The Veil

I bought this movie after reading the sleeve. It sounded good. Made popcorn kenneled the dogs and sat to enjoy a good movie. Well it wasn't I watched the whole thing waiting for something to happen, and it doesn't. At the end of the movie I was actually glad it was over. Turned on regular TV and watched an episode of American Pickers I had seen about 3 times before. It was more fulfilling.

Surprised they had a budget to produce this movie and then actually finish it off. Poor acting, unrealistic martial arts and plot.

First the movie is really discursive where you can't even follow it. You don't even know who the characters are (who are the good guys or bad guys, why they are fighting each other, etc.) There's no time indicator on whether this movie is set in the future or???? Continuity is terrible.

If you love C-rated movies this is it!

Netflix "recommended" this movie to me. Normally it would be something I would have enjoyed but the plot, such as it was, was nebulous. Things didn't hook up and the whole mess was difficult to follow. After what was probably the most unsatisfactory ending I have ever watched I was grateful the movie was over.

Positives for the film are good fighting, sparring, and training scenes, nice location scenery, and the hot bod on the main character. While not usually an aspect I would comment on at least it made the film bearable. (I'm probably not allowed to say that these days but there it is. If he objects he can contact me and I'll change the verbiage.)

Alternate logline: Once upon a time, two films got together to have a child. Melancholia the mother; Conan the Barbarian the father. Unfortunately, the film they birthed was dropped on it's head during delivery and is now known as The Veil.

Many of the other reviews handled some of the finer details of the film's shortcomings with more precision, but the story is a mess, it's overreaching and underachieving, the stakes seem lacking. One small example that's not a spoiler because it's so early in the film: We're expected to believe this is an alien planet, (or possibly an alternate Earth) but there are no aliens, only a shot in the sky for VFX to support such a thing. There are no likable characters or performances (aside from the old man at the end) and not any humor to speak of other than some painfully long pauses in the middle of fight choreography here and there.

As a couple of pros for the movie: The film's makeup and wardrobes were great. The scenery is fine. It's shot decently.

TLDR; The writing was horrible. It doesn't go anywhere. Watch Conan or Melancholia instead.

This film, subsidized by the Oklahoma Film Rebate Commission or something similar, was a lame attempt. Neither the plot nor the characters were developed, the acting quality was sad, and the fight scenes were high school. The Kingdom appeared to comprise a village of 9 or 10 funky black tents and had a similar number of warriors, while the Dominion (opposing dark side) had a few buildings made out of stone and perhaps 20 or 30 warriors. One reviewer said it was better than expected. I would hate to think what it was that he was expecting. The Film Rebate Commission should get their rebate back.