Stars: James Rolleston, Lawrence Makoare, Te Kohe Tuhaka, Xavier Horan, Raukura Turei, George Henare, Rena Owen, Pana Hema Taylor, Calvin Tuteao, Jamus Webster, Bianca Hyslop, Isabella Rakete, Matariki Whatarau, Wairangi Koopu, Jeff Ruha | Written by Glenn Standring | Directed by Toa Fraser
Hongi (James Rolleston) – a Māori chieftain’s teenage son – must avenge his father’s murder in order to bring peace and honour to the souls of his loved ones after his tribe is slaughtered through an act of treachery. Vastly outnumbered by a band of villains, led by Wirepa (Te Kohe Tuhaka), Hongi’s only hope is to pass through the feared and forbidden Dead Lands and forge an uneasy alliance with the mysterious “Warrior” (Lawrence Makoare), a ruthless fighter who has ruled the area for years.
I actually found The Dead Lands really entertaining. Not only is the film filled to the brim with crazy Māori fight sequences which look brutal and realistic,...
Hongi (James Rolleston) – a Māori chieftain’s teenage son – must avenge his father’s murder in order to bring peace and honour to the souls of his loved ones after his tribe is slaughtered through an act of treachery. Vastly outnumbered by a band of villains, led by Wirepa (Te Kohe Tuhaka), Hongi’s only hope is to pass through the feared and forbidden Dead Lands and forge an uneasy alliance with the mysterious “Warrior” (Lawrence Makoare), a ruthless fighter who has ruled the area for years.
I actually found The Dead Lands really entertaining. Not only is the film filled to the brim with crazy Māori fight sequences which look brutal and realistic,...
- 6/8/2015
- by Richard Axtell
- Nerdly
Action adventure The Dead Lands is in UK cinemas this weekend. Director Toa Fraser talks about its making and how James Cameron’s a fan...
A taut and intense action adventure, The Dead Lands is a superb showcase for director Toa Fraser. It provides an insight into a culture not often explored on screen - set in pre-colonial New Zealand, the film’s dialogue is entirely in the Maori language - while delivering the kind of pared-back revenge story you might expect from a western or a samurai film.
In other words, The Dead Lands is both unique to its country and universal; its historical setting and subtitles might suggest something for the arthouse crowd, but its bruising fight scenes will please the action crowd, too. What’s more, James Cameron is officially a fan.
As The Dead Lands makes its debut in UK cinemas, we caught up with Toa Fraser...
A taut and intense action adventure, The Dead Lands is a superb showcase for director Toa Fraser. It provides an insight into a culture not often explored on screen - set in pre-colonial New Zealand, the film’s dialogue is entirely in the Maori language - while delivering the kind of pared-back revenge story you might expect from a western or a samurai film.
In other words, The Dead Lands is both unique to its country and universal; its historical setting and subtitles might suggest something for the arthouse crowd, but its bruising fight scenes will please the action crowd, too. What’s more, James Cameron is officially a fan.
As The Dead Lands makes its debut in UK cinemas, we caught up with Toa Fraser...
- 5/28/2015
- by ryanlambie
- Den of Geek
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