk or high and you may even laugh otherwise steer clear

If i could..

[post-99241 · 1/10 · 21 August 2022]

I have had diareah. All off them is better than this movie. If i could - i would go back in time, Get diareah another time. For atleast one week. And then i would go for the extra week.

Horrendous

[gianmarcoronconi · 1/10 · 7 January 2022]

A fantasy film that is far-fetched filth, hideous special effects, directing and acting comparable to garbage. The film does not entertain, it does not entertain, in practice it is just boring and in the end it leaves you absolutely nothing and you feel like you have just wasted time watching it.

Very poor acting.

[sean_rhind · 1/10 · 21 May 2023]

The acting is too cringey it deters from the story. Its very embarrassing to watch grown men and women play make believe because its definitely not acting!

Believe me I wanted this to be good or even half decent but it's proper garbage.

The cinematography is amateur also, looks like someone's shot scenes of a iPhone with a shakey hand.

It's hard to believe anyone took time to actually produce this, the storyline has massive potential though, its ashame the bad acting, poor quality and lack of depth let's it down.

I did try to watch the entirety of the movie but had to quit at 18 mins in, I couldn't waste any more of my time on rubbish.

Sadly Very Poor

[gjohncock · 1/10 · 15 March 2024]

I had high hopes for this film, the title alone has great potential, but unfortunately the end product was sadly very poor.

There's nothing wrong with low budget films at all, the problem with The Gaelic King was the writing, camera work and acting, apart from the priest who stood head and shoulders above the rest.

Unfortunately, it looked like the whole film was shot on a phone and reminded me of the made-up games we played in the woods as kids rather than a script anybody had actually worked on. With the abundance of rich Scottish Folklore we have in this country, it's a tragedy that none of that was incorporated into the film.

It was a real slog to get through this film and I'd advise you not to do the same.

All things considered, a feel-good watch

[laurie-232-113131 · 8/10 · 16 July 2017]

Firstly, when compared to other films in the indie/action/low budget genre, this is exceptional. It doesn't fall into the trap of pretending to be a Hollywood blockbuster, but accepts its limitations and works within them. The story is simple, but works well in its context, and is refreshingly satisfactory, though not at all deserving of a '15' rating (Interestingly my DVD copy has been rated a 12 by the IFCO- a much more appropriate audience) Also, it is really nice to see an good original score- makes a great change from the royalty-free tracks so often used! The beautiful Scottish countryside obviously inspired the producers, and seeing some of the shots you wonder why it isn't used more by higher budget movies.

When compared to the larger genre, the film still holds up against criticism, especially in its story and the quality of the editing and score. The visual effects are not fantastic, but don't massively impact the overall watchability of the film. Certainly not a retelling of history, but an interesting interpretation of the few details known about the period.

In many ways, a historical/fantasy action/adventure is an unlikely candidate for a budget production, but this film manages to pull it off.

I enjoyed it

[spilmanvie · 7/10 · 14 July 2017]

Considering the budget for this film, I thought it was pretty good. While I noticed a couple of continuity errors (hey, you see them in big budget films, too), and had some sound issues (on my TV, anyway... sometimes the music was louder than the actors' voices), on the whole I really enjoyed it as a fantasy story told quite well. It had humour, light and darkness... all aspects which make for an entertaining 90 minutes.

It's nicely filmed, with beautiful scenery in Scotland of course. And the original music was especially good.

I hope that the lad who played the youngest prince will continue his career in acting, he has presence.

Interesting flash at the very end, after the credits... a sequel in the planning, perhaps?

A decent low budget film

[iamtherobotman · 5/10 · 9 January 2024]

Sometimes people forget that not all films can have multimillion Hollywood budgets.

Of course there are some low budget films which are embarrassingly atrocious, some i've reviewed, many more, i'm grateful to have so far avoided.

This is a low budget film, but it does very well with the restraints. I would say where it fell short was with the effects. Why did the 'black cloud laddies' look like extras from 'Men In Black'? Their design was not good. Some of the fight scenes were poor, and why were the Picts wearing tie dyed jeans? I'd also have liked to see this take a different direction, rather than going the 'sword and sorcery' route. There's enough ancient Scottish myths and legends they could've incorporated, if they really wanted to do something mystical.

On the whole though, this really isn't a bad film, it's low budget, and there's a massive difference between the two. It was filmed well, the editing was good, the dialogue was far from the worst i've heard and the story was well told.

Ignore the overly critical reviews of this film. I don't know what some were expecting for a low budget film. Of course, it's not perfect, that stands to reason, but it's far from the disaster some would have you believe.

An underrated gem in my opinion

[vielzweck · 10/10 · 21 July 2019]

This is not a streamlined Hollywood production. Effects are under par, acting is a little wooden sometime.

So what? It´s refreshing, it´s different, and yes, it´s funny sometimes. I think it´s a masterpiece with real people you can relate to, other than those mainstream titles with models as actors (except the sorceress, who looks like she´s out of the movies).

So, if you like your flics to be a little, again, different, this will be worth your time, if not for the sake of the scenery shown alone. I totally enjoyed it.

Get ready for a low budget, then sit back and enjoy!

[cheethamwilkinson · 7/10 · 18 September 2017]

Hey, what can I say, I liked it. And so will you if you're not expecting big budgets.

Like horses and swords? Me too. Like wicked sorceresses? Me too. Like evil minions? Win. The truth is that low budget movies like this don't often make it to market, and the cover art is so good that people will be expecting big Hollywood money. But one star is just silly.

I found it very enjoyable, under a blanket with a nice cup of tea kind of film. If you know before you start that it's low budget you'll really enjoy it. Good story, fun baddies, some acting is a little wobbly some is strong. Beautiful scenery and some nice tight editing. All in all a really great job, good old fashioned storytelling.

Low budget but high quality

[mct_tenor · 10/10 · 14 July 2017]

The Gaelic King is set in a fascinating and rarely documented period of Scottish history. It takes some liberties adding in fantastical elements but it is sensitively and skilfully executed.

Inevitably, as a low budget feature it does not have the gloss and precision of a Hollywood movie but in some ways this also adds to the depth of the immersive world in which it is set. The characters are great and all unique. There is some decent action sequences as well as a gripping story and even some unexpectedly humorous moments (mostly from the colourful Druid character - Lachlan).

The conclusion is powerful and satisfying and it is refreshing to have an independent film of this genre that ends with a strong sense of hope.

Low budget venture with passion and heart ...

[parry_na · 7/10 · 8 December 2021]

This is a low budget venture. I say that to get it out of the way. There are reviewers, and plenty of them, who will attack a low budget venture because it doesn't have multi-million dollar CGI or effects - which is ludicrous.

I understand parts of this were Crowdfunded. What we end up with is clearly made with passion and, as far as I'm concerned looks good, features solid acting throughout and an engaging story. Occasionally, some of the dialogue is obscured by the music, and some of the fight scenes don't quite convince.

For all that, we have well written and really nicely played characters, and an effective villain (a Vampira-esque Kerry Browne as The Sorceress) and some good set pieces.

Director Philip Todd and other assorted Todds responsible for production and writing have done a commendable job and created something with passion and heart, enthusiastically played. My score is 7 out of 10.

In an age of The Witcher - why is this not on Netflix?

[Film_Fanatic1745 · 10/10 · 22 September 2019]

Seeing a lot of comments relating to the budget of this film (which is tight) - take it for what it is people; a charming, family film, full of Scottish folklore and landscape. Some stand-out performances and a stunning score. Compared with other micro-budget features in the market, this is a knock-out! You can clearly tell all those involved really cared about what they were putting their name to. Give Netflix a rest for an afternoon, and support Indie film-making.

Low budget Sword and Sorcery that is a Cut Above the Rest

[daniel-mannouch · 6/10 · 30 May 2019]

The Gaelic King is a low budget fantasy film done right and there is pretty much nothing else i can say other than that.

Lead actor Jake McGarry is a charming lead and makes a nice change from the usual mumbling brick built boneheads that occupy this role in other low budget fantasy films. A production with controlling majority in the hands of three brothers, Philip, Matthew and Nathan Todd, there is a strong sense of continuity in the acting and direction, making The Gaelic King a good screenplay performed well with good direction and a good sense of genre about it. It does fall into cliche more than once, but good production values and the aforementioned strong storytelling promote a lot of good faith and this can be easily overlooked. Not as violent or mature as i thought it was going to be, The Gaelic King fits best with a teenage audience if they are inclined to this sought of thing. Probably not, but nevertheless, it has those feel good feels and a sly sense of humour even which broadens it's appeal. Once again, all examples of a well told story. I don't think i could ask more from 90 minutes of low budget fantasy filmmaking.

Amazing Award Winning Low Budget Film

[writemeone · 9/10 · 5 October 2018]

When you think of low budget films you usually think that this is going to be low quality as well. This is where The Gaelic King differs from the others. I have watched and reviewed a number of films and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised with this offering.

The story is Scottish folklore at its best. The acting was also well directed and while some where first time actors they were able to pull off very convincing roles. The young actors were also exceptional showing great emotion and professionalism.

The music score was probably my greatest surprise because I did not expect such an outstanding contribution to the film. It was truly well done and exceptionally well edited.

The only reason it received a 9 was due to the special effects which could have been a bit better. But I'm sure this will prove to be corrected in their next project which I hope will have greater funding than this film had.

If these new film makers can do this well on a low budget just think what they could accomplish if there were afforded more!

Hats off the entire Cast and Crew for this film!

Really enjoyed this film

[angelalamont · 10/10 · 13 July 2017]

Great film really enjoyed watching it, few comments stating it's a low budget film etc and unknown actors and yes that is exactly what it is however the acting is great the effects are the best I've seen on a low budget film and the scenery of Scotland is just beautiful and the Scottish music just makes it even more beautiful... would recommend anyone to watch it.

Great effort - and an actual Scottish production!

[uldale · 8/10 · 8 July 2023]

I'm not a fan of sword and sorcery or fantasy, but I am Scottish and interested in historical films about Scotland, so this caught my eye.

This correctly belongs in the fantasy/sword and sorcery genres, but I found it quite engaging. Yes, it's a bit fast and loose with historical reality, and portrays both Gaelic and Pictish royalty as rag-tag beggars living in the the wilderness, which is almost certainly a long way from reality. The supernatural stuff with the evil sorceress is just silly, but it's what drives much of the plot, so okay ...

For me, it was the all-Scottish cast and genuine Scottish locations which really made this work. There were no cringe-inducing fake accents, and I think that really added to the mostly inexperienced (?) cast being able to get on and act. And the acting was very good, from the leads, which suggests that, director Philip Todd could do great things, given the chance. Once or twice the "banter" strayed too close to modernity, which kind of broke the spell - such as the village leader making a joke out of showing respect for his king - but these were minor niggles. No one was going around saying "dude" or anything!

A really fun adventure film if you're not expecting historical reality.

Overall a great film!

[countryvet-78578 · 10/10 · 31 July 2017]

Highly enjoyed "The Gaelic King"! It's a really good film for everyone to watch, especially if you live in and around Scotland. I also found it amazing how far a small budget can stretch... The only slight issue I had (I can't tell if it was with the amazon video upload of the film or my TV..) was that from 08:34 to 13:33 there was a slight problem with the white balance but I think that it was actually on my TV. In conclusion, I thoroughly enjoyed this film!