In the Name of the King

In the Name of the King
Directed by	Uwe Boll
Produced by	Uwe Boll Dan Clarke Shawn Williamson Wolfgang Herold
Written by	Doug Taylor
Based on	Dungeon Siege  by Gas Powered Games
Starring	Jason Statham Leelee Sobieski John Rhys-Davies Ron Perlman Claire Forlani Kristanna Loken Matthew Lillard Ray Liotta Burt Reynolds
Music by	Jessica de Rooij Henning Lohner
Cinematography	Mathias Neumann
Editing by	Paul Klassen David M. Richardson
Studio	Brightlight Pictures Vivendi Entertainment
Distributed by	20th Century Fox (Germany) Freestyle Releasing (US)
Release date(s)	April 11, 2007 (2007-04-11) (Brussels International Festival of Fantasy Films) November 29, 2007 (2007-11-29) (Germany) January 11, 2008 (2008-01-11) (United States)
Running time	127 minutes
Country	Germany Canada United States
Language	English
Budget	$60 million
Box office	$13,097,915

In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale is a 2007 fantasy adventure film directed by Uwe Boll, inspired by the Dungeon Siege video game series. It was produced by Brightlight Pictures and distributed by Freestyle Releasing and Vivendi Entertainment in the United States and Canada. 20th Century Fox took distribution overseas. It premiered at the American Film Market on November 3, 2006. It was released in Germany on November 29, 2007 and was released in the United States on January 11, 2008.

Plot

Set in the kingdom of Ehb, the story follows a man called Farmer (Jason Statham), an orphan who was adopted by the village. When Farmer's wife, Solana (Claire Forlani), and his son, Zeph (Colin Ford) leave to sell vegetables at the town of Stonebridge, his farm is attacked by creatures called Krug. With the help of his friend and mentor, Norrick (Ron Perlman), he fights off the Krug and travels to Stonebridge. The Krug, controlled by the wizard Gallian (Ray Liotta), attack Stonebridge as well. Although Farmer fights them, he is unable to save his son Zeph and Solana's parents.

Meanwhile, the wizard Gallian feeds incubus-like on Merick's daughter Muriella (Leelee Sobieski) and taps into her magical bloodline. This gives him the power to amass and control an army of Krug to overthrow King Konreid. King's nephew, Duke Fallow (Matthew Lillard), a good for nothing roue, has let Gallian into the castle to conspire against the King. He ask Gallian about their plan, who in turn ask him what he knows of the man called Farmer.

The King's Magus, Merick (John Rhys-Davies) detects that there is something special about Farmer when King Konreid (Burt Reynolds) and his entourage arrive to comfort Stonebridge. Merick ask Norrick if they have met before. It seem that Merick comes to know something special about Farmer. He meets Farmer and tells him that the King needs him more than he realize, who refuses to acknowledge his request and leaves to find and rescue his wife, who has been captured, accompanied by Norrick and Bastian (Will Sanderson), his brother-in-law.

When the King returns to his castle, he finds Fallow playing around wearing his crown, sitting on the throne. Fallow impatiently orders Gallian to accelerate their plan. Gallian goes to Muriella's chamber to be with her where she shows her disapproval for him entering her chambers as and when it pleases him, without her wish. She tells him to leave when he ridicules her father.

Fallow tries to appease the King while having dinner with him. Farmer along with his two mates is passing through a seemingly dangerous Sedrick forest which Norrick disapproves as there has been stories about the presence of 'things' in there. Some forest Nymphs hangs them upside down and their leader, Elora (Kristanna Loken) tells them to leave the forest and never return again.

Through Duke Fallow, Gallian had already poisoned the King when Muriella requests the King that she wishes to help as she can feel something wrong. Just then the King faints due of the poison. Same time, Fallow meets Gallian and it seem that he too had been accidently poisoned while dining with the King. Gallian gives him an antidote after reminding him who has the real power.

General Hallette (Ron Selmour) informs Commander Tarish, who in turn tells Merick that Fallow has fled the castle taking two-third of the Army and other guards with him. Merick figures that Fallow has actually poisoned the King and suspects Gallian's hand in it. Merick confronts Muriella about her involvement with Gallian and tells her what wrong she has done. She apologizes whole heartedly.

Elora helps Farmer, Norrick and Basbian to find their way out of the forest as they tell her that they are lost. She leaves as they reach across the forest where Krugs are there. The healed King is informed by Merick about Fallow's treachery. Farmer, Norrick and Bastian infiltrates the captive's camp to find Solana. Just when Farmer finds her, they are taken captives by the Kurbs.

The next morning, the healed King, and the Army leaves the castle to battle with Krugs. Through a Krug, Gallian ask Farmer about his identity as he sees danger in him. He is about to hang Farmer, but he manages to kills the Krug.

Norrick and Bastian are also taken captive in the same cage as Solana, where Bastian informs her about their parents and her son. Norrick consoles Solana telling her that Farmer will come to her rescue as he must and he needs her.

Merick who has felt that Farmer is in danger, finds and rescues him from the ropes. Muriella feels guilty of breaking her father's trust and wishes to commit suicide, but her handmaiden, Talwyn (Tania Saulnier) reminds her of her father's love for her and Muriella leaves the castle, determined to prove herself worthy of her father's trust and love.

When Merick brings the injured Farmer to the King's camp, a surprised Tarish ask him why was a dirt-lover (Farmer) of such importance. Merick tells him that Farmer is of special interest for the King who too isnt aware of that. He commands Farmer to be taken to the King's tent, where he reveals to both King and Farmer of Farmer's real identity. Farmer refuses to believe it saying that he had no parents and leaves the tent. The King asks Merick angrily that how can it be as he told him 30 years ago that his 3 year old son had been dead in a massacre. Merick says that what god does is for good, coz if the little boy had been in the castle, he could have been killed by King's enemies. Farmer grew safe and strong in Stonebridge though.

Next morning, Merick makes Farmer understand that the King and the kingdom needs him. In the forest, Tarish tells the soldiers that whosoever is with Fallow will be considered as traitor, while Fallow accuses him back for poisoning the King. He is then surprised to see the King with Tarish, who tells him that he can never be a king. General Backler (Mike Dopud), with 11th and 12th Legion of soldiers then join the King. Tarish, who is still unknown of Farmer's real identity and is skeptical of him, tells Farmer that he will keep an eye on him.

The battle between King's army and Krugs begin. Muriella who seeks to join the King in the battle, is pursued by a Krug. Tarish develops faith in Farmer during the battle. Fallow shoots the King to death and runs away from the battlefield. The battle is ends when the King's men manage to kill all the Krugs on the battlefield.

Fallow, who is returning to the castle, hoping to finally become King, is then attacked by the Forest Nymphs, Elora and Muriella, who takes him back to the battlefield. In the meanwhile, Norrick, Basbain and Solana are taken to Gallain's den where they are supposed to become slaves. Norrick who refuses to be a slave, dies courageously fighting with the Krubs, while Basbain and Solana try to flee but are recaptured.

At the camp, the King appreciates Farmer's courage. The King realizes that he is indeed his lost son when Farmer quotes a line that King used to tell his son every night. Just before dieing, he accepts him as his son and tells him to take up the kingdom after him.

At the battlefield, Fallow is forced to fight Commander Tarish. He is about to be slain when someone yells that King is dead. Fallow, who by rule is now the new King, is happy as Tarish, bound by honor, cant kill the King. Merick then announces that the King is dead, and that Farmer is Camden Konreid, the king's long lost son. Farmer is then declared the new King of Ehb.

Gallian finds out about Farmer being the new King through one of his Krugs. He also realizes that he has Farmer's wife in his captive. When she ask him how he knows she is Farmer's wife, he tells her that he can feel him in her as she is carrying his son, i.e., she is pregnant with Farmer's child.

Farmer leads a small team, including himself, Muriella, Elora and Merick, to rescue his pregnant wife from Gillian. Merick dies to distract Gillian so that Farmer can sneak in with the help of Elora. While the forest Nymphs join the army to fights against the Krugs, Bastian tries to stage a breakout. Muriella becomes the new Magus and together Muriella and Farmer fight Gallian until Solana stabs him with a sword and Farmer cuts his throat off. As soon as Gallian is killed, Krubs retreats themselves. Farmer finally confesses his love for Solana verbally which he had never done before.

Cast

• Jason Statham as Camden Konreid/Farmer
• Leelee Sobieski as Muriella
• John Rhys-Davies as Merick
• Ron Perlman as Norrick
• Claire Forlani as Solana
• Kristanna Loken as Elora
• Matthew Lillard as Duke Fallow
• Ray Liotta as Gallian
• Burt Reynolds as King Konreid
• Brian White as Commander Tarish
• Mike Dopud as General Backler
• Will Sanderson as Bastian
• Tania Saulnier as Talwyn
• Gabrielle Rose as Delinda
• Terence Kelly as Trumaine
• Colin Ford as Zeph

Loken previously played the lead role in Uwe Boll's BloodRayne. Will Sanderson has also been featured in all but one of Boll's video game-based films, starting from House of the Dead.

Production

The production budget was $60 million.

Parts of the film were shot in Robert Burnaby Park

Boll has said that two versions will be produced due to length. The first will run for 127 minutes as a single movie trimmed down for cinematic release. The second, a director's cut, will be for DVD and run for approximately 156 minutes.

The film was shot near the Municipality of Sooke, the westernmost area of the Greater Victoria, Capital Regional District (CRD), British Columbia. Locals and First Nations people were recruited as extras and for other duties.

Visual effects were added in post-production. Companies included Elektrofilm, Frantic Films, The Orphanage, PICTORION das werk, Rocket Science VFX, Technicolor Creative Services, TVT postproduction, and upstart! Animation.

Soundtrack

The German power metal band Blind Guardian recorded the movie's main theme, "Skalds and Shadows". The British progressive metal band Threshold contributed the song "Pilot in the Sky of Dreams" from their album Dead Reckoning. The Swedish power metal band, HammerFall, also contributed a track, "The Fire Burns Forever". Wolfgang Herold was the executive soundtrack producer.

Reception

Box office

In the Name of the King was a box office bomb, grossing $2.98 million in its U.S. opening, not cracking that week's top ten. It had grossed $10.3 million worldwide, including $2.47 million in Germany, $1.39 million in Russia and $1.22 million in Spain. Afterwards, Uwe Boll announced that this would be his first and last movie with a large budget.

Critical reception

The film received extremely negative reviews from critics. The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported that 4% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 49 reviews. Not only that, it was ranked 49th in Rotten Tomatoes's 100 worst reviewed films of the 2000s and in 2009, Time listed the film on their list of top ten worst video games movies. Metacritic reported the film had an average score of 15 out of 100, based on 11 reviews — indicating "extreme dislike or disgust." Many critics have attacked the film's close resemblances to other fantasy films, especially the popular Lord of the Rings films.

The film was nominated for five Razzie Awards, including Worst Picture, Worst Screenplay, Worst Supporting Actor (Burt Reynolds) and Worst Supporting Actress (Leelee Sobieski), with Uwe Boll winning Worst Director.

Sequels

Main article: In the Name of the King 2: Two Worlds

Despite being considered a bomb, Boll began work on a sequel, In the Name of the King 2: Two Worlds. Filming began on December 1, 2010, and it was released in 2011. The film stars Dolph Lundgren and Natassia Malthe.

A third film, In the Name of the King III, will be released in 2013. The film stars Dominic Purcell, with Boll returning to direct.

Home media

The DVD, released on April 15, 2008, does not include the 156-minute version. The Blu-ray release in December 2008 contains this edition. 813,147 units were sold, gathering a revenue of $14,865,984, more than its box office grossing.

References

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External links

• In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale at the Internet Movie Database
• In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale at AllRovi
• In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale at Box Office Mojo
• In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale at Rotten Tomatoes
• In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale at Metacritic
• Interviews at Movieset.com