Displaying items by tag: Red Sonja 2025 movie

RED SONJA

US, 2025, 110 minutes, Colour.

Matilda Lutz, Robert Sheehan, Wallis Day, Luca Pasquilino, Michael Bispoing, Ben Radcliffe, Trevor Eve, Rhona Mitra, Veronica Ferres..

Directed by MJ Bassett.

Red Sonja had her origins in the 1930s, stories by Robert E. Howard, especially Conan the Barbarian. Later their stories were taken up by Marvel Comics. And, with the success of Arnold Schwarzenegger as Conan the Barbarian, the Conan film was followed up with Red Sonja, Brigitte Nielsen starring. It was action adventure for the fans rather than an awards-seeking.

The 1980s saw some popularity with this kind of adventure, nicknamed Sword and Sandals, with touches of Sorcery added in. Then, in the 1990s, some respectability for these ventures into warlike pasts, Oscar winners like Braveheart, Gladiator.

Now, after many attempts, here is a new version of Red Sonja. She is played by model, Matilda Lutz, entering wholeheartedly into the action, quiet for the drama and emotion, certainly fulfilling all the script requirements for battles.

There is the creation of many periods mixed together, some prehistoric aspects, especially with lumbering special animals. There are the primaeval forests and humans surviving despite the inroads of ambitious and vicious kings. Then there is a “civilisation” which resembles the Roman Empire in many ways, an absolute Emperor, played eccentrically by Robert Sheehan, thinking he is Marcus Aurelius when he is really something of a Caligula. And, there are slaves imprisoned, the Dominati, battles to the death in the arena, variations on gladiatorial combat.

Sonia, an orphan, growing up in the wilderness, is captured, imprisoned, defying the Emperor in the arena. With some flashbacks, there is a history between them, he a little boy slave, about to be helped by Sonja but their being separated. He has grown up resentful, with half of a book which reveals to how to build up a culture, putting into practice to develop his empire – but he is desperate in his zeal in looking for the second half.

Revolutions, rounding up of rebels, battles and the forests, Sonja relying on her favourite horse, pursuit of the rebels, some heroic characters amongst the rebels, some sinister advisors to the Emperor, and a woman who has been a slave, vanquished opponents, hears voices and wants to the Empress.

The film mixes all these ingredients together using an action antiquarian pulp fiction style that is not designed for cineastes but for the popular audience.