Reviews are in for the new “Red Sonja” and, while it’s hardly shocking that they’re not good, the film appears to have scored as well as it has means it’s not as bad as you may expect.
Matilda Lutz stars in the film as barbarian huntress Red Sonja who must unite a group of unlikely warriors to face off against the evil tyrant Dragan (Robert Sheehan) and his deadly bride, Dark Annisia (Wallis Day).
With 27 reviews counted, the film sits at 59% on Rotten Tomatoes, while there aren’t enough reviews on Metacritic for a rating as yet. Though mixed overall, more than a few reviews seem pleasantly surprised by its old-school approach to the genre.
Here’s a sampling of review quotes:
“For a character who’s waited four decades to return to the big screen, this is a larger-than-life, bloody, and beautifully earnest reintroduction.” – Nicolás Delgadillo, Discussing Film
“The film overcomes a promising but inconsistent start, building to a solid back half with strong combat and performances, anchored by a bold Matilda Lutz and an impressive Robert Sheehan.” – Jeff Ewing, Collider
“Its devotion to the source material and commitment to delivering to the best of its ability makes it more engaging than much of the competition.” – Fred Topel, UPI
“With a bigger budget and a tighter script, this could have been the birth of an exciting new franchise. Regardless, Matilda Lutz wears the chainmail with honor and enough devotion that we are all entertained for the majority of this latest revival.” – Aaron Peterson, The Hollywood Outsider
“Red Sonja attempts to revive its franchise, but it fails to justify itself, tell a compelling story, or make us care about the characters.” – Mary Kassel, Screen Rant
“Red Sonja is significantly flawed, but it’s also an unabashedly earnest adventure movie, something that’s been missing from our screens and deserves to return.” – Kyle Logan, ScreenAnarchy
“In an era when fantasy blockbusters tend to be either relentlessly flip or lumberingly pretentious, it’s almost possible to feel affection for the straightforward B-grade badness of Red Sonja…” – Jake Wilson, Sydney Morning Herals
“Someone somewhere must have done a punch-up on the script, because every now and then a reasonably witty quip arrives out of nowhere before the dialogue reverts to faux medieval speak.” – Leslie Felperin, The Guardian
Samuel Goldwyn Films is releasing the movie in cinemas tonight only; after that, it will be hitting VOD platforms on August 29th.
