Search - Blood of Beasts on DVD

Emily R. (brooklyntimelord) from BROOKLYN, NY
Reviewed on 10/24/2009...

Oy vey is mir! This movie may not have a happy ending but i'm just happy it finally ended. Really poorly written both in dialogue and shooting script. And to think, I believed Justin Whalin couldn't sink lower than that lousy d&d adaptation. Even the hair extentions made me laugh. A good idea for those of you who, like me, hold "bad movie night" get-togethers at your place. Heckle-away!

2 of 2 member(s) found this review helpful.

Beauty and the Beast with Vikings...

B. Johnson | Coon Rapids, MN | 10/30/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The story begins as a Viking drama about young love and duty. Freya is the clan princess, pursued by Sven who wants only to become king after King Thorsson dies. Freya prefers Agnar, who was lost with a boatload of clansmen on a raid.



The old king longs for one more grand adventure and takes a group to an island two days journey away. The island is cursed, being the realm of a great and brutal Beast - said to be protected by Odin. The King discovers that this is where Agnar and the others met their deaths. When the Beast attacks, most are quickly killed. The frail King is locked in battle with the Beast, and cowardly Sven runs away under the guise of helping a wounded Eric, leaving the King to die.



Back in the village, Sven proclaims himself King and demands Freya wed him on the next full moon. Eric tells Freya the truth - that her Father might still be alive - and she sets out to free him, accompanied only be her friend Ingrid. They encounter the Beast and Freya exchanges herself for her wounded Father. Freya is left alone on the cursed island with the Beast and discovers all is not what it seems...



*****



The film offers a different take on the Beauty and the Beast fable, drawing a strong contrast between the cowardly liar Sven and the cursed but noble Agnar. Sven is handsome, strong, and the best fighter of the clan - a natural choice to be the next king. But his cruel and cowardly ways make the beautiful Princess Freya view him with contempt. A warrior in her own right, Freya is perfectly capable of sailing to a forbidden isle and rescuing her Father/King on her own. She faces down the Beast in single combat, while Sven during his chance for battle flees without ever engaging the Beast.



The Beast's story - having slain Odin's pet and being cursed to take it's place, and his bloodlust rising with the full moon - is reminiscent of the classic Wolf Man story from the 1940's. The Beast also bears some of the character traits of Viking Berserkers: enormous strength, uncontrollable fury, and the ability to shrug off what should be mortal wounds. His love for the beautiful girl and inability to harm her is pure Beauty and the Beast.



Princess Freya is played as a fiercely independent warrior Viking by Jane March. In this film, only Odin (who is never seen) is a god - Freya and the rest are mortals of Midgard. Indeed, King Thorsson and Freya may simply be named as they are because they are the royalty of the clan - although the film doesn't mention other Norse gods.



The film suffers from a reasonably low budget - few sets and crude make-up for the Beast. The sword fighting is only adequate, and the camera work is occasionally dizzying. However, the acting is good - especially Jane March as Freya, Justin Whalin as Eric, and Candicé Hillebrand as Ingrid. David Dukas is hampered by his make-up, but does a credible job portraying the anguish his character suffers from. The ending is depressing - but reasonable for a Viking saga.



If you like romances or Viking dramas - this is a film to see. Rated PG-13 (with some fairly gross corpses) and available on DVD.

"

Beauty and the Beast, in the Norse Realm

Madelyn Pryor | Mesa, AZ United States | 02/03/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Blood of Beasts is just another retelling of Beauty and the Beast, set among the Vikings. Every character is there, even the hated Gaston in the form of Brad Pitt look-alike Sven. The king's daughter, Freya is beauty, but she's a lot more, too. She's a `take charge chick', a warrior, and an interesting character. A lot of the other reviewers have recapped the plot, (some with spoilers, be careful when you read them) so instead of recapping their recaps, let me refute a few of the most recent points made in their reviews to explain why they gave it 1 star and I gave it 4.



The people who reviewed it and said it was an LOTR rip-off must not have been watching the same movie I was. Yes, the movie covers are similar, but the films are VERY different from start to finish.



As for it being boring, I don't think so. It isn't action from start to finish, but it does have lots of nice sword play. Even better when there isn't fighting there's delicious character development that makes the likeable characters great and the wretched characters so rude, cruel, and terrible you want to jump into your viewing screen and choke them! The bottom line is you become emotionally invested in this movie, and are sad to see it end.



Speaking of characters, another thing I like about this movie is Freya, (Beauty) isn't a Shrinking Violet. She can fight, she speaks her mind, and she plays a roll in her own destiny.



If you're looking for something that's high art, this might not be your film. If you're looking for a smart retelling of a classic fairy tale that will entertain you for an hour and a half, then check this movie out.



Recommended for B movie fans, and Fairy Tale lovers alike!

"

Actually this is a Viking version of Beauty and the Beast

Lawrance M. Bernabo | The Zenith City, Duluth, Minnesota | 10/19/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Why the advertising for "Blood of Beasts" wants to make references to "The Lord of the Rings" is beyond me because if you actually sit through this film by director David Lister ("The Meeksville Ghost") you will know that the best way to describe it is as the Vikings version of "Beauty and the Beast." In fact, when the film was first released in 2003 that was the title, and it is only when the DVD came out in 2005 that suddenly it had a new title. Now, the idea of a Viking version of Beauty and the Beast sounds intriguing and if this were in the mold of "The 13th Warrior" that might be the case, but we are not so lucky with "Blood of Beasts."



Thorsson (Greg Melvill-Smith) the king of the clan decides that a nearby island should become part of his kingdom. But when he travels there by dragon boat with some of his warriors they discover a fort rules by the Beast (David Dukas). The Beast kills several of his warriors and captures Thorsson. Sven (Wlliam Gregory Lee), who has been chosen as Thorsson's heir, beats a hasty retreat, saving Eric (Justin Whalin), but leaving the king behind. However, the Beast does not kill Thorsson but puts him into a cage and gives him water. When Sven returns without Thorsson and declares himself to be king, Thorsson's daughter, Princess Freya (Jane March), demands the warriors go back and bring her father home, dead or alive. But Sven refuses and demands that Freya marry him. She had been interested in him, but clearly Sven is not the man she thought he was. So Freya sails to the island with her helpful handmaiden Ingrid (Candicé Hillebrand), to fight the beast.



Once you tune in to the fact that this is another version of Beauty and the Beast you can figure out most of what is going to happen. There is something of a twist in that Freya actually knows the man who is now cursed as the Beast, but you can also see that coming because there is one of those flashbacks at the start of the movie that you know is providing a key piece of information for latter in the movie. At least Freya comes to accept the Beast before that bit of information is revealed and makes it easier for her to treat him like he is still human. Now if only these Vikings would figure out that Sven is too cowardly and craven to be their ruler I would feel better about their prospects for the future.



On the one hand I would think that this movie is intended for a younger audience. Basically the Beast is a guy dressed up in something of a bear suit, which is not too scary. But when you get to his fort there are corpses hung up as a warning, which is not exactly kid friendly (Lister goes crazy with the hand held camera when we get there, panning so fast you can not appreciate what the set that has been constructed). Having Jane March from "Color of Night" and "The Lover" as the princess leads you to expect a different sort of film as well, but Freya stays fully dressed throughout this one. You would also expect a lot more of the action to take place at night, but the sun is usually up and if the locale look strange for a Viking story then you just need to understand this movie was filmed around Rietvlei Dam in South Africa (so no fiords).



I ended up rounding up on "Blood of Beasts" for only one reason, and that was the ending. It will come as a surprise and undoubtedly an unpleasant one for most viewers, but once your remember that the Vikings were not exactly a happy lot then you have to admit the ending sort of makes sense. Any movie that gets to the end credits and has you surprised because you thought something was going to happen that ends up not happening has to be appreciated, even if it is a movie like this one. The only extras on this DVD are some trailers for movies that look a whole lot better than this one and the only reason to watch it is if the idea of a Viking version of Beauty and the Beast appeals to you (or unless you really want to see what Justin Whalin has been up to since "Lois and Clark")."