Red Sonja Review: Strong Fights and Visuals, Weak Story and Ending

by

Tonight marked the first theatrical showing of Red Sonja, despite its modest budget. Kudos to the creative team for successfully arranging a theatrical release before its digital premiere on August 29th.

In simpler terms, I’m fond of Matilda Lutz. She stood out in the movie. I enjoyed Wallis Day too. It was exciting to catch Michael Bisping on screen. However, Robert Sheehan had very limited roles. The other characters didn’t make much impact and are easily forgettable.

Visuals and Action

On the budget front, the special effects are quite impressive. It might not be a high-end $200M project, but it manages to maintain an overall visually appealing atmosphere. At times, I couldn’t help but think of Roger Corman’s style. The fight scenes, in particular, are exceptionally well executed.

Story and Pacing

This story falls under typical fantasy tropes, but for those who love this genre and the protagonist, it’s still enjoyable. Unfortunately, the pacing isn’t always smooth; some parts could be more concise, and the narrative needed a quicker start and a tidier conclusion within 90 minutes. It seems like it could have been adapted into a TV series for a more seamless experience.

Besides the excessive lecturing, what I came for was to watch Sonja fight, not listen to speeches. There are instances where the music reminds me of “Conan the Barbarian,” possibly due to the producer’s father having owned Conan’s rights, but the film doesn’t quite achieve that grandeur (it seems it could have).

The conclusion lacks impact, as it fails to deliver a satisfying resolution, and the last scene comes across as overly cheesy and cringe-worthy.

Technical Issues

The camera work seems to lack uniformity; certain shots give the impression of being filmed by different individuals, with unsteady handheld scenes and hazy sequences that were disorienting rather than immersive. These instances might need revision or removal, possibly due to reshoots or insufficient time for proper execution.

The Characters’ Energy

Sonja feels sexless, as does Sheehan’s villain.

Despite donning bikini armor and flirting subtly with the character played by Luca Pasqualino, there’s no romantic chemistry or sparks between them.

Sheehan’s antagonist initially appears menacing but soon transforms into a whining weakling, hardly instilling fear as an emperor. SPOILER: His pursuit of a spell book ultimately proves insignificant, rendering most plot development unnecessary. This aligns with the underwhelming conclusion.

Later, Red Sonja gives Draygan a stern lecture about the destruction of the forest, employing machinery, reminiscent of James Cameron’s movie Avatar. Frankly, it’s tiresome (rolls eyes again).

As a devoted admirer, I must say that even with minimal on-screen presence, Rhona Mitra radiates an undeniable allure unlike any other. It’s a shame she didn’t get more time to shine, as I found myself yearning for more scenes of her in the enchanting bikini armor.

Sonja’s actions lead to an awkward situation where she gets involved in a physical altercation with Wallis Day’s character due to her delay in picking the lock. This incident serves as a catalyst for a subplot reminiscent of the gladiator genre, although it bears some resemblance to a less authentic version of “Gladiator”.

The Verdict

To make the plot more compelling, a tighter narrative structure and increased sense of urgency were necessary. Despite the team’s effective use of available resources, better writing might have taken this production to a higher level, making it not just good, but exceptional.

Red Sonja gets a 5/10.

Read More

2025-08-14 06:32