Action superstar and Hollywood heavy hitter Jason Statham may be one of the silver screen’s most bankable actors, but even he isn’t immune to taking on questionable projects and roles. The charismatic performer is one of the film industry’s most alluring stars, but back in 2007, Statham headlined one of the cinema’s biggest box office blunders and most critically-panned flicks: the fantasy flick In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale, which was an adaptation of the popular video game series.
In the notorious movie, Statham plays a man on a mission as he sets out to get revenge against the evil forces that killed his beloved son and kidnapped his wife, a plot that sounds right up the actor’s alley but also takes place in a fantasy world in a medieval kingdom where nefarious creatures run rampant. The adaptation tanked upon its worldwide release and holds just a 4% Rotten Tomatoes score, effectively becoming Statham’s lowest-rated movie on the prominent website. Let’s check out what went wrong with the flick and why it failed to resonate with both audiences and critics.
- Release Date
- November 29, 2007
- Runtime
- 127
- Writers
- Doug Taylor , Jason Rappaport , Dan Stroncak , Chris Taylor
What Is In the Name of the King About & Who Does It Star?
Inspired by the Dungeon Siegevideo game series of the same name, the 2007 action fantasy film In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale chronicles the noble mission family man Farmer (Jason Statham) embarks upon in order to rescue his beloved kidnapped wife and deliver retribution for the brutal murder of his young son in the medieval kingdom of Ehb, which is plagued by a violent race of creatures known as the Krug. Farmer enlists the help of his close friend Norrick (Ron Perlman) and brother-in-law Bastian (Will Sanderson) to avenge the death of his son and save his imprisoned wife, leading to a daring and dangerous quest.
As Farmer and his brave companions venture into unknown territory and face off against both allies and adversaries like nymphs, avatars, and goblins, the kingdom of Ehb is being challenged for power by the Krug and the sadistic, magically controlled Gallian (Ray Liotta), with the honorable King Konreid (Burt Reynolds) assembling his troops to defend his land from the nefarious enemies. Naturally, Farmer’s paths cross with those of Konreid and Gallian, leading to an epic showdown between the opposing forces.
A Notorious Critical & Commercial Bomb
Even its dazzling star-studded ensemble cast wasn’t enough to help In the Name of the King stand a chance at the box office and with critics, as the fantasy flick was ripped to shreds upon its theatrical release on January 11, 2008. Despite its hefty budget of $60 million, the video game adaptation became a notorious commercial bomb and grossed just $13.1 million throughout its initial run, bringing in a measly $2.98 million in the United States, not even managing to crack the week’s top 10 releases.
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The talent of its decorated actors was sorely wasted, and many critics attacked In the Name of the King for blatantly copying other fantasy films, specifically calling it a rip-off of the far superior and popular Lord of the Rings franchise. The adaptation’s underwhelming production value, wooden dialogue, and flat performances were also called out, and the expertise and overall vision of director Uwe Boll were also heavily scrutinized, with both moviegoers and critics being in agreement that the picture was an uninspired and deeply mediocre action flick best forgotten. People also felt that the entire final product felt amateurish and the special effects only added to the cheese factor of the big screen iteration.
In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale was nominated for five Razzie Awards including Worst Picture, with Boll winning the less-than-coveted accolade for Worst Director. Time magazine listed the film as one of the top ten worst video game movies, and it also landed on Rotten Tomatoes’ 100 worst-reviewed films of the 2000s, receiving a 4% Tomatometer rating and 22% Popcornmeter. Variety did not mince words when it came to their review, calling In the Name of the King “a plodding patchwork of derivative fantasy-adventure, medieval production design, risible dialogue, unimpressive CGI trickery and haphazardly edited action sequences.”
Not Even Statham Can Save the Flailing Film
Though he is now regarded as one of Hollywood’s most bankable and charismatic leading men, not even Jason Statham was able to save the day and make In the Name of the King something bearable for audiences to watch. The thrilling action superstar tried to do what he could with the role of the fearless Farmer, showcasing his exceptional physical prowess as he meticulously took down enemies, but there was truly no hope for the character and film to be anything but mediocre (to put it nicely).
Despite the extremely negative critical and commercial response to In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale, two follow-up sequels were somehow greenlit and directed by Boll, with action icon Dolph Lundgren and Prison Break star Dominic Purcell taking over as the lead characters in each installment. Like its big-budget predecessor, both sequels did not manage to impress audiences, as 2011’s Two Worlds holds a 16% Popcornmeter and The Last Mission just a 10% Popcornmeter.
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In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale remains one of Statham’s most forgotten and underwhelming projects (a fact he is likely grateful for) and it is undeniably the most poorly received film of his illustrious career thus far. The action superstar bounced back after the box office blunder and went on to become the silver screen’s go-to butt-kicking hero, washing away the awful aftertaste of the video game flick with epic roles in The Expendables series, The Mechanic, Fast & Furious franchise, and Wrath of Man (to name just a few) and reclaiming his title as one of the cinema’s biggest box office draws.
Rent/Buy In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale on Prime Video.