Minotaur

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Customer reviews

review by: bookwhizz date: 2008-09-02 rating:
So rubbish it was good!
This film was complete and utter rubbish!
A waste of peoples time and my money!
If you ask me, this film was so rubbish it was brilliant!

Don't get it!!!

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review by: hotlurvemachine2 date: 2008-06-14 rating:
Interesting re-telling in a blend of horror-fantasy
Although low budget and only one big name actor in it (Rutger Hauer - in a small part), I was rather impressed by this blend of horror and fantasy.

This is based (unsurprisingly) on Theseus and the Minotaur legend, however most legends have some basis in fact and this film attempts to portray iron-age settlements being conquered and submitting to the whims of the long-lost Minoan sea-based empire which seemed to be ruled from modern-day Crete.

The script and story is simplistic but because of imaginative direction and some nice sets and good location-filming this comes across as a fast-paced historical horror-fantasy.

(Compared to the big budget film Troy, this film was filled with nice visual ideas about a lost culture with some interesting statues, costumes, e.t.c. Troy on the other hand seemed clueless)

Moments in the catacomb scenes with the pursuing beast reminded me of `The Descent' and it had some interesting ideas about the lost Minoan empire, such as the rulers getting high on drugs and using the same methods to sedate the victims of "the beast".
The baddie was Tony Todd , perhaps best known for his role as 'The Candyman' and he seemed to be enjoying the part of the Minoan King and using his voice to good menacing effect.
The only slight gripe is that the Minoans would have been Greek or Greek-looking rather than African-looking, as Herodotus clearly tells us that the last survivors of their race relocated to northern Greece and shared some of their technological innovations with the locals (arguably helping with their sudden advancement).

But for a bit of low-budget escapisim its not bad!

8/10

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review by: profitweaver date: 2008-04-24 rating:
Absolute Turkey!
To be honest, whilst I like to read reviews of films, and they do help me form a judgment, I like to make my own mind up about films. In this case, I should have gone with the majority. This film is absolute tripe. I cannot think of a single redeeming feature. The acting is poor, the dialogue is worse, the effects are abysmal. To mention Rutgar Hauer as a lead on the cover is bordering on a trade descriptions violation. His appearance is fleeting to say the least.

Ho hum.

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review by: dwoods92 date: 2008-04-09 rating:
Utter bull...
Whether intentional or not, 'Minotaur' fails to re-tell the Greek legend with any conviction or accuracy. As it will inevitably be compared to the mythology, it seems strange that the filmmakers made such an cheap and exploitative film and it deserves every criticism it gets.

OK, that's taking things a bit too seriously but this is an utterly crap film that fails to entertain in any possible way. How anyone can have sat through this immense guff and enjoyed it, I do not know and, if this is one of the better Sci-Fi Channel productions, I DREAD to think what the worst are like! The script is abysmal, guiding us leadenly through a far-too-familiar scenario of a monster chasing dumb people around in a confined location. This isn't bad per se but it is badly done and the characters are hugely annoying and generate no sympathy whatsoever. Worst of all, the Minotaur itself looks awful, a messy kind of mesh between prosthetics and CGI, and doesn't capture any of the legend's mystique or terror. It just looks clumsy and this spoils the film entirely, though it was getting there quite nicely without the help.

This film was so bad I fell asleep after an hour. I actually had to skip a couple of scenes because I was so bored: something I have never done before while watching a film. An undoubted waste of time.


review by: s.vernon date: 2007-11-02 rating:
A GOOD SCI FI FILM
As is usual during their time of the year, it's time for the sacrifices for the Minotaur god, and Theo (Tom Hardy) isn't pleased, as they have taken his girlfriend away. His father, Cyrnan, (Rutger Hauer) the village elder, doesn't approve and demands that he keep out of it when they arrive. He manages to get captured anyway, and his taken to the palace of the king, Deucalion, (Tony Todd) who throws them into a pit where their God, the Minotaur, awaits. As Theo reveals that he has come to kill the Minotaur instead of their other reasons, he sets out to stop the bull.

The Good News: Among the usual stuff the Sci-Fi Channel puts out, this is one of the more intelligent ones. By keeping the film set during the time of the original myth about the Minotaur, it avoids the pitfall of many of the other ones they've done by using the original story and it's scares as the basis for this one. Most of the fear in that one was attributed to the labyrinth, and the danger of not knowing which person was next to go. Here, it works that way as well, but also for a just as exciting reason. The early scenes in the Minotaur lair are the film's creepiest moments, with the dead air, crazily designed maze, and a general sense of unease that they aren't that safe. It's the perfect setting for this kind of film that is pretty straight forward with the myth of the creature, and it doesn't take too many liberties. The creature looks half-way decent, a step up from the usual work they've done before. The hell-spawned bull look works for the film, giving the Minotaur a more thrilling look and design that a lot of people wouldn't have considered. There is some impressive kills as well, included the one that gets the biggest jump, where a character is giving a speech and the bull's horn impales them through the mouth. Several are gored upon it's horns or mauled savagely, leading to some impressive set-pieces.

The Bad News: The main thing I want to gripe about is that the great Tony Todd, who does have a great role here, isn't given that much to do. He basically just stands around, spouting pseudo-poetic lines while trying to be menacing, and it just doesn't work come off that great from the actor. His role is important, but it shouldn't have been him in it, as we expect so much more from the man. Other than that, there isn't much I want to complain about here, as this is one of the better ones from the Sci-Fi Channel.

The Final Verdict: This is one of the Sci-Fi Channel's better films, as it tries a couple of new tricks in their usual repertoire and come out with an average film among their other credits. All the Sci-Fi fans will want to check it out, but fans of Tony will probably think twice, as he has been miscast in this one.

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