Desert Warrior is a visually polished but emotionally hollow historical slog
Desert Warrior is a bloated two-hour bore that took a large budget and lavish setting to create. It rushes through a dull and aimless story, only stopping to tokenistically appreciate the beautiful setting.
There are ideas in the premise that could have lead to some structure and actually build this story toward a conclusion. The lack of story relegates beautiful scenery to pretty wallpaper in a lackluster and detached narrative.
The failure to support the story ideas and execute even the most basic of story structure does this movie no justice. It rather makes it a boring slog that, in the end, is just an oddly pretty picture.
A visual feast lacking narrative soul
Guillermo Garza’s cinematography describes the Arabian desert in bold strokes of the harsh beauty of the desert in the Arabian Peninsula. The final product is impressive and hints at a large scale that will set most historical films apart. Unfortunately, the script seems to do little to match this grandeur and instead creates a pacing issue especially noticeable in the 127 minute runtime. While some critics praised the film for being an entertaining modern spin on classic adventure films, the framework of the film falls short and feels more like a series of vignettes than a traditional war narrative.
Mismanaged performances and tonal drift
Anthony Mackie, Ben Kingsley and the rest of the cast seem like they get lost in the film’s machinery. While they put in technically sound performances, there are no electric connections to be found among them. For that reason, Princess Hind’s struggles do not feel desperate and urgent enough. This is because of the lack of magnetism between the leads.
Action blockbusters and historical flicks are not that dissimilar. When a film attempts to include high amounts of costume drama and sword fights, it more or less comes across as clashing and incongruous. This film tries to combine the weight of epic battles against warring empires with the trips of deserters, but fails to strike the perfect balance, skimming a lackluster balance in the middle. It neither manages to achieve gritty realism nor excitement.
The verdict on this desert epic
If you appreciate lush production design and/or enjoy historical dramas, there is enough eye candy to make this film a casual watch. It shows impressive detail in its recreation of 7th century Arabia. Unfortunately, the characters are very thin.
For you, this may be a skip. The film is excellent case study of how a big budget can result in a beautiful, polished exterior a completely broken interior due to lack of focus on plot development, character development, and the absence of dramatic tension.
