The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is a 2001 epic high fantasy film directed by Peter Jackson based on the first volume of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings (1954–1955). It is the first instalment in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, and was followed by The Two Towers (2002) and The Return of the King (2003), based on the second and third volumes of The Lord of the Rings.

Set in Middle-earth, the story tells of the Dark Lord Sauron (Sala Baker), who is seeking the One Ring. The Ring has found its way to the young hobbit Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood). The fate of Middle-earth hangs in the balance as Frodo and eight companions who form the Fellowship of the Ring begin their journey to Mount Doom in the land of Mordor, the only place where the Ring can be destroyed.

Released on 10 December 2001, the film was highly acclaimed by critics and fans alike who considered it to be a landmark in film-making and an achievement in the fantasy film genre. It has continued to be featured on critic lists of the greatest fantasy films ever made, as of 2015. The film was a massive box office success, earning over $871 million worldwide, and becoming the second highest-grossing film of 2001 in the US and worldwide (behind Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone). As of June 2015, it is the 40th highest-grossing film of all time worldwide unadjusted for inflation.

It was nominated for thirteen Oscars at the 74th Academy Awards ceremony, winning four for Best Cinematography, Best Makeup, Best Original Score, and Best Visual Effects. It won also four British Academy Film Awards, including Best Film and Best Director BAFTA awards. The Special Extended Edition was released to DVD on 12 November 2002 and to Blu-ray Disc on 28 June 2011. In 2007, The Fellowship of the Ring was voted No. 50 on the American Film Institute's list of 100 greatest American films. The AFI also voted it the second greatest fantasy film of all time during their 10 Top 10 special.

Storyline

An ancient Ring thought lost for centuries has been found, and through a strange twist in fate has been given to a small Hobbit named Frodo. When Gandalf discovers the Ring is in fact the One Ring of the Dark Lord Sauron, Frodo must make an epic quest to the Cracks of Doom in order to destroy it! However he does not go alone. He is joined by Gandalf, Legolas the elf, Gimli the Dwarf, Aragorn, Boromir and his three Hobbit friends Merry, Pippin and Samwise. Through mountains, snow, darkness, forests, rivers and plains, facing evil and danger at every corner the Fellowship of the Ring must go. Their quest to destroy the One Ring is the only hope for the end of the Dark Lords reign!

Plot

In the Second Age of Middle Earth, the Dark Lord Sauron forges the One Ring in Mount Doom to conquer all. An alliance of men and elves battle Sauron's forces in Mordor, where Isildur kills Sauron by chopping off the hand wearing the One Ring. Sauron's spirit survives within the ring and corrupts Isildur so that he keeps it instead of destroying it. This decision leads to Isildur's being killed by Orcs, and the ring is lost in the river Anduin for 2500 years. It comes into the possession of Sméagol who is consumed by its power and becomes Gollum. After 500 years the ring abandons him, to be discovered by a Hobbit named Bilbo Baggins.

Sixty years later, Bilbo celebrates his 111th birthday and is visited by his friend Gandalf the Grey. Bilbo reveals he intends to leave the Shire to stay with the elves of Rivendell, and leave his inheritance to his nephew Frodo. Gandalf convinces Bilbo to leave the One Ring for Frodo. Concerned about Bilbo's ring, Gandalf investigates and discovers it is the One Ring. He warns Frodo and says it retains the evil of Sauron's spirit. Unfortunately Gollum, who has been captured by Sauron's orcs, reveals Bilbo might have the ring. Gandalf catches Samwise Gamgee, Frodo's friend, overhearing the details of true nature of the ring. He forces Sam to accompany Frodo to the village of Bree in a plan to keep the ring safe. Gandalf goes to Isengard to get advice from Saruman the White, where he learns Sauron has unleashed the Ringwraiths to retrieve the Ring. Saruman reveals his allegiance to Sauron, and imprisons Gandalf on the roof of his tower Orthanc.

On their way to Bree, Frodo and Sam meet fellow Hobbits, Merry and Pippin, and evade the pursuing Ringwraiths. Arriving in Bree, they learn that Gandalf is missing, but a ranger named Strider escorts them to Rivendell. On their way the Hobbits are ambushed by the Ringwraiths at Amon Sul, and Frodo is stabbed with a morgul blade. The Elvin princess Arwen, encounters the group and takes Frodo to Rivendell while being pursued by the Ringwraiths. Frodo is healed by Arwen's father Elrond and wakes to find Gandalf present after he escaped Isengard on a giant eagle. Elrond holds a council to decide the fate of the Ring and Frodo learns that the ring can only be destroyed in the fires of Mount Doom. Frodo also learns that Strider is Aragorn, the descendant of Isildur and the rightful King of Gondor. Frodo volunteers to take the ring to Mordor and Gandalf, Aragorn, the dwarf Gimli, the elf Legolas, the man Boromir of Gondor, Samwise, Pippin and Merry all volunteer to accompany him and are named as 'The Fellowship of the Ring'. Before Frodo leaves, Bilbo gives him his elven sword Sting.

The Fellowship journey over the Misty Mountains but when Saruman magically blocks their path, they venture into the Dwarven Mines of Moria. However, all of the Dwarves who previously resided there have been slain by Orcs, who now occupy the mines, and the Fellowship hopes their presence will go unnoticed. Gollum stalks them and they are eventually attacked by orcs and a cave troll. They escape but are confronted by an ancient demon, a Balrog. Gandalf prevents the Balrog from pursuing them, but in so doing is dragged into a chasm. Aragorn leads the Fellowship to Lothlórien, home of Galadriel and Celeborn, where Gandalf's passing is mourned. Galadriel informs Frodo that only he can complete the quest, and one of the company will try to take the Ring. Meanwhile, Saruman forms an army of Uruk-hai to hunt and kill the Fellowship but bring the holder of the Ring, a hobbit, back to him unharmed.

The Fellowship leave Lothlorien by river to Parth Galen. Boromir attempts to take the Ring from Frodo but Frodo escapes and afraid of the corrupting power of the ring decides to journey to Mordor alone. The pursuing Uruk-hai catch up to the Fellowship, and a fight begins, in which Boromir is fatally wounded by the Uruk-hai commander Lurtz; Merry and Pippin are kidnapped in the belief that they have the ring; and Aragorn beheads Lurtz and helps the dying Boromir find peace. Sam follows Frodo and persuades him that he must accompany Frodo to Mordor. Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli pursue the Uruk-hai to rescue Merry and Pippin.

Cast

• Elijah Wood as Frodo Baggins: a young hobbit who inherits the One Ring from his uncle Bilbo
• Ian McKellen as Gandalf the Grey: an Istari wizard and mentor to Frodo
• Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn "Strider" II Elessar: a Dúnedain ranger, the descendant of Isildur, and heir to Gondor's throne
• Sean Astin as Samwise "Sam" Gamgee: a hobbit gardener and Frodo's best friend
• Liv Tyler as Arwen Undomiel: an elven princess of Rivendell and Aragorn's lover
• Sala Baker as Sauron: the Dark Lord of Mordor and the Ring's true master who manifests as an Eye after the destruction of his physical form
• Cate Blanchett as Galadriel: the elven co-ruler of Lothlórien alongside her husband Celeborn
• John Rhys-Davies as Gimli: a dwarf warrior who accompanies the Fellowship to Mordor after they set out from Rivendell. Billy Connolly, who was considered for the part of Gimli, later portrayed Dáin II Ironfoot in Peter Jackson's The Hobbit film trilogy
• Billy Boyd as Peregrin "Pippin" Took: a hobbit who travels with the Fellowship on their journey to Mordor
• Dominic Monaghan as Meriadoc "Merry" Brandybuck: a distant cousin of Frod
• Orlando Bloom as Legolas Greenleaf: a prince of the elves' Woodland Realm and a skilled archer
• Christopher Lee as Saruman the White: the fallen head of the Istari Order who succumbs to Sauron's will through his use of the palantír
• Hugo Weaving as Elrond: the elven Lord of Rivendell who leads the Council of Elrond, which ultimately decides to destroy the Ring.
• Sean Bean as Boromir: a prince of the Stewards of Gondor who journeys with the Fellowship towards Mordor
• Ian Holm as Bilbo Baggins: Frodo's uncle who gives him the Ring after he decides to retire to Rivendell
• Andy Serkis as Gollum voice and motion capture: a wretched hobbit-like creature whose mind was poisoned over centuries by the Ring
• Marton Csokas as Celeborn the Wise: the elven Lord of Lothlórien and Galadriel's husband
• Lawrence Makoare as Lurtz: the commander of Saruman's Orc forces
• Craig Parker as Haldir: the leader of the Galadhrim warriors guarding the border of Lothlórien
• Mark Ferguson as Ereinion Gil-galad, the last Elven-King of Noldor
• Peter McKenzie as Elendil the Tall: the last High King of Arnor and Gondor
• Harry Sinclair as Isildur: Elendil's son and Aragorn's ancestor who originally defeated Sauron

User Review

I think it is important to remember that Peter Jackson took up this film not in order just to make a film of `The Lord of the Rings' but because he wanted to make a 'fantasy just like the `The Lord of the Rings'" as he himself put it. After repeating that phrase on a number of occasions the question popped into his mind: "Well, why not the `The Lord of the Rings' itself?". In doing this he, of course, set himself an enormous challenge: he had to make a really good `fantasy' film, one which would stand on its own and be true to what he had originally wanted to do but he would also, and here the task he had set himself was enormous, be true to the original book and to make a film which the legions of people who have loved this book would feel happy with. In the latter task he was certainly not helped by the author or the book: Tolkein, it would seem, hated cinema. The book itself is `HUGE': this was not going to be the kind of task that the James Ivory team set themselves, or Scorsese nor the kind of task facing Branagh with Hamlet; nor was it going to be like the puny task that faced Columbus with `Harry Potter' who had the bigger budget ($130 million for one film as compared with Peter Jackson with $300m for three).

I have just seen the first `volume' and can say without hesitation that he has succeeded in both his goals. It is not the book but a reading of the book which is inventive and fascinating. It is the kind of experience that makes you want to go back and reread the whole thing in the light of the emphases that Jackson has brought to the story. He focuses on the corrupting influence of the ring and, through this focus, the character of the chief protagonists of the story are revealed. Clearly those most tempted by it are mortal men (Boromir and even, in one moment, Aragorn), those who already have power (Elrond - `The ring cannot stay here'; Galadriel; Gandalf and Saruman), and, of course, those who would not normally desire it but who by accident become ring bearers - Gollum, Bilbo, Frodo. I can see why, in this reading, Jackson decided to leave out the Bombadil episode. Bombadil, like the Balrog, is beyond the ring but the latter is important to the unfolding of the story of the fates of all the characters, Bombadil isn't.

It is a miracle of this reading of the first volume of the book that one can see where Jackson is going and one can get a feel of how the reading is going to unfold. In a sense, Jackson's real trial - as far as those who know the books are concerned - will come with the second film in the series. He has lived up to our expectation by creating even bigger ones: how can he handle the story of the chase andrescue of Merry and Pippin, the storming of Isengard etc - stories which don't really add much to the core theme that is emerging. Or is he now going to add the theme of the great contest of good versus evil to the unfolding reading?

All of this points to the fact that the film, even though it is a feast of special effects, focuses on character. And this also explains why Jackson chose the actors he did for their roles: they are not `big' names - no `Sean Connery', no `Alan Rickman', no `Brad Pitt', no `Sam Neill'etc. He didn't want them getting in the way of the story of character. Ian McKellan's talents, in particular, are used to tell a large proportion of the story: an enormous amount is conveyed simply through his facial expressions and even by the language of his body. The other miracle in all of this is Elijah Wood. Like many others, when I first heard of Jackson's choice, I groaned: but Wood has been extraordinary. He brings, as one friend said, a strange kind of androgyny to the role and this is just perfect. McKellan has already been knighted: give Wood the Oscar.

And then there is Middle Earth: this is, as someone put it, another character in the story and the New Zealand landscape, digitally enhanced on occasion, lives up to its role too.

Enough. See this film! Greatest film ever made? How can one make a claim like that! Silly really; as silly as claiming that `The Lord of the Rings' is the greatest book ever written. Can't one simply love a story, enjoy reading it a number of times amd lose oneself in it. One CAN claim that it is the greatest work in its genre as is the film.

Thor: The Dark World (2013)

Thor: The Dark World (2013)

Thor: The Dark World is a 2013 American superhero film featuring the Marvel Comics character Thor, produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It is the sequel to 2011's Thor and the eighth installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The film was directed by Alan Taylor, with a screenplay by Christopher Yost and Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely. It stars Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins, Stellan Skarsgård, Idris Elba, Christopher Eccleston, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Kat Dennings, Ray Stevenson, Zachary Levi, Tadanobu Asano, Jaimie Alexander, and Rene Russo. In Thor: The Dark World, Thor teams up with Loki to save the Nine Realms from the Dark Elves led by the vengeful Malekith, who intends to plunge the universe into darkness.

Development of Thor: The Dark World began in April 2011, when producer Kevin Feige announced plans for a sequel to follow the crossover film The Avengers. In July 2011, Kenneth Branagh, the director of Thor, withdrew from the project. Brian Kirk and Patty Jenkins were considered to direct the film before Taylor was hired in January 2012. The supporting cast filled out in August 2012, with the hiring of Eccleston, Dennings, and Akinnuoye-Agbaje. Principal photography began in September 2012 in Surrey, England with filming continuing in Iceland and London, before wrapping up in December 2012. Thor: The Dark World was converted to 3D in post-production.

Thor: The Dark World premiered at the Odeon Leicester Square in London on October 22, 2013. It was released internationally on October 30, 2013, and on November 8, 2013, in the United States. The film received mixed reviews, but was a commercial success, grossing over $644 million worldwide. A third film, Thor: Ragnarok, is set for release on November 3, 2017.

Storyline

Thousands of years ago, a race of beings known as Dark Elves tried to send the universe into darkness by using a weapon known as the Aether. Warriors from Asgard stop them but their leader Malekith escapes to wait for another opportunity. The warriors find the Aether and since it cannot be destroyed, they try to hide it. In the present day, Jane Foster awaits the return of Thor although it has been two years since they last saw once another. In the meantime, Thor has been trying to bring peace to the nine realms. Jane discovers an anomaly similar to the one that brought Thor to Earth. She goes to investigate, finds a wormhole, and is sucked into it. Back on Asgard, Thor wishes to return to Earth but his father, Odin refuses to let him. Thor learns from Heimdall, who can see into all of the realms, that Jane disappeared. Thor then returns to Earth just as Jane reappears. However, when some policemen try to arrest her, an unknown energy repulses them. Thor then brings Jane to Asgard.

Plot

Eons ago, Bor, father of Odin, clashes with the Dark Elf Malekith, who seeks to destroy the universe using a weapon known as the Aether. After conquering Malekith's forces, including enhanced warriors called the Kursed, on their home world of Svartalfheim, Bor safeguards the Aether within a stone column. Unbeknownst to Bor, Malekith, his lieutenant Algrim, and a handful of Dark Elves escape into suspended animation.

In present-day Asgard, Loki stands imprisoned for his war crimes on Earth. Meanwhile, Thor, alongside warriors Fandral, Volstagg, and Sif, repel marauders on Vanaheim, home of their comrade Hogun; it is the final battle in a war to pacify the Nine Realms following the reconstruction of the Bifröst, the "Rainbow Bridge" between realms, which had been destroyed two years earlier. The Asgardians soon learn that the Convergence, a rare alignment of the Nine Realms, is imminent; as the event approaches, portals linking the worlds appear at random.

In London, astrophysicist Dr. Jane Foster and her intern Darcy Lewis travel to an abandoned factory where such portals have appeared, disrupting the laws of physics around them. Separating from the group, Jane is teleported to another world, where she is infected by the Aether. Heimdall alerts Thor that Jane has moved beyond his near all-seeing vision, leading Thor to Earth. When Thor finds Jane, she inadvertently releases an unearthly force, and Thor returns with her to Asgard. Odin, recognizing the Aether, warns that the Aether will not only kill Jane, but that its return heralds a catastrophic prophecy.

Malekith, awakened by the Aether's release, turns Algrim into a Kursed and attacks Asgard. During the battle, Malekith and Algrim search for Jane, sensing that she contains the Aether. Thor's mother Frigga is killed protecting Jane, and Malekith and Algrim are forced to flee without Jane. Despite Odin's orders not to leave Asgard, Thor reluctantly enlists the help of Loki, who knows of a secret portal to Svartalfheim, where they will use Jane to lure and confront Malekith, away from Asgard. In return, Thor promises Loki vengeance on Malekith for killing their mother. With Volstagg and Sif stalling Asgardian soldiers and Fandral assisting their escape, Thor, Loki, and Jane head to Svartalfheim.

There, Loki tricks Malekith into drawing the Aether out of Jane, but Thor's attempt to destroy the exposed substance fails. Malekith merges with the Aether and leaves in his ship as Loki is fatally wounded while killing Algrim. Thor, cradling Loki in his arms, promises to tell their father of his sacrifice. Afterwards, Thor and Jane discover another portal in a nearby cave and reunite in London with Darcy and Jane's mentor Dr. Erik Selvig — who was briefly institutionalized due to the mental trauma he suffered during Loki's attack on Earth. They learn that Malekith plans to destroy the universe and restore the Dark Elves to dominance by unleashing the Aether at the center of the Convergence in Greenwich. Thor battles Malekith through various portals and across multiple worlds until one portal separates them, leaving Malekith unopposed on Earth. Thor returns in time to help his mortal comrades use their scientific equipment to transport Malekith to Svartalfheim, where he is crushed by his own damaged ship.

Thor returns to Asgard, where he declines Odin's offer to take the throne and tells Odin of Loki's sacrifice. As he leaves, Odin's form transforms into Loki, who is alive and impersonating Odin.

In a mid-credits scene, Volstagg and Sif visit the Collector and entrust the Aether to his care, commenting that, with the Tesseract already in Asgard, having two Infinity Stones so close together would be dangerous. As they leave, the Collector remarks, "One down, five to go." In a post-credits scene, Jane and Thor reunite on Earth while somewhere in London a frost monster from Jotunheim, accidentally transported to Earth during the final battle, continues to run amok.

Cast

• Chris Hemsworth as Thor
• Natalie Portman as Jane Foster
• Tom Hiddleston as Loki
• Anthony Hopkins as Odin
• Stellan Skarsgård as Erik Selvig
• Idris Elba as Heimdall
• Christopher Eccleston as Malekith
• Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as Algrim / Kurse
• Kat Dennings as Darcy Lewis
• Ray Stevenson as Volstagg
• Zachary Levi as Fandral
• Tadanobu Asano as Hogun
• Jaimie Alexander as Sif
• Rene Russo as Frigga

User Review

Having just watched a premier screening, I am delighted to come away from the cinema to write a positive review. Thor Dark World is a spectacular special effect driven film, much of which is set in Asguard.

I was worried that including Loki yet again might become a little repetitive, but in this film he excels as a great character, I only hope however that they don't overdue his presence in the Marvel Universe. How many times can this guy come back from the dead?

There isn't as much character development as the first film, and Thor's friends are nowhere near as interesting as the Avengers. I guess they simply needed these characters to all remain as they were so as to keep continuity within the Marvel universe, but its noticeable how little impact the storyline will have on anybody.

The armies of Asguard were noticeably lacking in fire-power and weapons (even though they have an armoury), which is made even more evident when an entire guard division bring knives to a laser-gun fight. Their turrents were the only defense they had against an Ariel assault and proved to be practically useless. You would expect them to be better prepared.

The healing powers of Thor, Jane, and even a smashed alien space-craft become a bit of a running joke as well. But at least they get hurt, even if it only takes them a scene to heal. And if smashing every column holding up a building is still not enough to take it down I'm not sure what will be.

Christopher Eccleston played a competent bad guy, although his intentions for what he was doing was still unclear as to why. Its simple to say he was insane and just wanted to kill everybody, but when a threat of that magnitude appears and planetary alignments are in effect, you expect half the Universe to show up and stop him or take advantage of the situation, or come looking to take the power for themselves. I also expected to see the entire army of Asguard come to help out at the end like they apparently did in the past. Not just Thor who appears there by mistake.

The scientist with the miraculous plot saving devise is also a little hard fetch to take in, especially when he creates a remote control for cosmic anomalies. Along with Loki's illusion power which also serves as a convenient plot-saving devise at times. I'm willing to overlook these but there's no denying what they are.

Overall its a good enjoyable superhero movie, which you will want to watch several times and is a decent entry into the Marvel Universe.

Avatar (2009)

Avatar (2009)

Avatar (marketed as James Cameron's Avatar) is a 2009 American epic science fiction film directed, written, produced, and co-edited by James Cameron, and starring Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Stephen Lang, Michelle Rodriguez, and Sigourney Weaver. The film is set in the mid-22nd century, when humans are colonizing Pandora, a lush habitable moon of a gas giant in the Alpha Centauri star system, in order to mine the mineral unobtanium, a room-temperature superconductor. The expansion of the mining colony threatens the continued existence of a local tribe of Na'vi – a humanoid species indigenous to Pandora. The film's title refers to a genetically engineered Na'vi body with the mind of a remotely located human that is used to interact with the natives of Pandora.

Development of Avatar began in 1994, when Cameron wrote an 80-page treatment for the film. Filming was supposed to take place after the completion of Cameron's 1997 film Titanic, for a planned release in 1999, but according to Cameron, the necessary technology was not yet available to achieve his vision of the film. Work on the language of the film's extraterrestrial beings began in 2005, and Cameron began developing the screenplay and fictional universe in early 2006. Avatar was officially budgeted at $237 million.[3] Other estimates put the cost between $280 million and $310 million for production and at $150 million for promotion. The film made extensive use of new motion capture filming techniques, and was released for traditional viewing, 3D viewing (using the RealD 3D, Dolby 3D, XpanD 3D, and IMAX 3D formats), and for "4D" experiences in select South Korean theaters. The stereoscopic filmmaking was touted as a breakthrough in cinematic technology.

Avatar premiered in London on December 10, 2009, and was internationally released on December 16 and in the United States and Canada on December 18, to positive critical reviews, with critics highly praising its groundbreaking visual effects. During its theatrical run, the film broke several box office records and became the highest-grossing film of all time, as well as in the United States and Canada,[28] surpassing Titanic, which had held those records for twelve years (and was also directed by Cameron). It also became the first film to gross more than $2 billion and the best-selling film of 2010 in the United States. Avatar was nominated for nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, and won three, for Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography and Best Visual Effects. Following the film's success, Cameron signed with 20th Century Fox to produce three sequels, making Avatar the first of a planned tetralogy. The three sequels, all directed and co-written by Cameron, will be released each year starting from December 2017 to 2019.

Storyline

When his brother is killed in a robbery, paraplegic Marine Jake Sully decides to take his place in a mission on the distant world of Pandora. There he learns of greedy corporate figurehead Parker Selfridge's intentions of driving off the native humanoid "Na'vi" in order to mine for the precious material scattered throughout their rich woodland. In exchange for the spinal surgery that will fix his legs, Jake gathers intel for the cooperating military unit spearheaded by gung-ho Colonel Quaritch, while simultaneously attempting to infiltrate the Na'vi people with the use of an "avatar" identity. While Jake begins to bond with the native tribe and quickly falls in love with the beautiful alien Neytiri, the restless Colonel moves forward with his ruthless extermination tactics, forcing the soldier to take a stand - and fight back in an epic battle for the fate of Pandora

Plot

By 2154, humans have depleted Earth's natural resources, leading to a severe energy crisis. The Resources Development Administration, RDA for short, mines for a valuable mineral – unobtanium – on Pandora, a densely forested habitable moon orbiting the gas giant Polyphemus in the Alpha Centauri star system.[10] Pandora, whose atmosphere is poisonous to humans, is inhabited by the Na'vi, 10-foot tall (3.0 m), blue-skinned, sapient humanoids[33] who live in harmony with nature and worship a mother goddess called Eywa.

To explore Pandora's biosphere, scientists use Na'vi-human hybrids called "avatars", operated by genetically matched humans; Jake Sully, a paraplegic former Marine, replaces his deceased twin brother as an operator of one. Dr. Grace Augustine, head of the Avatar Program, considers Sully an inadequate replacement but accepts his assignment as a bodyguard. While protecting the avatars of Grace and scientist Norm Spellman as they collect biological data, Jake's avatar is attacked by a thanator and flees into the forest, where he is rescued by Neytiri, a female Na'vi. Witnessing an auspicious sign, she takes him to her clan, whereupon Neytiri's mother Mo'at, the clan's spiritual leader, orders her daughter to initiate Jake into their society.

Colonel Miles Quaritch, head of RDA's private security force, promises Jake that the company will restore his legs if he gathers information about the Na'vi and the clan's gathering place, a giant tree called Hometree,[34] on grounds that it stands above the richest deposit of unobtanium in the area. When Grace learns of this, she transfers herself, Jake, and Norm to an outpost. Over three months, Jake grows to sympathize with the natives. After Jake is initiated into the tribe, he and Neytiri choose each other as mates, and soon afterward, Jake reveals his change of allegiance when he attempts to disable a bulldozer that threatens to destroy a sacred Na'vi site. When Quaritch shows a video recording of Jake's attack on the bulldozer to Administrator Parker Selfridge,[35] and another in which Jake admits that the Na'vi will never abandon Hometree, Selfridge orders Hometree destroyed.

Despite Grace's argument that destroying Hometree could damage the biological neural network native to Pandora, Selfridge gives Jake and Grace one hour to convince the Na'vi to evacuate before commencing the attack. While trying to warn the Na'vi, Jake confesses to being a spy and the Na'vi take him and Grace captive. Seeing this, Quaritch's men destroy Hometree, killing Neytiri's father (the clan chief) and many others. Mo'at frees Jake and Grace, but they are detached from their avatars and imprisoned by Quaritch's forces. Pilot Trudy Chacón, disgusted by Quaritch's brutality, carries them to Grace's outpost, but during the escape, Quaritch fires at them, hitting Grace.

To regain the Na'vi's trust, Jake connects his mind to that of Toruk, a dragon-like predator feared and honored by the Na'vi. Jake finds the refugees at the sacred Tree of Souls and pleads with Mo'at to heal Grace. The clan attempts to transfer Grace from her human body into her avatar with the aid of the Tree of Souls, but she dies before the process can complete.

Supported by the new chief Tsu'tey, who acts as Jake's translator, Jake speaks to unite the clan and tells them to gather all of the clans to battle against the RDA. Noticing the impending gathering, Quaritch organizes a pre-emptive strike against the Tree of Souls, believing that its destruction will demoralize the natives. On the eve of battle, Jake prays to Eywa, via a neural connection to the Tree of Souls, to intercede on behalf of the Na'vi.

During the subsequent battle, the Na'vi suffer heavy casualties, including Tsu'tey and Trudy; but are rescued when Pandoran wildlife unexpectedly join the attack and overwhelm the humans, which Neytiri interprets as Eywa's answer to Jake's prayer. Then Jake destroys a makeshift bomber before it can reach the Tree of Souls; Quaritch escapes from his own damaged aircraft, wearing an AMP suit and breaks open the avatar link unit containing Jake's human body, exposing it to Pandora's poisonous atmosphere. Quaritch then prepares to slit the throat of Jake's avatar, but Neytiri kills Quaritch and saves Jake from suffocation.

With the exceptions of Jake, Norm, Max (another scientist), and a select few others, all humans are expelled from Pandora and sent back to Earth, after which Jake is transferred permanently into his avatar with the aid of the Tree of Souls.

Cast

Humans

• Sam Worthington as Jake Sully
• Stephen Lang as Colonel Miles Quaritch
• Sigourney Weaver as Dr. Grace Augustine
• Michelle Rodriguez as Trudy Chacón
• Giovanni Ribisi as Parker Selfridge
• Joel David Moore as Dr. Norm Spellman, 
• Dileep Rao as Dr. Max Patel

Na'vi

• Zoe Saldana as Neytiri, the daughter of the leader of the Omaticaya (the Na'vi clan central to the story)
• C. C. H. Pounder as Mo'at, the Omaticaya's spiritual leader
• Wes Studi as Eytukan, the Omaticaya's clan leader
• Laz Alonso as Tsu'tey, the finest warrior of the Omaticaya

User Review

I saw this epic last night at the Empire Leicester Sq in London, which is a superb venue in which to view this film. Huge screen, excellent sound and an extraordinary Dolby, 3 dimensional image. The whole effect is mind blowing.

This is a 'Must see' movie, innovative, and extraordinary. I think it will be regarded by most cinema goers as another milestone in the history of the art. The level of realism achieved is remarkable, and although the film is relatively long in real time, it retains it's excitement and holds the audience's attention to the end.

Performances are good, but this is not the sort of film that dwells on big star value for the actors, although Sigorney Weaver does shine and delivers a very convincing performance, as do the rest of the cast. But as there is so much entertainment and action value on screen the human element does not dominate in the usual way.

As Writer/Director, James Cameron deserves high praise for this creation and in my opinion it will break box office records. I thoroughly enjoyed this film.

Krampus (I) (2015)

Krampus (I) (2015)

Krampus is a 2015 American horror comedy film based upon the eponymous character from Alpine folklore, directed by Michael Dougherty and written by Dougherty, Todd Casey, and Zach Shields. The film stars Adam Scott, Toni Collette, David Koechner, Allison Tolman, Conchata Ferrell, Emjay Anthony, Stefania LaVie Owen, and Krista Stadler. It was released on December 4, 2015.

Storyline

When his dysfunctional family clashes over the holidays, young Max (Emjay Anthony) is disillusioned and turns his back on Christmas. Little does he know, this lack of festive spirit has unleashed the wrath of Krampus: a demonic force of ancient evil intent on punishing non-believers. All hell breaks loose as beloved holiday icons take on a monstrous life of their own, laying siege to the fractured family's home and forcing them to fight for each other if they hope to survive.

Plot

On December 22, a suburban family gets together to celebrate the holidays—Tom (Adam Scott) and Sarah (Toni Collette), their children Beth (Stefania LaVie Owen) and Max (Emjay Anthony); Sarah's sister Linda (Allison Tolman), Linda's husband Howard (David Koechner), their children Stevie, Jordan, Howie Jr., and their newborn daughter; Sarah and Linda's aunt Dorothy (Conchata Ferrell); and Tom's German mother, who is affectionately referred to as "Omi" (Krista Sadler). Max wants to continue the family's Christmas traditions, but tensions between various members of the family keep everyone from having a good time. Max eventually sees red when his mischievous cousins Stevie and Jordan steal his letter to Santa Claus and read it out loud at dinner. Hurt and angry, Max screams that he hates his family. Tom tries to comfort him, but Max angrily tears his letter apart and throws the pieces out the window. Almost immediately after he does, a snowstorm suddenly appears and cuts out power in the entire town.

On December 23; the family is struggling with the loss of heat and electricity, ignoring Max's worries over a snowman that has suddenly appeared in their front yard. A package delivery man delivers boxes, and the family also bring in a mysterious large bag of presents left by their door. Beth decides to walk to her boyfriend's house after he doesn't answer her texts. As she walks through the blizzard, she hears sleigh bells and sights a tall, horned figure stood on a rooftop. The figure chases her from rooftop to rooftop, and she hides beneath the now dead package man's van. The creature lands and circles the truck before vanishing. A jack-in-the-box suddenly appears and an unseen creature crawls out of it and attacks Beth.

As night falls, Tom and Sarah grow worried about Beth. Tom and Howard take his truck to try and find her. While they are gone, the rest of the family hear strange noises on the roof. Tom and Howard are unnerved by the lack of cars or people in the neighbourhood, along with a snow plow that has had a violent encounter. They find Beth's boyfriend's house in devastation, as well as large, goat-like hoof prints on the floor. Suddenly, they hear Beth screaming and run outside, where Howard is attacked and nearly dragged beneath the snow by an unseen monster. Tom scares it off with his gun, but Howard's leg is injured, and the truck has been destroyed. They make it back to the house, and Tom tells the family to board up the doors and windows, promising Sarah they will look for Beth when morning comes. Omi tells Tom to leave the fire burning, but Howard falls asleep on his watch and it dies.

As the family sleeps in the living room, a hook with a gingerbread cookie attached descends down the fireplace. Howie Jr. wakes up and takes a bite out of the cookie, which suddenly comes to life and wraps him in a chain, dragging him into the fireplace and up the chimney. Sarah, Tom, Linda, and Howard try to save him, but the boy is gone. Omi reveals to the family what is happening—they are being tormented by Krampus, an ancient demonic spirit that punishes those who are bad at Christmas. Omi admits that when she was young, her family's poverty and the state of her peers following World War II caused her to lose her love of the holiday, which summoned Krampus and resulted in her parents and town being dragged into hell. She alone was spared by Krampus, who left a bauble bearing his name behind, as a reminder of what happens when one loses their Christmas spirit. Everyone, apart from Howard, is stunned.

Tom forms a plan to try and run for the snow plow left behind in the streets, hoping to make a path for the rest of the family to escape. In the attic, the bag of presents suddenly begins shaking. Stevie and Jordan hear Beth's voice from the attic and go look. When Tom, Sarah, and Linda hear their screams, they run to the attic and witness a large jack-in-the-box monster swallowing Jordan whole. As they are attacked by monstrous toys, Howard deals with a trio of living gingerbread men in the kitchen. They all manage to fight the creatures off and save Stevie, when suddenly a horde of dark elves break into the house. The dark elves put out the fire, then carry off Dorothy, the baby, Howard, and the jack-in-the-box. Krampus is heard landing on their roof, and the remaining family members quickly decide to make a run for the snowplow. Omi stays behind to give the others time to get away, and Krampus stuffs her into his sack.

The rest of the family manages to reach the snowplow, when the monster beneath the snow appears. Tom sacrifices himself so the others can get away, but Linda and Sarah are both taken as well. Max and Stevie get into the snowplow only to find it doesn't work. The dark elves appear and take Stevie, and Krampus appears before Max. He gives Max a bauble with his name on it, wrapped in a piece of his shredded Santa letter, before vanishing. Max realizes that he is the reason why Krampus came.

Max finds Krampus and his dark elves preparing his sleigh to return to hell with Stevie. He throws the bauble at Krampus, demanding that he fix things. A massive hole with a pit of lava at the bottom suddenly opens in the street. Max pleads with Krampus to give his family back and take him instead. Krampus accepts the bauble only to begin laughing evilly. The dark elves toss Stevie into the pit, then Krampus picks Max up and holds him over the pit. Max apologizes to Krampus for losing his Christmas spirit. Krampus then drops the screaming Max into the pit.

Max suddenly awakens in his bed on Christmas morning. He looks out his window and sees that the neighborhood has returned to normal, and he finds his entire family downstairs opening presents. Max is then happy, believing that the entire experience had been a dream until he opens a present and discovers the Krampus bauble left as a warning, and the family falls silent.

The house is revealed to be inside a snow globe, among many others in Krampus's workshop, leaving it ambiguous whether they are trapped inside the snow globe or if Krampus is simply spying on them to make sure they do not lose their Christmas faith. Then suddenly, Krampus's demonic toys jump out at the audience.

Cast

Adam Scott as Tom
Toni Collette as Sarah
David Koechner as Howard
Allison Tolman as Linda
Conchata Ferrell as Aunt Dorothy
Emjay Anthony as Max
Stefania LaVie Owen as Beth
Krista Stadler as Omi
Luke Hawker as Krampus (in-suit performer)
Gideon Emery as Krampus Vocal Effects

User Review

Krampus is yet another Christmas horror-comedy that satirizes the American family, and the merriest time of the year. Beneath all of it's scary creatures, and comedy oriented cast is a message about family, and the Christmas spirit. Krampus is a funny, and often scary Christmas horror movie, despite its weak and somewhat confusing ending. In an age when Christmas time means something different to everybody, this movie is especially impressive because it appeals to all of those people.

Krampus' humor is one of the film's biggest strengths as it opens with a hilarious black Friday scene. The humor came as no surprise, considering the cast, but what was slightly surprising was that the comedy was more black-comedy, which blended beautifully with the horror tones. The film in many ways is a satire on our society in general, poking fun at how divided we are and our overall apathy towards the things that matter. Although the film has a pretty biting take on the American family, it has a somewhat positive outlook on it.

The creatures in the film are a combination of gremlins, and a terrible holiday nightmare. The different types of creative creatures the film uses is truly impressive and terrifying. The black comedy blends beautifully with the twisted variations on holiday toys and treats. Despite all of this the film does have it's share of weaknesses. The most notable is the ending.

The film has a good narrative flow, and pushes through until the last 10 minutes of the film. In the last 10 minutes, one characters turns a 180 and the plot becomes confusing. Without giving anything away, the film has multiple endings and by the end it's tough to tell what happened. On top of the weak ending, many times the film feels like a gremlins rip off. On top of that the satire on the family falls a little flat, as many characters remain stereotypes.

Krampus does deliver on the humor and the horror that it promises, and if that's all you're expecting then you won't be disappointed. The film even gives a funny look at the American society, even if it's a little thin. In the end Krampus is a fun take on Christmas horror, and horror comedy, so if you like either of those genres, check it out.

Man of Steel (2013)

Man of Steel (2013)

At first I was very nervous at the prospect of another Superman movie. Especially considering how horrible "Superman Returns" was; however, "Man of Steel" was a roller coaster of a ride as we not only witness Kal El's (Clark Kent's) origins, but we are shown Superman the way he is supposed to be.

With expert direction brought to us by Zack Snyder and the assistance of Christopher Nolan, "Man of Steel" is packed full of action and emotional depth. No Superman movie has ever come close to achieving the atmosphere illustrated in the comics or the cartoon series until Zack Snyder's "Man of Steel". Sure it has a lot of action, but anyone who is a true Superman fan knows that Kal El's battles were almost always explosively long. Furthermore, the biblical metaphors were absolutely brilliant! As Superman was intended to be portrayed as a "Christ Like" figure, you see his journey in "Man of Steel" not all that much different from the New Testament. (Ex: When Clark Kent asked the priest for advice, behind him was a stained glass window of Christ praying to His Father before He was arrested and crucified. Next scene Clark Kent willingly submits himself to be arrested, ascends into the "heavens", and than descends in a crucified form) As Superman's story is not about becoming the best, but an immigrant facing the challenge of home VS heritage, we see Zack Snyder's portrayal of Superman reflect the "Man of Steel" originally designed by Joseph Shuster.

Furthermore, who could forget such actors like Henry Cavill (Clark Kent),or Amy Adams (Lois Lane). Every actor in this movie left their mark, but I needed very little convincing to believe that Cavill was the face of Superman, or that Adams could be a persuasive Lois Lane. And although I am not particularly a fan of Michael Shannon, he was the perfect General Zod. With the level of ferocity Shannon provided, not to mention his one liners, this was by far his best role yet!

Ted (2012)

Ted (2012)

In 1985, near the city of Boston, Massachusetts, John Bennett was a lonely child who dearly wished for his new Christmas gift, a large teddy bear named Ted, to come to life to be his friend. That wish coincided with a falling star and Ted became a fully mobile sentient being. John's parents (Alex Borstein and Ralph Garman) got over the shock, word of the miracle spread, and Ted was briefly a celebrity.

In 2012, John (now played by Mark Wahlberg) and Ted (now voiced and motion captured by Seth MacFarlane), now living in the South End neighborhood of Boston, are still staunch, if immature, companions enjoying a hedonistic life even while John is pursuing a 4-year-long relationship with a level-headed office worker, Lori Collins (Mila Kunis). As the fourth anniversary of their relationship approaches, Lori hopes to marry John, but she feels he can't move ahead with his life with Ted around, who has become a vulgar, obnoxious wastrel. John is resistant to making his lifelong companion leave, but he is finally persuaded that night to act when the couple discover Ted at home with four prostitutes, one of whom has defecated on the floor during a game of Truth or Dare.

John finds Ted his own apartment and a job at a grocery store, where his grossly irresponsible behavior on the job manages to both get him promoted and acquainted with the superficial co-worker Tami-Lynn (Jessica Barth), who gets easily irritated by Lori who is shocked at her anger. Regardless, Ted and John still spend most of their time together, which frustrates Lori when she discovers John has been skipping work to do so while using her for his excuses. Meanwhile, a crazed loner named Donny (Giovanni Ribisi), who idolized Ted as a child, shows interest in possessing him for his brutishly destructive son, Robert (Aedin Mincks). Things start to come to a head when Lori and John are invited to a party put on by Lori's lecherous manager, Rex (Joel McHale), and Ted lures John away to a wild party at his apartment with the offer to meet Sam J. Jones (playing himself), the star of their favorite movie, Flash Gordon. Although John arrives with the intention of spending only a few minutes, he gets caught up in the occasion which gets completely out of control, with Sam J. Jones persuading John and Ted to snort cocaine and Ted singing karaoke and eventually getting beaten-up by a duck. Eventually, Lori discovers John there and breaks up with him in a rage. At that, John blames Ted for ruining his life and tells him to stay away.

Eventually, Ted and John confront each other about their ruined friendship in John's hotel room and have a destructive brawl, but soon manage to reconcile. To repair John's relationship with Lori, Ted arranges with an old lover, singer Norah Jones (playing herself), to help by having John express his love for Lori with a song during her concert, being held at the Hatch Shell. Although John's performance proves an embarrassment, Lori is touched by the attempt while repelled by Rex's sneering. Later, Ted meets Lori at her apartment and explains that he was responsible for John's lapse; he offers to leave them alone forever if she goes to at least speak with him. Lori is persuaded, but moments after she leaves, Ted is kidnapped by Donny and taken to his house to function as Robert's victim.

Ted manages to distract Robert and reach a phone to contact John, but is soon recaptured. Realizing that Ted is in danger, John and Lori manage to find Donny's residence and chase him and Robert to rescue Ted. The chase leads to Fenway Park, where John manages to knock out Robert, but during the chase Ted is damaged and falls onto the field, torn completely in half. A police car arrives, forcing Donny to flee. As John and Lori gather his stuffing, Ted relays his wish that John be happy with Lori, as the magic that gave him life fades away. Unable to accept his best friend's death, Lori and John return to her apartment to attempt to repair him, but it proves useless. That night, Lori wakes up and quietly makes a wish on a falling star. The next morning, Ted is magically restored and the trio fully reconcile with Ted, who encourages John and Lori to resume their relationship.

With that resolution, John and Lori are married and Ted comfortably accepts having a life of his own, with his misbehavior getting him somehow promoted to grocery store manager. John and Lori are married in a ceremony presided over by Sam Jones. Rex gives up his relationship with Lori after she marries, so he undergoes a deep depression, and dies of Lou Gehrig's disease (which John wished he would die from earlier in the film). Sam Jones attempts to restart his career by moving into a studio apartment with Superman Returns star Brandon Routh. Donny is arrested for the kidnapping of Ted, but the charges are dropped because they sound too stupid. Robert hires a personal trainer to lose a large amount of weight and eventually becomes Taylor Lautner.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)

"The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" simultaneously takes director Peter Jackson in two different directions. While at first glance it may seem that he is travelling over familiar ground, again tackling the fantastical world of J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle Earth after his vast and Academy Award wining "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy (2001 – 2003), he is actually experimenting with cinema itself.

Of all the art forms of the world, film is the one most invested in technology; created by scientists, not artists at the end of the nineteenth century. It was only at the dawn of the last century that people like Georges Méliès realised the potential of this medium. So it is appropriate that Jackson is here breaking new ground with the very way we watch films. Instead of shooting at the normal speeds of twenty four frames per second, he has doubled it to forty eight frames a second so when viewed you have an astonishing clarity of detail as well as smoothness in camera movement with no motion stutter or blurry jerkiness when shown in 3D.

However, this raises a problem for the filmmaker. For a film set in a mythical fantasy land, any poor special effects or sub-standard computer generated imagery will stand out glaringly. So the effects work from Weta Digital is all the more impressive and astounding; from skin textures to the manifold buildings of Rivendell, it's sometimes hard to believe it's not all real.

The acting, from Martin Freeman and Ian McKellen to Christopher Lee as Saruman and Richard Armitage as Thorin Oakenshield, leader of the dwarfs, are all very good, inhabiting their roles with conviction and passion. Stand out though is Andy Serkis as Gollum, the famous riddle scene from the novel imported virtually word for word, and is all the better for it. Serkis has an uncanny ability to play these none too human characters with an enormous amount of vicissitude, a feat he pulls of here again with aplomb.

This is primarily a visual motion picture, but the characters are not ignored and the extensive opening sequence set in Bilbo's house serves as an introduction of sorts to not just the people but the themes as well.

Jackson directs with huge scope and a true feeling for the vast land he is creating, shot on location in New Zealand. The sweeping cinematography from Andrew Lesnie is suitably epic, making the landscape another character in the film.

The film does have its flaws, mainly due to the fact that this is an introduction to a trilogy and not a self-contained movie; people might also find Radagast the Brown, a wizard, as played by Sylvester McCoy, to fall on perhaps the wrong side of immaturity. Still, this is a fantastic piece of entertainment and it's hard to imagine a better Christmas film.

The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)

The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)

For some people, it's questionable for Spider-Man to get a reboot. The first film of Sam Raimi's version was just a decade ago and some considered it as a cult classic. Though, one might complain for not being too faithful to the comic books. The first film rushes a lot to the story. Like, Mary Jane was already the love interest and Peter Parker immediately left High School. This edition tries to be a lot more faithful to the comic book. The result is great. The film works better in the drama. The pacing may be too quick in some parts but it's still fun and heartwarming as it suppose to be.

If you've already seen the 2002 version of Spider-Man then definitely you won't find a lot of thing here new. The only things that are new here is Peter Parker's father and the new ways how Spidey's powers work. Unlike the original Spider-Man stories, the use of his powers is not as simple as it looks. Here, he needs a device to shoot a web perfectly. He accidentally sticks at objects. He always cause a lot of damage. But it looks credible. What's more credible is when he wasn't quite a professional swinger at his first fights.

In some parts, it paces way too quickly and sometimes it feels rushed. This happens in the third act and the montages when Peter was developing his costume. The rest is pretty fine, but the quickness of the pacing of those parts is still noticeable. There are also parts that feels forced like Dr. Conners becoming evil because he became the Lizard. Aside from those, the film is good in drama. It has plenty of genuine emotion and heart. Even in the action scenes. One thing that never fails is the message of being a hero. It's not always about fighting crimes and saving the day. It's all about the hero's character.

Andrew Garfield is indeed the best choice to play Peter Parker. He's a talented actor and he made Peter Parker a realistic character. Emma Stone is also great to her role. She made her character more than just a love interest. In other filmmaking, fans might miss Danny Elfman's music but James Horner's score is effective to the scenes. The action is fun enough and the CGI is works well enough. It has plenty of POVs to make it look exciting in both 2D and 3D.

The Amazing Spider-Man is almost the best Spider-Man movie. It has an incredible hero and an incredible villain living in a world that is close to reality. He is not yet professional to his own powers. He is a teenager who needs to be responsible. The drama is more effective in this film than the recent trilogy. Although I complain too much about the pacing, the depth of the story makes you think that awesome set pieces and perfect filmmaking doesn't quite matter. Because it's a superhero film that cares more than just action. The action scenes are great but the mind blowing effect here is the heart and the man behind the mask.

Dracula Untold (2014)

Dracula Untold (2014)

In an opening montage the son of Vlad the Impaler recounts the history surrounding the legendary character known as Dracula, and how the stories tell of a monster. Seeking to dispel the legend, Vlad the Impaler's son recounts the events around which the one known as Dracula came to be.

In the middle ages the Sultan of Turkey sought to acquire and train boys in order to turn them into perfect soldiers who would hold no moral or ethical obligations. One such boy was Vlad, who became known as "the impaler" after his use of wooden stakes to display those whom he killed as a form of psychological warfare. Ultimately, Vlad was able to escape from his duty as a soldier, and was made the prince of Transylvania, a tribute territory to the Turkish Empire. While on a scouting mission in the woods Vlad and his team discover a Turkish helmet, and deduce that a scouting party of Turks have entered Transylvania territory. In their search for the party, Vlad and his men enter a cave in the mountains and encounter an ancient sorcerer and master vampire, who subsequently drives them out of his lair.

The following day, as Vlad and his subjects celebrate Easter, the Turkish party arrives unexpected. Anticipating that they have come for the tribute, Vlad offers the party silver coins, but the envoy demands that 1,000 boys be given over for service in the Turkish army. Vlad turns down the request, but lacks an effective armed force to compel the Turks to leave Transylvania in peace. After a failed attempt at diplomacy with the Turkish Sultan, Vlad skirmishes with a Turkish party that arrived to take his son for service in Turkish army. Realizing that he will need more power in order to defend his territory and his people, Vlad seeks out the vampire's cave and explains that he has need of the vampire's power. After listening to his story and cautioning him about the risks, the vampire offers Vlad some of his blood, which infuses Vlad with the powers of the night. The vampire explains that this power will last for three days, during which time Vlad will be tempted to drink human blood, but if he can withstand the urge for all three days he will be restored to his human form.

Upon his return from the cave Vlad observes a Turkish siege of Castle Dracula, and single-handedly takes on the besieging force, killing them all. Determined to protect his people at all costs, Vlad instructs the party to fall back to a mountain monastery whose geography will hinder any Turkish attempt to take the facility. During the second night, the Transylvanian party is ambushed by Turkish forces, and Vlad and his men engage them. Although victorious in the engagement Vlad's powers begin to attract attention from his closest advisers. The next day at the monastery, as Vlad attempts to rally his people ahead of the battle, his use of the demonic powers is exposed and the citizens at the monastery subsequently turn on Vlad. Angered over this perceived betrayal, Vlad chastises his people before taking his leave.

That night, a massive Turkish force marches on the monastery. Vlad employs bats to defend the territory, however the incoming Turkish army turns out to be a decoy force deployed to allow a handful of Turks to infiltrate the monastery and kill the citizens within. Mirena's attempt to defend her son from the Turks fails, and she ultimately falls to her death. Angered over the loss of his wife, Vlad embraces the darkness within himself and honors Mirena's last request to drink her blood, then returns to the monastery. Finding a handful of survivors Vlad offers each the chance for vengeance, and gives them his blood to drink.

At the primary Turkish Army camp the Sultan and his men are preparing for a massive invasion of Europe when Vlad and his small band of vampires arrive. A battle erupts between the two forces, however Vlad's vampires are vastly superior to the Turkish soldiers, and the battle degenerates into a massacre. While the vampires take their vengeance on the Turkish forces Vlad seeks out the Sultan, who has taken his son captive. Aware of the vampire's weakness to silver, the Sultan has lined the floors of his tent with silver coins, and engages in a battle with Vlad using a silver sword. Ultimately, the Sultan's attempt to kill Vlad fails, at which point Vlad and his son emerge from the Sultan's tent, whereupon they are surrounded by the other vampires Vlad brought. Vlad's vampires demand to drink the child's blood, but they are stopped by the unexpected presence of a monk, who keeps the vampires at bay with a christian cross. After consoling his son, Vlad instructs the monk to take him away, then uses his power to clear the cloud coverage. The absence of the clouds results in the death of the vampires as they are unable to withstand the effects of direct sun contact.

In the aftermath of the battle, Vlad is presumed dead and the Turkish army defeated, leaving Europe safe from invasion and occupation. Vlad's son is crowned the new prince of Transylvania, and the name Dracula is passed down to future generations as a legend. Finding him in his near death state, Renfield finds and revives Vlad, who then remains out of the public eye. In the present day, a woman who strikingly resembles Mirena is approached by a man who complements her flowers and recites her favorite piece of poetry, seemingly by coincidence. The man introduces himself as "Vlad", and the woman introduces herself as "Mina", and the two depart together. The master vampire, who has not aged also, watches the two pass by and closes the movie by saying "Let the games begin".