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The MPAA has rated In the Name of the King - A Dungeon Siege Tale PG-13 for intense battle sequences.

In the Name of the King is a fantasy-based script, based on the role-playing video game Dungeon Siege. The story features hordes of mindless, bloodthirsty Krug warriors controlled by Gallian (Ray Liotta), an evil sorcerer hidden in the dank, recesses of the castle. From his vantage point, Gallian plots to overthrow King Konreid (Burt Reynolds) and inaugurate the sovereign's loathsome, cowardly nephew (Matthew Lillard) as a puppet monarch. But his plans to topple the regime don't account for Farmer (Jason Statham), a quiet, hardworking man whose wife (Claire Forlani) is kidnapped when the marauding Krugs descend on the village of Stonebridge.

Arming himself with a broadsword, Farmer joins his old mentor Norick (Ron Perlman) and his brother-in-law Bastian (Will Sanderson) as they set out to avenge the deaths of countless townsfolk and rescue the captives. During his campaign, Farmer is sought out by the King's own mystic Merick (John Rhys-Davis) who senses some power in the unpretentious crop grower. But despite Merick's invitation, Farmer is reluctant to enlist until he sees the enormity of the opposing forces. While he eventually agrees to fight along side Commander Tarish (Brian J. White) and his troops, he still eagerly takes the opportunity to slip away from the main battlefield by volunteering for a dangerous infiltration mission.

From the opening credits of this two-hour epic, audiences are besieged with endless battle scenes. Although sanitized of senseless blood and gore, the depictions prove to be intense as men are shot, slashed and decapitated during the conflicts. Unfortunately, the clashes do little to move the storyline forward. Feeling more like diversions, the script jumps aimlessly between the burgeoning casts of soldiers, forest fairies, prisoners and royals.

Though magical powers, massive armies, black clad ninjas and buxom female combatants may be components of the gaming genre, the side stories inherent in that style of entertainment fail to convert seamlessly to film. Rather than trying to pack every element on to the screen, filmmakers should have trimmed down their cast or left the Farmer to plow his rows in the gaming world.

Beyond the movie ratings: What parents need to know about In the Name of the King - A Dungeon Siege Tale...

Although this film contains some brief depictions of alcohol use, a drunken royal and an attempted poisoning along with some exposed cleavage, parents greatest concern will likely be the ongoing and often brutal battles between the Krugs and humans. Under the command of Gallian, these monstrous beasts slash their way through the countryside, killing, pillaging and abducting prisoners. Characters are stabbed, shot with arrows, beheaded and set on fire. Frequent swordplay and hand-to-hand combat are portrayed along with corpses. Infrequent profanities are used.

Talk about the movie with your family...

Why is Farmer reluctant to join the King's army? What is his purpose in pursuing the Krugs? What causes his change in attitude?

How does the structure of games differ from movies? What difficulties are there in adapting games to film?

Video alternatives...

John Rhys-Davis, who plays Merick in this film, has a lengthy and varied resume of television and film work including roles in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement, The Jungle Book 2 and One Night with the King.

DVD Notes: In The Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale

DVD Release Date: 15 April 2008

The video game inspired movie, In The Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale, comes to DVD in a widescreen format (2.35:1 aspect ratio). Included on the disc are deleted and extended scenes, a behind-the-scenes featurette and the movie's trailers. Audio tracks are available in English 5.1 Dolby Surround, with subtitles in English and Spanish.

Kerry Bennett

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