“Desert Warrior” takes place in seventh-century Arabia, following a princess who is forged into a warrior and aided by a legendary bandit, uniting warring tribes for a last stand against a ruthless emperor.
“Desert Warrior” is expensive, with its original estimated budget of $70 million ballooning to $150 million. It’s the largest film production in Saudi Arabia’s history, and with that price tag, it sits alongside other major modern blockbusters. This inflation largely occurred because of its troubled production. The movie was filmed from 2021 to 2022, but isn’t reaching U.S. audiences until now — with MBC Studios attempting to recut director Rupert Wyatt’s film without his input before ultimately bringing him back into the fold.
It was a big gamble, one that likely isn’t going to draw the same box office numbers in return.
Where did the rest of the money go? Set pieces. Stars. Reshoots.
While many blockbusters over-rely on CGI, “Desert Warrior” has a practical-first mentality. Not only were sets built in the remote NEOM region, but 12,500 extras and thousands of real animals were also used. The film’s emphasis on capturing reality adds to the immersiveness during its most tense moments. Of course, visual effects are still utilized, but they’re more so there to act as an “enhancement” to already impressive in-person work.
Cinematographer Guillermo Garza captures both the beauty and harshness within the vast desert landscape. It’s not only wide-angle shots of the environment, though, as close-ups are frequently implemented during extended sequences of dialogue. The film’s visuals are at their best during warfare, with sweeping shots highlighting all the violence as it occurs.
In terms of the action, “Desert Warrior” has a quality over quantity approach. When it does occur, the choreography is undoubtedly impressive. Whether it’s the rumbling of camel cavalry, the clashing of blades or the impact of arrows, they’re all integrated effectively. The story itself may be stale, but the “final battle” constantly ups the ante in ways that are riveting.
This doesn’t mean it’s perfect. Despite the epic scale of the film’s climax, it can almost grow to near “unwatchable” status. This is because shots are only held for mere seconds at a time. Editors Kelley Dixon and Richard Mettler were tasked with a near-impossible challenge, with so many objects colliding (literally) at once. Unable to maintain focus, the movie ends up zipping back and forth in nauseating fashion. In turn, the grand stakes of the battle itself become indistinguishable.
Aiysha Hart (Hind) and Anthony Mackie (Bandit) star in the film. Their performances are… serviceable. Hart is the “heart” of “Desert Warrior,” with an emotional arc that spans from fugitive to warrior. While still underwritten, her character has the most depth of them all. She manages to deliver in the minuscule moments just as well as the large ones. Mackie’s performance is one-note, with little flexibility in his range. This is in part because of Bandit’s concise personality, but also because of his at-times lifeless delivery.
Also appearing are Sharlto Copley (Jalabzeen), Ben Kingsley (Emperor Kisra II) and Sami Bouajila (Hani).
The visuals in “Desert Warrior” may be alluring, but the story is not. Post-production woes are certainly felt, culminating in a movie that has no identity. Outside of the conclusion, not much happens. The film spends almost the entirety of the 114-minute runtime rounding up characters, yet… none of them are ever fully developed. It’s especially confusing because the movie explores feminism as a major theme, but Hind is sidelined for large durations of the plot.
The script proves to be more of a vessel for travel rather than story. Once again, this makes sense — with four writers (Wyatt, Erica Beeney, David Self and Gary Ross) involved in the screenplay. The simple phrase “too many cooks in the kitchen” sums up “Desert Warrior” perfectly.
“Desert Warrior” is stunning to look at. That doesn’t mean it’s enjoyable to watch. The film achieves a grand scale but fails to find a meaningful story within it.
Rating: 2 out of 5
