First, I must point out that my brain did not turn into a pool of blood, my eyes did not fall out their sockets and I did make it through the entire movie.
The best news is that is far superior to Jonas Hex, Melissa Ordway is much hotter than Megan Fox and Kevin Sorbo is, well, Mr Sorbo at his very best.
Bad news is there wasn't really enough money it seems to deliver a consistent fantasy. Effects are quite rough and exteriors and action are minimal.
As if it were based on a play, most of Tales takes place inside the walls of a palace or tavern. The film surrendered its genre advantage of action fantasy, and tried to compensate with a clever but talky script.
The film is about a family, both human and vampire. The bastards of a philandering warrior.
Each of his kids harbors issues of abandonment. Princess Tanis (gorgeous Melissa Ordway) learns she is not the King's daughter at the outset of the movie. The movie is essentially her quest to find her "true" Father who is the one man that can ave the kingdom. Along the way, she meets her half brothers and sisters like Aedan (a devilishly excellent Kevin Sorbo), Rajan (a colorful ex-assassin, now innkeeper and mother, played well by Janelle Taylor), and Alana (Rajan's daughter, played with feisty fun by Inbar Lavi). There is fun in watching the Princess meet up with each sibling and learning a bit more about dear ol' dad at each encounter.
All align to stop a vampire sorceress (Whitney Able). Able does great work here even though she struggles to speak with the fangs in her mouth and is given only a handful of scenes. She adds unexpected depth and pathos for a fantasy villain. Its really quite a powerful performance that grounds the plot.
Tales should be praised for its unconventional plot and for its dialogue, which is loaded with eloquent and humor. Whether even estranged family members would say such things to each other is a different matter but it adds spark to the stage bound movie. The interiors, while many, are well shot and the design of the movie, while sparse are well done.
When this film is criticized for resembling a stage play, this is what is meant; the story is expressed almost entirely through dialogue rather than cinematography.
It's a movie concerning intrigue and the search for self more than high adventure and killing of creatures(although that's promised in the sequel)
It had been 28 years since the similar (and superior)The Sword and the Sorcerer, but Tales stands out as a artistic indy style production of Prince of Persia. Where dialogue and character nuance replace epic armies and visual effects. Its a bold idea that works.
The best news is that is far superior to Jonas Hex, Melissa Ordway is much hotter than Megan Fox and Kevin Sorbo is, well, Mr Sorbo at his very best.
Bad news is there wasn't really enough money it seems to deliver a consistent fantasy. Effects are quite rough and exteriors and action are minimal.
As if it were based on a play, most of Tales takes place inside the walls of a palace or tavern. The film surrendered its genre advantage of action fantasy, and tried to compensate with a clever but talky script.
The film is about a family, both human and vampire. The bastards of a philandering warrior.
Each of his kids harbors issues of abandonment. Princess Tanis (gorgeous Melissa Ordway) learns she is not the King's daughter at the outset of the movie. The movie is essentially her quest to find her "true" Father who is the one man that can ave the kingdom. Along the way, she meets her half brothers and sisters like Aedan (a devilishly excellent Kevin Sorbo), Rajan (a colorful ex-assassin, now innkeeper and mother, played well by Janelle Taylor), and Alana (Rajan's daughter, played with feisty fun by Inbar Lavi). There is fun in watching the Princess meet up with each sibling and learning a bit more about dear ol' dad at each encounter.
All align to stop a vampire sorceress (Whitney Able). Able does great work here even though she struggles to speak with the fangs in her mouth and is given only a handful of scenes. She adds unexpected depth and pathos for a fantasy villain. Its really quite a powerful performance that grounds the plot.
Tales should be praised for its unconventional plot and for its dialogue, which is loaded with eloquent and humor. Whether even estranged family members would say such things to each other is a different matter but it adds spark to the stage bound movie. The interiors, while many, are well shot and the design of the movie, while sparse are well done.
When this film is criticized for resembling a stage play, this is what is meant; the story is expressed almost entirely through dialogue rather than cinematography.
It's a movie concerning intrigue and the search for self more than high adventure and killing of creatures(although that's promised in the sequel)
It had been 28 years since the similar (and superior)The Sword and the Sorcerer, but Tales stands out as a artistic indy style production of Prince of Persia. Where dialogue and character nuance replace epic armies and visual effects. Its a bold idea that works.