Change Your Image
romana-12
Reviews
Ring of the Nibelungs (2004)
I like what I saw so far
While it has been repeatedly promised, the final three-hour, two-DVD-set release of "Curse of the Ring" is not yet available in the United States. I took what I could get, which was the two-hour version released in the Philippines on video CD. This is not the best format for picture and sound quality. It also leaves out a lot of details, which can leave the audience wondering exactly what is going on. One must also remember that this is a made-for-TV movie, so the production values have a lot of short cuts. Still, it is much better than similar fair that one might see on the SciFi channel and this movie has a real plot; in fact, it is a legendary plot.
In August, we saw Richard Wagner's Ring Cycle at Seattle Opera. The movie has some plot devices of its own, and it differs considerably from Wagner's version of the mythology, hearkening somewhat back to the roots, such as "The Story of the Volsungs (Volsunga Saga)" and "The Nibelungenlied". One can find examples of these at several places on the web. The Berkeley SunSITE website is one of the best. There was possibly also derivation from Fritz Lang's 1925 silent classic, "Die Nibelungen". Wagner's Ring features many characters who are quite amoral, and there are many non-sequiturs in the plot. "Curse of the Ring" has a lot less of that, and one is able to build some sympathy for many of the characters. Hagen is the exception, for this is possibly the nastiest Hagen ever.
Since the plot is somewhat formula, the audience should not be surprised about many of the elements. Hagen always kills Siegfried, making the story a tragedy. Fafnir the dragon is extra nasty, but he does not talk, and it is not clear exactly how he stole the treasure hoard. The Nibelungs are correctly depicted as "People of the Mist," since "Nibelung" means "Child of the Mist." Brunhild has a refreshingly active role, in contrast to Kriemhild's role, which is always thankless, intertwining her in all the treachery and deceit. As with the basic saga, the importance of the gold and the ring are far overshadowed by the excessive greed of the characters to possess it all.
People used to slam-bang special effects and an ultra-epic format will likely be disappointed, since the movie is slightly arty, since the characters tend to be understated, and since the plot is slow and somewhat pedestrian. I hope the extended release will be better than what I have seen so far.
Pterodactyl (2005)
Typical SciFi Channel movie
The SciFi Channel loves movies about resurrected prehistoric beasts and other monsters. The methodology is always the same: not only are they bulletproof, but bullets hitting them do not even make them wince. The characters, even out in the wide open spaces, never see any more perspective than the audience. They can be surprised by the sudden appearance of a dangerous creature, even when they should have seen it coming a long way off. These animals also always have endless appetites and agendas of death and destruction. This would be an unlikely and unsafe lifestyle for any animal.
Here we had Pterodactyls, actually Pteranodons to be more precise. While all dinosaurs were somewhat fragile and susceptible to injury, flying reptiles were extremely fragile. They probably ate fish, rather than risk tangling with any size of land prey. Human beings would have been extra large prey. To them, we would resemble a two-legged predator, and they would likely avoid us, or at least treat us with great caution.
If one want's to see more realistic dinosaurs, series such as "Walking with Dinosaurs" are a much better bet. In "Chased by Sea Monsters," naturalist Nigel Marvin is show feeding a simulated Pteranodon. There was no movie mayhem here, just a realistic flying reptile.