Minotaur (2006/I)

Director:

Jonathan English

Writers:

Nick Green (writer)
Stephen McDool (writer)

Release Date:

11 May 2006 (Russia)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

Curse the god. Slay the beast.

Plot:

Long ago in the Iron Age a shadow loomed over a lonely village. For generations the village youths are...

Plot Keywords:

Minotaur | Bull | Queen | Empire | Charging Bull

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Tom Hardy	...	Theo
Michelle Van Der Water	...	Raphaella
Tony Todd	...	Deucalion
Lex Shrapnel	...	Tyro
Jonathan Readwin	...	Danu
Rutger Hauer	...	Cyrnan
Maimie McCoy	...	Morna
Lucy Brown	...	Didi
James Bradshaw	...	Ziko
Fiona Maclaine	...	Vena
Claire Murphy	...	Nan
Ingrid Pitt	...	The Leper
Ciaran Murtagh	...	Turag
Angela Furtado	...	Raphaella's Handmaiden
Donata Janietz	...	Ffion

Also Known As:

Minotauro (Italy)

MPAA:

Rated R for violence and some nudity.

Runtime:

USA:93 min

Country:

UK | Luxembourg | Germany | France | Spain | Italy | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R | Netherlands:16 | Italy:VM14 | Finland:K-15 | UK:15 | Malaysia:U | South Korea:15 | Singapore:M18

Filming Locations:

Carousel Picture Company, Luxembourg, Luxembourg

Company:

First Look International

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: In many scenes, especially the scene where Tyro and Didi climb up the wall, there is clearly a steel-wire lifting the actors up, when they are supposed to be climbing by themselves.

Quotes:

Deucalion: My God is ready for his meat! Let us see the mouth of hell. Open the gates!
[goes towards the two virgins]
Deucalion: Do not be afraid, you spirits will lie warm in the belly of the bull, and your flesh will taste sweeter, now that it's aroused.
[yelling down the hole]
Deucalion: Come, POWERFUL ONE! Come SEE what I have brought you! COME TASTE!

Pleasant Diversion

Welcome to the CITIZEN KANE of Sci-Fi Channel movies. Not that MINOTAUR is faultless. It's just competent on so many more levels than your average Sci Fi-Schlock Fest that it appears great in comparison.

We have some actual acting going on. Granted, there is some great scenery chewing, but it's on a grand scale. There are some good effects. There are some epic looking landscapes and the occasional set. And the script and direction are actually acceptable.

On the down side, there's the same CGI overkill that seems to haunt every Sci Fi monster flick. Thankfully, this is kept to a minimum. We're also stuck in the same labyrinth/cave sets for way too long. And every so often I couldn't help feeling that plot points were being cribbed from a Terry Jones film.

But these are minor quibbles. There's some attempt here to breathe life into the monster on the loose genre. Not bad at all.