The Dead Lands Review
Payback in Aotearoa
As a MÄori-based action movie, The Dead Lands offers a unique take on the classic revenge tale. Set hundreds of years ago in pre-colonial New Zealand, director Toa Fraser's film examines locations, people, spiritual beliefs and even fighting styles that, up until now, we've had little exposure to, at least on the big screen. That's not to mention how all the movie's dialogue is spoken in the endangered MÄori tongue. And yet, The Dead Lands couches itself in a stereotypical vengeance story we've seen in countless other movies. The end result is an interesting look at a rich and isolated culture, albeit one steeped in familiar genre elements.
The story follows Hongi (James Rolleston) a MÄori chieftain's teenage son, who must avenge his father's murder after his tribe and family are slaughtered through an act of treachery. Outnumbered by a band of villains led by Wirepa (Te Kohe Tuhaka), Hongi's only hope is to pass through the feared and forbidden Dead Lands and ally with the mysterious "Warrior" (Lawrence Makoare), a fabled fighter who has ruled the territory for years. Together, they must hunt down Wirepa's crew in hopes of restoring honor to their people and themselves.
In terms of the story, The Dead Lands is about as straightforward as it gets, with few twists or turns to speak of. Most of it is driven by the uneasy -- and surprisingly humorous -- relationship between Hongi and the Warrior. Luckily, the film is relatively short (just under two hours), though it does tend to drag in places, particularly towards the end as the two main characters wade through some unnecessary subplots. Their journey is also dotted with several memorable fight scenes, sparse as they are. Those hoping for a straight action flick may be slightly disappointed by the mere handful of set pieces.
That said, the fight scenes here are fast, vicious and brutal. Based on a form of martial arts called Mau Rakau, the choreography is impressively executed -- specifically by Makoare, whose experience playing Lurtz in The Lord of the Rings serves him well in this. Granted, all the action is small-scale, with no more than seven or eight men fighting at a time, but it's also very personal and makes each patu-blow a devastating triumph -- or failure -- for Hongi and his ruthless companion.
Te Kohe Tuhaka in The Dead Lands
In the end, though, The Dead Lands' most admirable quality is presentation. I'm not personally familiar with Aotearoan history, but the movie definitely feels authentic thanks to little details in the clothing, weapons, locations and, most importantly, the actors' performances. While the story is somewhat generic, the characters are well-drawn and the lore is intriguing. Add to that the graphic violence, and The Dead Lands is at least worth checking out, if not in theaters, then at home on VOD.