Metacritic Film

In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale

Starring Jason Statham, Leelee Sobieski, John Rhys-Davies, Ray Liotta, Matthew Lillard, Burt Reynolds, Will Sanderson, Ron Perlman, Claire Forlani, Brian J. White, Kristanna Loken, Gabrielle Rose, Burt Reynolds, and Ron Perlman

MPAA RATING: PG-13 for intense battle sequences

Freestyle Releasing
Action  |  Adventure  |  Fantasy
124 minutes | Color
Germany / Canada / USA
Released In Theaters January 11, 2008

An unspeakably evil army rampages across what was an idyllic, peaceful world, destroying everything in its path, looking to conquer the mighty Castle Ebb and vanquish the King himself! Amidst this backdrop of war in the Kingdom of Ehb, between the evil Gallian and the ruling King Konreid, a once simple family man named Farmer sets out to find his kidnapped wife, Solana. (Freestyle Releasing)

WRITTEN BY
Chris Taylor (video game "Dungeon Siege")
Doug Taylor (& story)
Dan Stroncak (story)
Jason Rappaport (story)

DIRECTED BY
Uwe Boll

Overall Metascore

This is a weighted, normalized average of all individual scores given by critics, on a scale of 0 (worst) to 100 (best).

15 / 100

Critic Reviews

50 ReelViews
A second-rate regurgitation of "The Lord of the Rings." Everything about it, down to the set and costume design, apes Peter Jackson's epic trilogy. However, while "The Lord of the Rings" was a grand story of scope and power, In the Name of the King feels small in more ways than one.
30 Los Angeles Times Sam Adams
Its convictionless competence is merely dull, denying the pleasures of an outright howler without providing much else.
25 The Onion (A.V. Club)
Cultists will be happy to discover that In The Name Of The King bears all the so-bad-it's-good hallmarks of a classic Boll production.
25 TV Guide
Director Uwe Boll sticks with what he knows -- how to turn video games into dull, cheap-looking movies.
25 The Globe and Mail (Toronto)
Is this movie so god-awful bad that it's hilariously good? Can't be bothered deciding. Figure that's an answer in itself.
25 Boston Globe
This is the sort of movie where men stand blankly over dead loved ones, then start digging. Masculine stoicism or emotional botox? You decide.
20 The New York Times
An awkward “Lord of the Rings” knockoff, it features both elaborate battles and bumbling humor, though it’s never quite clear when you should be laughing.
20 LA Weekly Jim Ridley
As numbing and depressing to watch as suits hammering out a film-packaging deal one venal clause at a time.
11 Austin Chronicle
Who among us can explain the enigma wrapped in a riddle surrounded by fierce, ravening, razor-toothed conundrums that is German director Uwe Boll?
10 The Hollywood Reporter
It's completely undone by its terrible screenplay, inept direction, oppressive musical score and muddy visual palette.
10 Variety
A plodding patchwork of derivative fantasy-adventure, medieval production design, risible dialogue, unimpressive CGI trickery and haphazardly edited action sequences.

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