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I have always had a great interest in ancient war movies but sadly there have not been that many made, its cool to see different types of action rather than the usual gun blazing action movies we see today. So here's my top 10 Ancient warfare Movies:
10. Kingdom Of Heaven
First of it is a very good film, however it can be a bit dull and boring at times. The story is about a man called Balian (Orlando Bloom), who travels to Jerusalem during the crusades. He ends up defending a city from an up coming threat. The film itself is just under 2hrs 30mins so if your going to watch it then I highly recommend settling down to do so... It lacks the emotional impact that you sometimes get from films like 'Gladiator' but if anything its a good watch, it has a moderately appealing storyline which isn't amazing but does still keep you watching. Moreover the fighting scenes themselves can be very gruesome, I personally recall the fight in the woods as the beginning of the film and the main battle at the end of the film.PS: The films contains some cool siege machinery.
I would rate this movie a 7, because yes it does have some good acting and action within it but the storyline is not really inspiring and does not ensnare you as a viewer.
| The Siege on the city at the end. |
9. Centurion
Next up on the list is one of my personal favourite's, this is mainly because it is set in the Roman era which is my favourite civilisation. When it was brought out in 2010 I wasn't expecting much from it however it was surprisingly entertaining, it probably no better than numerous other action movies but the fact that they fight with sword and shield makes it a very different experience. The film is entertaining throughout and never really gets boring, you cant stop watching right up until the end. The movie tells of a small group of Romans who are plunged into a vicious fight for their lives behind enemy lines after their legion is destroyed in a guerrilla attack, not only this but they then have to go on to kill the enemy leader named Gorlacon and from thereon the film is immensely entertaining. Again it could be argued that a storyline is the same old epic about a lost bad of brother who fight their way from death, but this film is quiet different and not only that but you get to know the enemy they are facing and how they retaliate to the action. I would say that it is a must watch for anyone who is interested in either the ancient world or the Romans because although it may not be factually correct to an extent its still entertaining!I would rate this movie an 8, it has really new and entertaining fight scenes which is needed in any movie to make it good. Not only that but the characters and the storyline isn't too bad either!
8. King Arthur
Again king Arthur has faced some very heavy blows from critic reviews, however from a normal persons point of view this is a entertaining movie. In a way it contains all the stuff which Centurion has, blood and gore and not only that but King Arthur also creates a view good realisation of the characters in the film. I have to say that King Arthur is a very good film, unlike many films it does not try to exaggerate the reality of any situation all parts of the film are possible and do not contain any mythical beast that you would expect in a film called King Arthur. I highly recommend this film to anyone wanting to find a decent film to watch one night, if you cant think of anything watch this. No matter what mood you're in this is a film which contains a slice of everything you need in a movie to make it a good one.Overall I would give it a 7, yes its a good film but its not the type of film you would think about days after or watch again. Its an entertaining film which involves a load of fighting.
7. Last Samurai
At number 7 is the Last Samurai, it just happens to be one of the few movies ever made about samurai's and despite that it is a great movie. Of course it displays the Samurai as the honourable, skilled warriors that they are and their enemies as the cruel, dispassionate people that they are. The story tells of a professional American military adviser who is hired to train a modern army to face the indigenous samurai people. However soon after getting to know the samurai people he starts to fight for them and as one of them. This is a film with a huge amount of action involved but that's only the small part. Tom Cruise the actor who plays the American is very good in his acting ability to portray the emotions of the soldier, his troubling previous life leads him too this fate and throughout the film he is constantly reminded by what he has done in the past. This is a truly sad film due to the nature of the outcome of the movie but despite this fact you begin to grow a large amount of sympathy for both the American and the Samurai. In my opinion this is a must watch there are few films which target the Samurai era and consequently it is exciting to experience something different. The film is over 2:30 hours but none the less you never get bored of it and the tension never fades throughout.Overall I would rate this film 9 out of 10 mainly because of its rare ability to target such a rare topic and succeed, it is a truly inspiring film. The fighting in the film is not dwarfed by the acting and storyline however, it is in fact very good and I personally was never disappointed with what I saw.
6. Robin Hood
I have to say that when Robin Hood Was coming out in 2010 I was expecting more, there was one reason for this. The creator of Gladiator (Ridley Scott) was producing this movie, now I was expecting a master piece like Gladiator but all I got was a average action film like all the others. None the less it comes in 6th place because it was a good film it just lacked the natural flare which was expected from watching a Ridley Scott movie, I was disappointed but I can let that cloud my judgement. As always Russell Crowe was doing some great acting however he was not utilized to his full potential. The was a lack of inspiring speeches and action scene which you would expect in a film like this. Everyone knows the story of Robin Hood who leads an uprising against the crown of England that changes the balance of power. The film starts of with an exciting twist as to how king Richard dies but after that scene the whole film dropped its standards by a long shot, the fighting scenes were entertaining but not 'Oh my God' entertaining. in addition to this the storyline was not thought out to its full extent and consequently there were no real wow moment or such like. Despite all this I would say that the film is worth a watch, it may not have the expected flare you would expect but its still entertaining as a film should be. However I have ranked it above the others because it portrays a more graphical and more in depth view of how like would have been in those times.I would rate the film a 7, the film fell short of my expectations by a long shot. Perhaps this was because Ridley Scott didn't put his all into the making of the production but it seeming as if he didn't care too much for the details. The film overall does contain some good fight scenes which are worth seeing and the storyline is tolerable enough to keep you in your seat.
5. Brave Heart
Brave Heart is a truly different film, the fact that it was made back in 1995 was truly astonishing. The graphical effects and the fighting scenes matched no others at the time and even now they are even very exciting to watch. The story tells of a Scottish man who's bride is executed after she assaulted and English soldier who tried to rape her, this man leads a revolt against the English tyrant who rules Scotland. The story is both very sad, but also it makes you connect with the Scottish people. It is also a very funny films at times showing some of the traditional Scottish traditions, obviously the war scenes are not CGI embraced like today's movies as much but that adds to the intelligence used in the scenes. Brave Heart is actually nearing on the impact felt while watching Gladiator which is extremely rare, it contains a larger amount of actual acting skill than action which makes the fighting scenes all the more meaning full.Overall I would give it an 8 it is good in nearly every aspect but more could have been achieved in the fight scenes and on the side of the English.
4. Alexander
Alexander has never really been one of my favourite films, I don't feel that it is a particularly exciting film but in terms of Ancient Warfare it is probably one of the best. The film tells of a true story about the Greek general Alexander and how he conquers nearly the whole world, because of this I would say that the greatness of the movie comes from the fact that you know it is based on a true story and is all the more exciting. The Story tells of Alexander the King of Macedonia and how he conquers the world bit by bit, however the fact that the film had a huge budget it still managed to mess up. It never really gives you a true insight into Alexander himself and consequently you never really get to know him, not only that but you would consider the fighting to be of a higher standards and the ending to be a bit more meaningful considering the large budget. I have to say that it is a very disappointing film but it does give a great insight into Ancient Warfare and it is set in a critical time in history.Overall I would give it a 6, due to it lacking qualities but it is high up the list because of its factual knowledge but if you're not into that stuff then don't watch it.
3. 300
300 is personally my second favourite film in terms of warfare, it is without a doubt one of the most epic and inspiring films ever made. However that is not because of great speeches and emotional impact but rather the very fact that watching the Spartan's kill makes you want to be one of them. In all honesty 300 has no real storyline, it does follow the historical truth that 300 Spartans did fight against the Persian army at the hot gates but apart from that its all lies! Not that it matters off course thee epic mythology and fighting displayed in 300 is a real treat and one you wont forget. The role played by Gerard Butler is impeccable, he's not the best actor in the world but he really creates an epic image of Leonidas and when making speeches makes then sound all the more epic. So of course you could say that 300 involves mindless killing which it does, but they do it in a good way and not only that but its got everything you need in one film. I cannot argue against it and if there is anyone on this earth who has not seen the film then I recommend to hurry up and watch it.I rate is 10, for reasons unknown.
2. Troy
In terms of fighting style troy is no better than 300, yes there is a lot of blood and gore and it tells the story of an epic hero but its not that good. Without its effective storyline it would have not achieved second place, the story is about a united Greek force who go against the famous city Troy partly to get back Helena who was a princess taken from one of the Greek kings. From the point when the Greek boats hit the shore the film is a blast with not stop action, you get to know the characters throughout the films such as Achilles who I think is everyone's favourite. Troy has everything from gruesome fighting scenes, to epic speeches and if your into that stuff romance as well. I recommend Troy to you as one of the few war movies which has a professional quality to it, it is clearly throughout and is therefore one of the best ancient war movies ever made.I would give it a 9 mainly because everything about the film is great, but you've got to watch out for the bad acting from Orlando Bloom (He wasn't that good when he was young).
1. Gladiator
Finally there is Gladiator, I have no complaints what so ever about this movie it has to be one of the best films which has ever been produced. It tells the story of a betrayed Roman general and his fight to try and kill the Emperor of Rome, the very man who killed his family and tried to kill him. He is plunged into life as a gladiator and soon he proves himself as a leader to his men, the film is truly inspiring. I simply cannot explain the film in words well enough so I highly recommend Gladiator as a must watch to anyone. It tells a shocking story of a truly evil emperor, and how a revolution is eventually called after Maximums defeats him in the arena.Obviously I would rate the film a 10, it has everything in it and it not only the best film of ancient warfare but arguably or all time.
I hoped you enjoyed my top 10 on Ancient warfare movies, there aren't that many recommendations out there so I thought Id make one. If you have anything to say or ask please feel free. Any if anyone wants me to do any top 10's on anything please ask.
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