User reviews

I saw this film accidentally, with zero warning, so to speak. It looked as if it was interesting enough, so after watching the trailer and a bit of pondering, I decided to go and check it out. (Besides, I tend to enjoy watching bad films - I saw Uwe Boll's "Alone in the Dark" after reading all the bad reviews - so nothing could go wrong, right?) And yes, nothing went wrong, I actually quite enjoyed the film. Yes, it was a bit cheap and the (sparingly used) CGI weren't top quality, but that's quite understandable given the film's limited budget. The music was very nice, and the costumes were spot-on, with the orcs looking quite good. (Fun fact: There were more fantastic races in this film than there were humans.) Speaking about the races though, the film certainly reminds more of WarCraft III than of Tolkien, but it only "reminds", nothing more. We didn't see a lot of dwarfs, unfortunately. The story was reasonably good and the action scenes were abundant. I'd have loved more character development and more introduction to the world (the first 10-15 minutes of the film were mostly swordfights), but it works as it is. The film is gripping and interesting enough, and worth a watch. Just don't expect something too amazing. It seems to be based on a video game and I've heard rumours about other films (or TV series? I'm not certain, sorry) in the same universe, which I'd certainly give a shot to as well.

A solid 6/10 from me, but it's very near to the 7.

NB: Note that there is some blood and a bit of gore in this film, which some viewers might find displeasing.

I will watch just about anything with swords, dragons, and magic. So I was kind of curious to see what this movie was. I was mildly entertained because right off the battle scenes were poorly choreographed. Storyline fell short of what I would have liked it to. But as a writer that is what gets me naturally. I think they just kind of took a bunch of elements together and threw it into a pot and called it a story. Dry cereal.

But if you are into sword and sorcery like I am then you can say this movie has not progressed since the same movies in the genre of the 80s. Still worth a watch if you aren't lactose intolerant because it comes with cheese.

I will say they had a nice element with the green screen and the makeup was nicely done. Honestly visually for a Bmovie I was into it, but somewhere the story fell short and the flow of the action wasn't there.

This film is a guilty pleasure. If I had to sum it up in one word, it would be 'earnest'.

What we have here is a group of people who wanted to make a fantasy epic with a very limited budget. The special effects are passable, and the costumes and choreography make up for the other limitations.

The acting is at best so-so. The elf, Nemyt is pleasing on the eyes and is certainly athletic in the fight scenes, but has very limited acting range (if you want 'suppressed rage', she is your girl).

The script is lifted straight from the D&D cliche book. I laughed out loud when the cleric/paladin says "out of the way, old crone" to the quite obviously beautiful young women with a shawl over her head. Other memorable lines include "this was always the plan" and "we meet again - for the last time". It all feels so familiar, like a comfortable pair of slippers.

I cannot help but respect a film that takes itself so seriously. I came away with a silly smile on my face, and so I must recommend it to all fantasy enthusiasts out there.

This movie was surprisingly good. The story is relatively simple, but the interesting characters (especially the orc, Kullimon, "ha ha ha") along with great music and pictures made it work.

It's not as "shiny" and overdone as Hollywood products and I think that's its biggest strength. Special effects (which are very good for a low budget production) were kept to the scenes where it makes sense and not used carelessly. The landscape and scenery are so much better than anything you're used to from big movies, because it's actually real and not 50% CGI. It doesn't look oversaturated and edited, but really natural, which adds a lot of immersion that most movies are lacking nowadays.

Overall it's a really nice movie and I can definitely recommend it to people who like the genre.

I'll say this right off the bat: This is a low-budget film, and it can't be entirely faulted for that. The kind of pitfalls you would expect from a low-budget movie are all here: Cheesy effects, poor makeup, limited sets, over-processed visuals (as a result of limited sets).

Normally, these things would be forgivable if the acting, story, choreography, and cinematography outshine them. In this case, they simply do not.

Everything you see in the first 5 minutes lets you know exactly what you're in store for. A terrible CGI dragon is being ridden by an orc in very unconvincing makeup. The orc is shot down by an elf with the cheapest color contact lenses this side of your local mall, and a fight scene ensues. This is where you see the combination of poor direction and framing coupled with extremely inept choreography. Hell, there's a point in the first fight scene where you can CLEARLY see the elf MISS her kick to the orc's face by about a foot, and he still grunts and flies backwards as if it connected. That's the kind of thing you either re-shoot or cut in post.

This is the kind of quality you might expect to find in a feature-length YouTube production -- though that might be insulting to some of the more accomplished YouTube content producers.

Started watching this movie and was already disappointed with it within the first 10 minutes. However I was determined to see it through to the end hoping it might pick up and get a bit better. I was wrong. The scenes are boring, and clearly shot on the same set with minimal changes. The story line is difficult to follow and thought the movie it is unclear what they are actually trying to achieve. The only thing we know is they are trying to defeat the 'dark shadow'. This pretty much includes a whole bunch of staged fights which are very unexciting using a lot of careless spins and tricks instead of it actually looking like a proper fight. Kudos to the outfits they may be the only good bit of this movie. I would definitely not recommend this, even if you have seen lord of the rings, stick to that for a fantasy thriller.

This was much better than I expected it would be. I was expecting a trashy B movie but this was much better than that. The first 15 minutes are a bit of a whirlwind, you get thrown right into the story, this could be a good thing, but also to an extent you kind of feel like you are watching the second half of a film and have missed the scenes where they introduced these characters.

The main Orc was excellent - he was by far the most physically convincing in the action scenes, and had some of the funniest lines as well. The CGI was budget limited but was perfectly acceptable. The hero and the elf were both acceptably done. The acting in general was much better than you'd normally get in this genre of film.

It's as another user described it much better than expected. That doesn't make it really good though. The expectations were low and it didn't fall below them. Since the movie does not have a lot of money (see CGI), it does do the neat trick of keeping most of the story on the road. Or in the woods would be a better description, where you have the possibility not to show any technology at all.

Acting is decent for what the movie is. The story of a group that doesn't really belong together but has to stick with each other is old, but has some charm. If you rent the Disc make sure to watch the Outtakes, it's obvious they had fun making it and I think it would be too harsh and unfair to criticize the movie too much

Somewhere in time and space, there is a battle between the evil and the good. The Prophets of The Order are trying to restore civilization while The Shadow is trying to revive the God of Death.

The female elf bounty hunter Nemyt Akaia (Danielle Chuchran) fights against the criminal Fangtor Bloodmoon (Adam Abram) and kills him. However she is cursed by him with the Shadow mark on her wrist. When she goes to the nearby castle to collect her reward, she is arrested because of the mark and sentenced to death. Meanwhile the human Ambassador of Light Keltus the Wanderer (Richard McWilliams) chases the dwarf Gyarmuck (James C. Morris) to find the real intentions of the Shadow and he learns that the orcs have a powerful vessel that they will sell to the Shadow representative. Keltus heads to the castle where Nemyt is imprisoned and he finds that she has discovered where the orcs are going. He brings her with him to seek out the horde of orcs and promises that the Prophetess would help her to get rid off her mark.

On the beginning of their journey they find Kullimon the Black (Paul D. Hunt) that was left behind tied up to two trees by his former horde after being betrayed by the orc Mulgrut (Kyle Paul). The unlikable trio teams up in a journey to avoid that the God of Death returns life and destroys civilization.

"SAGA – Curse of the Shadow" is a low-budget adventure in a magic world of elves, orcs, dragons and forces of light and shadows. The story is rushed in the beginning certainly due to the budget constraint and the screenplay is uneven. The choreography of the many fights is terrible, the repetitive music score is annoying and the acting is reasonable only. But the flick is watchable in a rainy day afternoon. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "SAGA – A Maldição das Sombras" ("SAGA – Curse of the Shadow")

I really wanted to like this film. It could easily have been a rather good movie. Unfortunately, the writing was so bad it ruined it all.

Doesn't surprise me the movie was written and produced by the same men: Jason Faller and Kynan Griffin. These guys shouldn't write movies. It's not even bad in a good way, like in some funny and enjoyable B-movies. There is no tongue in cheek. It is not a parody. It's not even a hong-kongish marshal art film. The solutions are just incredibly bad and the plot is thinner than an elven maiden's hair. The final battle with the avatar summoning is fittingly the unholy crowning of this: the elf who was just a moment ago captured by these orcs, can now join the worshipers and then is suddenly realized as an assassin, the failed distraction the orc and the paladin were supposed to create, the unbelievably lame slaying of the avatar with an unexplained ability of the paladin, the unbelievable death of the whole orc horde but the heroes staying alive, it's all so insanely bad I wanted to pull my hair and cry.

The movie has beautiful scenes, nice camera shots and magical moments. The orc and the elf were actually rather good characters and the actor and the actress played them good.

"Don't expect a blockbuster" ... that is the main comment I have read now in the last days about SAGA. That is true, but you should simply not care, if you like Fantasy and Independent Films like me. With the low budget (I would really like to know how much it was?) the producers did a great job. Arrowstorm Entertainment and Mainstay Productions are small companies: They are making movies for fans, all sorts of short movies in different genres and offer young talents a chance to contribute their ideas. Originally SAGA was considered as a Webseries and they did a short movie, which is now the first scene. That was a test for the concept, shot in one day with almost no budget in Snow Canyon State Park. It worked out and they collected enough money (also from fans via Kickstarter) to make this movie. And it is very entertaining with even some funny moments. The costumes are very good in my opinion, especially the ones for the orcs. I like the music and also the fighting scenes. I would really like to see a sequel with our heroes. So give it a try! You will like the ears of that blue-eyed sword swinging elf. For me it's a 8/10, including a bonus for the elf, the main orc :-) and for the fantastic evolution of this project.

Dragon Age Dawn Of The Seeker was quite a good movie, for its Budget it has much better Special Effects than some of those horrible Sci-Fi movies being released lately, the cinematography of the landscapes and scenery was amazingly beautiful, you really do not expect it for the budget, the Elves, Orcs, Dwarfs, Mermaids, Sirens, Dragons and the rest where very good, their make up was pretty Amazing, the Orcs look similar to the Orcs in Lord of the Rings and they even carried over the Orc music from Lord of the Rings with a few differences, probably to protect them from Copyright. The acting in this movie was Fair to Good, the combat and Melee fighting scenes were pretty poor, but you can get passed the poor fighting scenes as the movie is engaging and you do still want to watch it till the end.

A pretty well done fantasy film of mythical characters and magic powers. The actors played their roles nicely. With suiting effects and suiting costumes the movie introduces the viewer in that world of legend. I would say the movies was better than most Hollywood movies. The whole crew that done this movie did a very well job; The orcs looked vividly orc-ish and the elf girl has played her part well. And of course the human hero was no less impressive. The story was not amazing, but was good enough thanks the writers. I will give it a well deserved 7 out of 10. Despite the low budget the movie was surprisingly decent.

Yes, I am right….somewhat nicely done movie, OK OK script, OK OK actors but amazing locations….with a little more budget, the movie would have been better (better graphics and make up…which are very essential for such kind of a plot)

I am not recommending this flick as a must watch…..but is you happen to see it you will feel the same and sad for the movie. The girl (Danielle Chuchran) did a good job.

One thing that I can say that you will feel sorry for the movie but you will NOT get bored.

Watch it if you are a fantasy fan…story is good.

This film is available on Netflix under the title "Curse of the Dragonslayer." One of four titles the film in known by. When a film has this kind of identity crisis, not knowing what it wants to be, you can predict it will be a bumpy ride through B-Film hell. Not that I particularly mind, I quite enjoy campy, cheese, low budget fare if it's fun!

This film served well on the fun factor! It's actually really well directed with exquisite cinematography that transforms Utah into a lavish fairytale backdrop. The acting is well above average when it comes to the lower budget fare, with the exception of the lead actress, who is more like a college drama major who tries way to hard to take herself seriously as a rugged, vengeful elf with a bad attitude. She's a far cry from Kate Beckinsale or Cate Blanchett, and sadly her miscasting brings down the film a few notches.

The only other thing that really hurts the film is the terrible, beyond abysmal writing that make you laugh at how ridiculous it is when you know you shouldn't. The writers played one to many MMORPG's and borrowed every single trope you can fathom from Everquest, Dark Age of Camelot, World of Warcraft, Lord of The Rings and Dungeons and Dragon, including the stereotypical language which comes off as forced and painfully awkward. With a better screenplay, the film could be stellar, especially with the budget, which we call "low" but in fact is doesn't make you flinch once. The directors managed their special effects and costume makeup with incredible grace and style that is unique to low budget films.

It has incredible potential but fell short because of the poor casting of a pivotal role and the beyond clunky dialog that distracts the viewer, preventing immersion within the world they're trying to create.

But the score is absolutely astounding and rivals that of any Hollywood Blockbuster.

Sometimes you want to watch some fantasy cinema without becoming invested in a grand epic that requires several hours. Herein lies a dilemma, because the genre isn't generally a hot ticket item with major studios, so watching something one hasn't seen before likely means engaging with something second-tier, if not also low-budget. Then there's the issue of building a complete, absorbing world for one's tale within the limited time that a single feature allows. None of this is to say that pictures produced without substantial financial backing can't be fun - the 'Mythica' series was partly crowdfunded, and I for one absolutely loved it - but potential viewers must necessarily consider the range and limits of their personal preferences. With that said, I think 'SAGA: Curse of the shadow' has at least a few things going for it, not least of which is that it was written by Jason Faller and Kynan Griffin, both of whom went on to work on the 'Mythica' series. Though in some measure this feels like the duo were cutting their teeth before the larger project, it's nonetheless a duly compelling story that should satiate fans of fantasy.

Earnest and well-made such as it is, one need ever bear in mind those factors mentioned above that constrain the movie. Aerial shots meant to impart the grandeur of the world, and the breadth of the heroes' journey, exhibit familiar landscapes; our suspension of disbelief is weakened thusly, and in specific scenes taking place within those landscapes. There's a glaring inauthenticity in some scenes as a sky or landscape, or the combination thereof, is far too vibrant to be real. The naming of proper nouns takes clear inspiration from a certain other recognizable high fantasy series, as well as the characterization of some specific figures, and even some shots or sequences. Hair and makeup, and costume design, are broadly quite good - well considered, and visually fetching - though like the special effects, the more the camera hones in on them, the easier it is to pick them apart. Dialogue is mostly fine, but there are unquestionably instances that are a little too blunt and on-the-nose, and this is also true in some cases where plot development is concerned - though in fairness, again the matter of working within the timeframe of a single title.

Even taking into account all possible shortcomings, however, 'SAGA' has no intent but to be an entertaining exploration of a beloved genre, and I believe it achieves that aim, and does so sincerely. Composer Panu Aaltio's music sometimes recalls well-known and memorable themes from elsewhere, but is nonetheless very enjoyable as it helps to build the mood for a given scene. Fight choreography and stunts actually look really great, and are surely among the top highlights of the film. Filmmaker John Lyde is no stranger to pictures of this nature, creating outside the studio system, and in wearing hats here as director, cinematographer, and editor he ably demonstrates his capabilities in all these capacities. And, though restricted by a few factors - including writing that demands conveyance of a narrative over utmost artfulness; and heavy makeup, and burdensome prosthetics and costumes that must be compensated for - I like the cast. I think they give performances that are in the least suitable for the material, and in some instances illustrate range, nuance, and physicality that show they could hold their own in more purely dramatic pictures. Primarily, I think of Danielle C. Ryan, who I've seen in a few movies now, and I detect in her a strength and determination that's admirable.

I repeat myself, but 'SAGA: Curse of the shadow' isn't a movie to watch for those seeking the pinnacle of storytelling or film-making. It's a really good time, I think, and as adeptly realized as it could have been, but operates within a particular space. All told, however, as the credits roll I find myself wishing we could have gotten more features with these characters, because I want to know more about them and their world. If that doesn't speak well to a fantasy film's craft, then I don't know what does. Recommendable especially as a reasonably satisfying fantasy romp for a lazy, quiet day, 'Curse of the shadow' scratches that itch for me, and earns my thumbs-up.

Considering that Curse of the Shadow was shown on the SyFy Channel, expectations were relatively low. However, while Curse of the Shadow is no masterpiece in any shape or form, for a low-budget fantasy movie I found it pretty good and by far one of the best movies aired on the SyFy Channel in recent memory. It doesn't look bad at all for low-budget fantasy, the scenery is colourful and really quite gorgeous, the special effects are not overkill and are well-modelled and easy-moving, the costumes certainly don't look cheap-fancy-dress-quality and the make-up is very good especially for the Orcs. With the photography too it was mostly fluid and does evoke a sense of wonder, apart from some slow-motion overuse. The music is rousing, haunting, beautiful, energetic and mysterious on numerous occasions, not quite perfect mind as it does have a tendency at times to be too loud and drown out the dialogue. The script was better than anticipated, the dialogue at least wasn't too simplistic or too wordy and apart from the odd awkward-sounding moment understanding what was happening- especially compared to a lot of other low-budget movies of this genre and others seen recently- wasn't so much a problem. In fact the interplay between the central characters was quite witty, though the coolest lines came from James C. Morris' character. The story was engaging, the fantasy world was both wondrous and foreboding, the numerous fantasy creatures were really fun to spot and were well-designed, and the witty dialogue and likable characters- Kullimon being the most interesting- keep things moving along nicely. True, it is not the most original story on the block but it didn't seem too carbon-copy, and there were few if any scenes that felt irrelevant, while lengthy the prologue did get to the point. The action sequences, all of which were reasonably well-paced, were mixed execution-wise, some had spirited choreography, suspense and passion, others were let down by characters after being wounded acting very soon like everything's all right and some random, cyclical placement. The climax did feel a tad underwhelming, again it was spirited and passionate but also rather drawn-out pace-wise and the lack of believable peril diluted the suspense, if it was more epic and less convenient it may have helped a little. The characters are likable at least and while not fully-fleshed out the movie does do enough to allow us to care for them, the pacing flows well generally and the directing is credible. The acting isn't perfect with the female having the odd one-note occasion but is still reasonably good, Paul D. Hunt is very enjoyable as Kullimon. Overall, not great but a very pleasant surprise. 7/10 Bethany Cox

I visit IMDb for several years, but this is the first film I really feel the urge to comment on around here. I stumbled about "Dragon Lore/Curse of the Shadow/The Shadow Cabal" by pure chance (I think it was the lead Elf's iconic mask that initially caught my attention).

The story itself isn't something to write home about, but isn't inferior to the stuff one gets served in most of the shiny Hollywood productions either. A High Elven bounty hunter, a human cleric/paladin and an Orc war chief team up -- more or less reluctantly -- to defeat the malevolent Order of the Shadow, which disciples plan to summon and materialise their demon master, the death god Goth Azul. Nothing new here.

No, the strong points of "The Shadow Cabal" (I'll stick with this title) lie within other fields.

In some parts the film is wonderfully trashy, but more than once we are granted well done sceneries, e.g. the vision sequences or the Orc's boating trip. It is also the Orc that is the trio's most entertaining one, thanks to the actor's solid performance. The Elf, Nemyt, is established as a likable "bad girl", albeit with an irritating habit for spitting (and sexy "Underworld" contact lenses). She has got an impudent attitude, indulges in animalistic hissings at times, but turns out to be loyal to the good side. Last but not least, she is pleasant to behold. Which leaves us with the paladin: He stays slightly anaemic, partly because he hasn't got as many strong scenes as the other two lead characters.

Digital effects are scarce, yet (or therefore) the final boss is rather impressive for an indie film. Furthermore, there is many a scene that sports a downright surreal atmosphere (for example the happenings at the Bleeding Stone). The locations are generally well chosen, but the footages of the Grand Canyon and other recognisable sites work against the immersion into a fantasy world. Make-up and props look good, often really good. However, the main Orc needs a nose job -- right now he reminds me of the Grinch. The fighting scenes are mostly solid and never overdone. To top it off, there are a lot of lovely details, such as Nemyt's aforementioned mask.

Unbiased, this film would get a seven. But the indie bonus makes it an eight out of ten, hands down.

So, netflix suggested this, and Im a sucker for fantasy.

First off, as the negative ones have noted, its low-budget. If you cant be bothered to see anything that doesn't come with a hundred million dollar plus price tag, this will disappoint. If you know how to enjoy films for the creativity, and forgive new companies for not being richer than most countries, you might like this.

Fight scenes: as a martial artist, trained in many medieval weapons, the fights actually are fairly historically accurate to various styles of real Earth. Of course, to people that have never seen a fight without Wire-Fu, CGI, and such, this will seem boring and "lame".

Scenery: Absolutely gorgeous. I was surprised to find out this was all in Utah. I really was expecting to see New Zealand and Australia from the look of some of the shots.

CGI: yeah, that needs work. But, they are new. they'll get better.

Actors: the main 3 were good to better. The rest were fair to good. About what you'd expect from a company just starting out. Each tried to add some quirks to make their character stand out. Make-up was very good; managed to catch the iconic essence of the races instead of looking like "LotR" rip-offs. Unless Lord of the Rings is all you know about fantasy.

Script: If you know fantasy, this is old hat. No surprises, no twists. Id guess a new company already had their hands full without trying to write an opus on top of just trying to get their foot in the door.

All in all, a good watch and highly recommendable.