‘Desert Warrior’ movie review: Anthony Mackie and Ben Kingsley star in an elaborate Saudi epic

Be sure to stop by the concession stand and stock up on liquids before sitting down to view Robert Wyatt’s epic anachronistic swords-and-sandals set set, as the opening graphics tell us, set 1,500 years ago in the Arabian Peninsula. As the title will indicate, Desert warrior It’s set in barren places, but not nearly as barren as the turbulent narrative created by David Self and written by him, Erika Penny, and director Rupert Wyatt (Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Captive state). The film was shot five years ago and is only now hitting theaters, but will likely be swept away as quickly as desert sand.

Contrary to expectations, the title does not refer to the “bandit” played by Anthony Mackie, but rather to Princess Hind (Commander Aisha Hart, Line of duty), who incites a rebellion against the tyrannical Emperor Kesa II (Ben Kingsley, who disappears quickly but makes a lively impression nonetheless, if only for his eyeliner). It seems that Kisa, in addition to demanding tribute from his subjects, also decreed another thing – that all kings in his kingdom were to offer up their daughters as his concubines.

Naturally, the princess rejects this inappropriate request, so she goes to the desert and incites a revolution with her father, the deposed King Al-Numan (Ghassan Massoud). There, she meets a rascally bandit (aren’t they always like that?) with whom she forms an alliance that fortunately never turns romantic, with his primary motive, at least until he discovers a conscience, being gold. Hind and the bandits seek refuge with sympathetic leader Hani (Sami Bouajila) and are relentlessly pursued by Kissa’s henchmen, the bounty-seeking assassin Commander Gulabzin (Sharlto Copley, looking scarier than usual), Hind and the bandits gather together a confederation of rebellious and warring tribes to fight the king’s soldiers.

You know what that means, right? Lots of elaborate battle scenes with all the extras, horses and camels that Saudi money can buy (and let’s face it, that is) a lot). $150 million, to be exact, which makes you think back to those efforts funded by Arab countries like the 1976 one. Mohammed, Messenger of GodWhich spent a fortune recreating the city of Mecca.

You can definitely see the money spent on the screen Desert warrior It boasts lavish production values ​​including elaborate sets and costumes. Cinematographer Guillermo Garza makes the most of the scenic locations, shooting gorgeous scenes and conveying the epic scale of the landscape through a plethora of drone shots. The story culminates in the real-life Battle of Dhi Qar, giving the director the opportunity to showcase 12,500 extras (Cecil B. DeMille must have looked on approvingly), and with the exception of some cartoonish computer-generated hyenas, the film relies admirably on practical effects.

But while the film may be visually stunning, it’s somewhat lacking in the narrative department, where the confusing story, thin characterizations, and hackneyed dialogue make for as much tedium as a camel ride through the desert.

It’s easy to feel that way Desert warrior It is designed to show off Saudi Arabia’s stunning locations and production values ​​as much as it tells a compelling historical story. The whole enterprise has the artificial feel of those international co-productions from the 1960s that had an unfortunate tendency to bankrupt film studios. Fortunately, with all this Saudi money to play with, there is no such risk here.