Synopsis
Hongi, a Maori chieftain’s teenage son, must avenge his father’s murder in order to bring peace and honour to the souls of his loved ones after his tribe is slaughtered through an act of treachery. Vastly outnumbered by a band of villains led by Wirepa, Hongi’s only hope is to pass through the feared and forbidden “Dead Lands” and forge an uneasy alliance with a mysterious warrior, a ruthless fighter who has ruled the area for years.
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Cast
- James RollestonHongi
- Lawrence MakoareThe Warrior
- Te Kohe TuhakaWirepa
- Xavier HoranRangi
- Raukura TureiMehe
- George HenareTane
- Rena OwenGrandmother
- Pana Hema-TaylorMana
- Calvin TuteaoKa
- Jamus WebsterTahi
Recommendations
- 80
Salon
Once you get past an awkward and artificial beginning and roll with the movie’s crazy rhythm, The Dead Lands is also a blast, and one that delivers an unexpected emotional wallop along with gore, thrills and spectacular scenery. - 80
The Hollywood Reporter
It’s a remarkable film experience in several ways. - 70
Variety
While the primal you-killed-my-family-now-I-kill-you story smacks of old Westerns (and newer Liam Neeson movies), the pic rises somewhat above formula due in large part to its being acted out in this particular historic cultural context. Depictions of pre-colonialist Maori life are rare enough onscreen, let alone in this kind of muscular genre effort. - 63
Movie Nation
An unblinkingly fierce and bloody tale of slaughter and revenge. - 60
The Dissolve
It’s a mash-up of familiar genre elements—too familiar, frankly—given a welcome sense of scope and shading by the location. - 60
New York Daily News
National Geographic meets the WWE in this brutal, brawling revenge tale set in pre-Colonial New Zealand, mixing insight into indigenous Maori culture with barked dialogue and vicious arterial sprays, making for a simple but exciting adventure. - 58
The A.V. Club
The problem with this kind of universal narrative is that, like the cult of the golden ratio, it emphasizes formulas at the expense of those expressive qualities that actually make art and entertainment. - 50
Village Voice
The film is undeniably elevated by its exotic milieu. It's a shame, then, that it's stuck with such a familiar coming-of-age call to adventure.
