Returning to the sword and sorcery film after I covered Deathstalker, it seems that we’ve never covered any movies based on comics that are not from either Marvel nor even DC. Sure, I could’ve make a review of Bloodshot, but couldn’t make a review because of “you-know-what” back in 2020, but that’s a long story.
But this time, its more like focus of one character being adapted from the original story for inspiration purpose, but outside of Robert E. Howard’s character. Though used to be in Marvel comics before now in journey on Dynamite Entertainment.
“Red Sonja” is a 2025 sword and sorcery film that was directed by M.J. Bassett, produced by Avi Lerner, Joe Gatta, Yariv Lerner, Mark Canton, Courtney Solomon, Joey Soloway, and Luke Lieberman, and written by Tasha Huo.
Like I said before, the character Red Sonja is based on Robert E. Howard’s character with the same name from the short story called “The Shadow of the Vulture”, she depicted as a female warrior from Polish and Ukraine in her personal grudge against the sultan from Ottoman, even though she isn’t meant to be connected to Hyborian hero, Conan The Barbarian, until someone though it would be a good idea to make a movie called “Red Sonja” and released in 1985 that it shared the same world of Conan The Barbarian/Destroyer, but it became the worst movie ever made for all the reasons, again, long story. Anyway, this would becoming an inspiration to Roy Thomas and artist Barry Windsor-Smith to creating their own version of Red Sonja, making her debut on Marvel Comics in 1973, while she’s interacting to Conan, and like in Howard’s version, she’s depicted as a female warrior in sword and sorcery, but she’s born in Hyrkanian, seeking revenge against the mercenaries for murder her parents (Gee, does that sounds familiar to you?). Though she would later becoming somewhat memorable character, not just being a swordmaster for revenge from what happened to her past, but rather appeared to wearing her chain mail bikini (Ohh my…).
As for the idea of this movie in today’s review, it went back when we have the worst version of Red Sonja that they were planning to make a sequel, but it never happened (I wonder why…?). But it wouldn’t be until in 2008, Robert Rodriguez and his company “Troublemaker Studios” wanted to make movie based on Thomas version, but a year later, it was scrapped quickly. But in 2010, Nu Image (now as Millennium Media) moved to make their own take of Red Sonja with numerous producers come on for the project, along with changing directors for credit role, one of them was Bryan Singer, but didn’t last long due to the combination of accusation of sexual assault and unable to secure a domestic distributor (Yeah, he deserved to be dropped how bad he is), until what we have here for today’s review.
Will this be a worthy journey with Red Sonja on the big screen? Lets find out.
The movie begins with a flashback where we meet the young Red Sonja who lives peacefully in her home kingdom called “Hyrkania”. However, the peace didn’t last long as her home was invaded by barbarians, killing and capture innocents on their way, while Sonja ran away to escape the invasion. Despite she has some moments where she was kidnapped in slavery before she escaped. Fast forwards from years later, where grown Red Sonja lives in the forest with her trusty horse peacefully with praying to the goddess Ashera. However, she heard about the mercenaries are in the forest for not only disturbing the peace, but also hunting various animals for horns, not just for crafting the weapons, but also for the gladiator games honored by a spoiled emperor named Dragan. While she’s gets caught by Dragan’s deadly warrior named Annisia, Sonja, being imprisoned as a slave, she discovers Dragan has the half of the Hyrkanian book. So its up to Sonja to freeing herself and remaining slaves to fight against Dragan for her vengeance to Hyrkania.
Though like any reviews I’ve done, I won’t do the comparison between this and some comics out there. So, when it comes to the story, it feels like any vengeful stories, this time, she’s fighting for the sake of her lost kingdom. Basically, its a mixed between Braveheart for her freedom against Dragan’s slavery and Gladiator when she’s imprisoned and fight for death for Dragan’s entertainment purposes. Which fine for say the least for her vengeful story, but I find the story be standard for say the least, though I just wish if the writing could’ve make something promising like developments other than Sonja or Dragan, and some world building. Though I should also mentioned the writing dialogues are find for say the least to be like sword and sorcery English theme, some has a nice delivery, while some tries to give us a small bit of humor which I find… Bellow average at best, even if I had a small chuckle.
As for the presentation, I find it to be… Above average at best. However, I tried my best to digging around for how much money they spent on this movie, however, as im writing this, I can’t find any confirmation of the film’s budget, so for my guess, it must’ve been costs about less than $1M or $1.5M. Im not confirming the numbers, its just my guessing, since its another low budget film in my review.
For starter, the filming and cinematography looks pretty good and some beautiful shots out there, the set looks pretty good too to be taking place in fantasy land of sword and sorcery with fort, decoration in the forest (even though it was filmed in both Sofia, Bulgaria and Thermi suburb of Thessaloniki, Greece), and some done in practicals, along with some wardrobes they made are pretty nice too from dresses, armors and other unique designs, especially with weapon designs. Though if you ever read the comics with Red Sonja, either from Marvel or Dynamite Entertainment, as I said from the beginning, we see her in her signature scantly clad chain mail bikini, which is unusual, but beautiful, even if her chain mail bikini is like bikini armor with extra defense points than plain covered armors. But when it comes to this movie if some of you are familiar from the comics? Well, her armors are basically… Chest with chain mail bra, shoulder armors with chains and a skirt. Which I find her outfit in this movie is mid at best. But remember the aforementioned chain mail bikini armor? Well, they brought in, but only when Sonja first arrived in a gladiator game or being caged for interrogation with Dragan. Talk about a letdown for any fans of Red Sonja like to see how she’s presented.
As for the action scenes, they’re good, it has a pretty nice sword fight, avoiding arrows and even fighting monsters. However, despite they have some action scenes that they’re good to watch, though choreograph can be a bit iffy at some moment, mainly, while we see the kills and the blood, but all we seen is the contact from arrows on-seen, but some kills with swords and knives are either shown or unseen, even if this film is rated 14A, according to YouTube that I checked. I mean come on, Deathstalker 2025 has no problem to show us a gory kills, as a bow budget film.
However, even though they gave us practical effects, they also adding CG effects, which the CGs are… Mid. Some of them looks nice like the setting in Dragan’s homeland, Ashera’s statue and other locations, but other times you can see some quality just doesn’t look right, like the machine cart where Dragan was introduced or even the Cyclops, they look like they’re in PS3 quality, as again, a low budget film. Speaking of which, even though did the nice work for the set, the designs and some actions, but the movie is suffered with post-production issues that I noticed while I watched it, I don’t know if its on YouTube or the movie itself, but I see errors like jump cuts, slow frames-per-seconds (not the slowmo tho) and the aforementioned iffy CG moment. Its almost like they rushed the post-production after they’ve spent time and money on CG designs and effects.
Lastly, as for the characters, I find the characters are… Also fine for the very least.
Our titular protagonist, Red Sonja (played by Matilda Lutz), I find her to be a fairly decent in this version, while she’s a vengeful warrior for Hyrkania kingdom (as possibly the last of them) after she survived, but also her care of humanity and vulnerability. I can understand she’s meant to be a vengeful warrior to protecting humanity from either slavery or kill for entertainment, but I find the execution just didn’t mesh. Maybe she would’ve been great like an anti-hero, taking her vengeance seriously for her assassination attempt on Dragan for the sake of her lost kingdom. Though im not saying I don’t like her performance, I think she did a nice of her performance, even if the way she was written just didn’t work in execution.
Then we have Emperor Dragan (played by Robert Sheehan), the main villain who likes be in control for gladiator games, slaughtering animals for crafting weapons and wanting to be the great emperor in the world. I find him to be… Mediocre at best, he’s basically a spoiled adult brat who likes to be ruler whatever he wants and outright screwing over the people if they don’t stand on his way, especially he wishes to great powers and taking his own credit than anyone, along with revision his past as a lost boy before taking over as an emperor of the land, but in reality, he’s just a emperor brat who acts like a social influencer who wants attention by making millions of disstracks. Though im not gonna taking personal on Robert Sheehan, cause its the first time I saw him on the screen, even if I’ve never seen some previous films he’s been involved. But in this movie, what the heck is up with his delivery, its as if he’s trying to be menacing and being mean spirited, but I think the way he was written to deliver is clearly made him look doofus.
As for the rest, there aren’t much to explain, despite most of them are either have a brief development or lackluster, like Annisia (played by Wallis Day) who’s a schizophrenic warrior due to hearing voices in her mind for… Reasons, Hawk (played by former UFC fighter Michael Bisping) who’s Sonja’s muscle of rebellious slaves, General Karlak (played by bodybuilder Martyn Ford) who’s a hybrid being for being Dragan’s guard, Amarak (played by Eliza Matengu) who’s also hybrid being, but on Sonja’s side, Ashera (played by Veronica Ferres) who’s the goddess from ancient Semitic (and Ferres also plays as Sonja’s mother), and Osin (played by Luke Pasqualino) who’s on Sonja’s side for moment due to, like Sonja, he used to live with his own kingdom.
Overall, I find this movie to be rather disappointing. It would’ve been either promising or great movie for being based on Red Sonja comics (either Marvel at the time or Dynamite Entertainment) to give us a promising would building, a character driven with well execution and great actions. Instead, it feels so bellow average that the writing is okay at best for the story and lowbrow humor attempt, while some characters (minus Sonja) are either what would’ve been or just lackluster, though Sonja herself in this movie is fine at best. The presentation is good at some moments with not-so gory actions, nice settings and some CG are either look fine or just laughably bad.
Its a tough task if anyone like it or not. I’d say, watch this movie ONCE if you find it okay or just plain mediocre.
And that’s all for my mini review, tell me what you think in the comments bellow. And heads up my friends, im finally done with movies of last year, im preparing to make the countdown list of best and worst movies in 2025, tune it next time.
Thanks for reading, and im Anthony, signing out.
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