Hellhounds (2009) (TV)

Director:

Rick Schroder

Writers:

Paul A. Birkett (writer)
Jason Bourque (co-writer)

Release Date:

19 July 2009 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Fantasy | Horror

Plot:

A Greek warrior must travel to the Underworld and battle killer hellhounds in order to rescue his murdered bride from the clutches of Hades. |

Plot Keywords:

One Word Title

Cast

James A. Woods	...	Theron
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Amanda Brooks	...	Demetria
Adam Butcher	...	Nikandros
Marius Chivu	...	Cleon
Ben Cross	...	King Leander
Theodor Danetti	...	Charon
Scott Elrod	...	Kleitos
Andrew Howard	...	Andronikus
Oltin Hurezeanu	...	Hades
Olivia Nita	...	Callia
Indra Ové	...	The Seer
Ana Popescu	...	Farrah
Geanina Varga	...	Harlot

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Filming Locations:

Bucharest, Romania

Company:

Muse Entertainment Enterprises

Typical bad fantasy flick

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

If you are not a fan of bad fantasy movies with caped heroes running around in the weeds shooting arrows at each other, this movie is not for you. The movie is played straight, there is no camp and no humor at all, so you really gotta be hardcore into fantasy to appreciate it.

The movie's weaknesses are difficult to get around; first and foremost the dialog is terrible. The actors are not very good and are unable to pull off their goofy lines. Editing is wobbly with scenes that jump from place to place making it seem a bit uneven.

If you are willing to see past all that, you might be able to enjoy the mythic Greek-style storyline.

Spoiler alert: here is a brief synopsis with several details glossed over:

Just after the hero Kleitos marries the princess Demetria, Demetria is secretly poisoned by a jealous childhood friend of both of them named Theron. Kleitos takes the body of a bridesmaid who was blamed for the poisoning of Demetria to a local Seer who tells him that somebody else killed the bridesmaid and Demetria , and also that the spirit of dead princess Demetria didn't go to Elysium but instead to Tartarus where the god Hades intends to marry her because she is still pure as her marriage had not been consummated yet.

Kleitos vows to go into Hades and save Demetria, and does so with a special elixir given him by the Seer he and a band of buddies (his brother Nikandros, 'best' friend Theron, stout war buddy Andronikus, and several proverbial red-shirts) who take a portal into Hades, cross the river Styx by bribing Charon with water, and then enter the maze of Tartarus to find Demetria's lost spirit. Eventually they do find her.

Several action scenes later, Kleitos is betrayed by Theron who tries to feed Kleitos to some hell hounds so he can have the princess for himself. Kleitos manages to escape and kills Theron, who's soul goes to a torture machine back in Tartarus where Hades gives him one last chance to get Demetria back for him; Hades gives Theron a special staff for controlling Hellhounds and he follows Kleitos and Demetria and the remaining band of buddies back out of the Portal to Hades.

Our band of heroes think they have saved the day, but it turns out that Demetria is dying and their friend Theron has risen from Hell to hunt them down. So they go back to the Seer who tells them that to keep the princess alive she has to drink water from a special spring mixed with Hades blood. Several action scenes later, most of the remaining band has been eaten by hell hounds.

Finally, its down to Kleitos and his brother Andronikus and a limp Demetria who's spirit is on the verge of leaving her body. Nikandros figures they can mix the blood of the Boss hell hound with the spring water to save Demetria, all they have to do is kill it. They do that, she drinks the water, happy ending.