RED SONJA (2025)

3 stars

Signature Entertainment. Digital 18 August. DVD/Blu Ray 8th September

A movie with a somewhat chequered history before reaching the screen — having been in development for many years, with numerous actresses attached to the central role at various times, Megan Fox, Amber Heard, Hannah John-Karen, Rhona Mitra, Rose McGowan. Numerous directors have also flirted with the project in various forms including Robert Rodriguez, Bryan Singer, Simon West and Joey Soloway.

And now we have the finished production, starring Matilda Lutz (REVENGE, 2017) and helmed by English director M J. Bassett, who did the 2009 SOLOMON KANE and has worked on action shows like REACHER, FUBAR and THE EQUALIZER.

Interestingly, though often associated with Robert E Howard’s Conan the Barbarian and inspired by Red Sonya, one of his characters, Red Sonja was actually created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Barry Windsor-Smith for Marvel Comics.

Our heroine is travelling the lands with her trusty horse. Surviving on what nature offers. She remembers a time when she was a child, and the coming of the Barbarian King. She is searching for her people. Strange creatures roam the lands. As do marauders who kill the animals for their tusks. She determines to find those responsible.

She does eventually find an enclave and spots the men from earlier but ends up in a fight with the odd Anissa (Wallis Day) – who is haunted by all the voices of those she has killed – until she is knocked out by the ape-like General Karlak (Martyn Ford) and trussed up. She ends up with the other prisoners who are there to fight in gladiatorial battles for the entertainment of Emporer Draygan (Robert Sheehan). It isn’t long before she is dressed up in her iconic chainmail bikini…

Draygan realises that Sonja knows the whereabouts of the second part of a book he needs that will give him untold knowledge and power. Can she help the others escape? Will she fight back against the emperor… and more importantly will she get her horse back! Ultimately can she be reunited with her people?

The cast includes one time possible Sonja, Rhona Mitra and Trevor Eve pops up as the resident scientist cum magician.

It’s always difficult to pull off this kind of sword and sorcery film, as they often flirt with being silly rather than serious. Despite what looks like a reasonable budget and some nice locations in Bulgaria, this is all a touch po faced and far too long. Lutz is fine as the central character – though she’s no Brigitte Nielsen – and isn’t terribly convincing as an unbeatable warrior woman! In the last half hour she does go full on Sonja however. Robert Sheehan outrageously overacts, though it kind of suits his petulant role. There are some well staged fight sequences involving much clashing of blades.

Not quite epic enough to hold the interest and not enough sorcery. Judging by the ending, not really a spoiler, the filmmakers have ambitions beyond this outing.

Steve Kirkham