Desert Warrior (2025)

Mediocre action adventure. The story isn't particularly special. The execution is quite inconsistent. The film feels disjointed and it looks like it has been heavily edited. The development of several characters is also limited, including that of a number of big stars. For instance, we only see Kingsley for a few minutes. As a viewer, you never really get into the story. The action does look polished, and the battle in the grand finale is spectacular. But here too, it comes to an abrupt end. Visually, the film is beautiful with stunning shots of the desert. The set design is also top-notch. A film with a lot of potential, but with too many holes in both the plot and the film. 2.5/3.0

Translated from Dutch · View original

Neom promotion.

Of all the money Saudi Arabia has poured into that project, this is perhaps not the most senseless investment—after all, it must have brought something to the country's film industry. It is a pity, however, that everything related to Neom comes at the expense of what the story is actually about—the core values of the indigenous inhabitants of the desert. With which the story begins so beautifully.

The cast is a collection of freelancers and up-and-coming actors and actresses who perhaps thought they were getting a chance at a breakthrough. And perhaps the same goes for the entire crew. It is a shame that the story is such a mess – the summary of its creation on Wikipedia speaks volumes about that.

On the other hand, there is also some comfort to be found in the whole situation. You can buy a lot with money, as is evident once again. But still not everything.

Translated from Dutch · View original