Legend of the Red Reaper (2013)

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

The poor development of the plot requires frequent narration. The Red Reaper (Tara Cardinal) who is half human, half demon was sold into slavery to the demons by her mother (Eliza Swenson). She prattles on about prophecy and battle with the demons and protecting humans, but the early story is about her love for Eris (David Mackey) and the competition for his hand.The attempts at humor were pitiful. The writing was bad. The fighting choreography was ridiculous. Red is very "girly" in her moves and it is hard to imagine her as a fighter. There are flashbacks to torture. The demon scales on her back seem to be an issue. She has a recovery scene that was long and boring. Difficult to sit through.Favorite line: "Using my pants as a tourniquet was a good idea."Has some unintended cheese value. Not worth renting.Parental Guide: No f-bombs, sex, or nudity.

I saw a screening of this movie at Stan Lee's Comikaze Expo in Nov. 2014.The director and star, Tara Cardinal introduced the movie (a few mins late), no big deal), and stated that the screening was the "Director's Cut" in which 20 minutes of movie was cut to make it run at 80 minutes. I think the movie would have been better if she cut perhaps...80 more minutes.Tara is beautiful and she is a treat to look at. She's even better looking in person than she is on film. Gorgeous! Its her looks alone that earned my second star rating. It's clearly her looks that was able to obtain the funding to make this movie. Without her, it's a one-star film.

Fairly, I should mention that I have known Tara for years, and, this is the first review I have written. I will attempt to do so objectively, and, without spoiling the story.LoTRR is both an action movie and a love story. It is an incredibly well-thought-out film. It is difficult to combine the two, as they each compete for screen time; in typical Tara brilliance, she manages to have this conflict be a reflection of the story itself, and, yet another manifestation of the metaphor; thereby adding rather than detracting.Both the setting and the story are very refreshing. Despite being in the fantasy genre, it is not another derivative of Tolkien, there are no elves, no dwarfs, and no dragons. Instead, demons ravage people; and their half-breed spawns of rape oppose them. The story, being very loosely derived from her own life, is not derived from the story works of others, as Lucas and Cameron have done. The story is quite fast paced, and not the usual style of dragging, repetitive story notes; instead,Tara forces the audience to pay strict attention or miss a key detail. It may be better to watch it at home, as I found myself rewinding a couple times.This is a very cerebral film, even though it can be easily enjoyed by an unsophisticated audience. The film has multiple cryptic layers of allegory, including from Tara's life. That kind of depth is rare among both writers and directors, and deeply cherished, as with Kubrick, or Orwell, for example.In contrast to Kubrick, Tara is absent the contempt for the audience; and interpreting her imagery requires less cryptic analysis, and provokes more profound meditations. In contrast to Orwell, Tara is not casting warnings, she is slaying demons. I very rarely watch a film more than once, but, between the pace and depth of this film, I know I will need to watch it at least twice more.Love and war are each complicated enough. Intertwined, things get really messy, especially when these are the two conditions where "all is fair", and, the rules get thrown out. This is a story of conflicting needs. It is easy enough to die for the common good, that is over with quickly enough; but, what is the consequence of sacrificing one's heart and living on? This film has all the hallmarks of a cult classic, and is destined to be if it can get enough exposure; and, this is why you should watch this film, and, share your discovery with your friends.

For those expecting a film hyped as a "Sword & Sorcery Epic" to be full of lightning battles, swordplay, and dragons, this is fantasy of a different sort. This is "down in the heart" fantasy. This is epic, in that it adheres to classic mythological themes and the conflicts of Man (or should we say Woman) vs. Fate, vs. Herself, and Woman vs. Woman.One of the central plots is two women struggling over the heart of one man, what could be more romantic? Lots of blood and violence with a sword, of course! With a sweeping backdrop of mountains, forests, and even a little hut by a fjord, this is a world populated by humans, demons, and their unfortunate byproducts – the Reapers. I say unfortunate because most were the result of rape.In the city of Enid, humans live in relative peace with the Reapers protecting them. Another city is ruled by the vindictive S'grun, who covets Enid and wants to rid the land of the reapers. The tensions between the human leaders are coming to a head because Eris, prince of Enid, is going to be crowned the first king of the land.This poses a particular problem for Aella, who gets her nickname "Red" from her brilliant locks of flame, because she is in love with Eris. But, she is constantly reminded that a human king cannot have a reaper queen! All tell her the same thing; there is a new age beginning – the age of Man. As the reapers are seeing their time of protection coming to an end, Aella sees something different on the horizon.Aella was born to a powerful woman known as the Teller Witch. Her mother has the gift of precognition, and although young Aella was unaware of it, the Teller Witch has been preparing her for a day when she will face her biggest challenge. Assuming all her life that her mother had given her over to demons in trade for an elixir made of demon blood to stay young, Aella has dealt with feelings of rejection, unworthiness, and rage. But, she is about to find out that her past is not all that it seemed.The demon leader, Ganesh, may have been trying to create a demon warrior out of his red-haired daughter with cruelty and force, but in fact he was creating a weapon for the humans. Aella, rescued and living among the people of Enid, was given another 'gift' by her mother. She inherited visions: of devastation; of invasion; of the demons' return. All are interwoven with her memories of fear and pain at the hands of her father.This back story is laid out distinctly in the first few minutes with both visceral images and narration, helping the audience to understand Aella's feelings of alienation and her, at times, uncontrollable rage.I like that RED REAPER shows a woman losing control, completely given over to her anger, but yet it does not dismiss her. When a woman is angry, it all too often gets flipped back on her as "it must be her hormones" rather than validating her anger as deep-seated and justifiable. Aella's anger is justified. But, this does not mean that she is portrayed as a psycho bitty, either. She is a warrior and a woman, through and through. To quote another reviewer, "Unlike other films that feature women in lead fighting roles, Aella was not sexualized, nor was she attempting to emulate a man."* ( by Aphrodite Kocięda. www.btchflcks.com) This "strength" is extended to many of the characters in REAPER, male and female alike. Female reapers are equal to their men, warriors all. Aella does not compromise who she is for Eris. She has body issues because of her demon blood, but as for her skills, her passion, and even her rage she gives no apologies to the man she loves. He loves her with all her fluidity, not despite it.This relationship is mirrored in the passion shown between two reapers, Freya and Andrae. It shows the audience the companionship Aella is missing out on, given that everyone in her world seems to be telling her to stay away from Eris. Except Eris, of course.The other lady in Eris's life is Indira; chosen to be his queen by his parents and hers. He is a gentleman, though, and not resistant to the idea. But, his passion is for Aella. Eris is not presented as a vacillating male full of hormones, either. His intentions ring true and he stands out, in that the women decide who is best for him. It is an interesting dynamic that gives strength-of-character to each person involved, and adds a devious edge to Indira not common to the "ingénue" role.Even the "bad guys" have their moments of significance. Connall, the tender gentleman son of the hard-nosed warlord, S'grun, could have been played off as comic relief, but instead is compassionate and smarter than his warmongering father. His resistance to his father's ambitions creates a bridge between the two opposing lands and a unity that helps Eris's people in their time of need.Well, not to give too much away, suffice it to say that, although not high-tech and prone to some issues common in a film with a limited budget, Legend of the Red Reaper has a LOT to say! Laid out cleverly, it was clear in its focus and had enough great 'side-plot' moments to make it fun! There were humorous moments without making it corny, and there were moments that brought tears to my eyes. But, the emotional undercurrents will resonate with many viewers and stick in their hearts.Tara Cardinal and her many casts and crews worked long and hard to see this vision come alive, and as a lover of fantasy and myth, I must say that their devotion shows!