Not sure about the title - "The Rising Hawk" - there was nothing in the film to give meaning to that reference. I think I'm in agreement with most reviewers that the story line is fairly formulaic and the acting is adequate at best. For me, the only known commodity was Robert Patrick as clan leader Zakhar, and even though top billed, he didn't carry the picture once his youngest son Maxsim (Alex MacNicoll) was introduced. Which was kind of odd, because even older brother Ivan (Rocky Myers) deferred to his younger sibling in a couple situations. When Ivan let Maxsim fight Tugar Volk's (Tommy Flanagan) warrior to determine if the neighboring villagers would work together or not, it didn't feel right, even if their father nodded his ascent. Turns out the agreement was short lived, as Tugar betrays the Tukhlians, and chooses to join forces with the Mongol invaders instead, while his daughter (Poppy Drayton), smitten with Maxsim, leaves her people to help fend off the Mongol horde. What I'll never understand is how the screenwriters and directors thought it would be a good idea for one man to topple the Sentinel Rock to flood the mountain pass against the Mongols. Petro (Andrey Isaenko) was a hulking brute of a guy and a good citizen of Tukhlia, but come on, really? Otherwise, the battle scenes are adequately staged and the Mongols are sent packing as the Tukhlians decide to fight for their homeland instead of flee, encouraged by the proud voice of Maxsim. It reminded me a little of the movie "Braveheart", but beyond that, there's no comparison.
Review of The Rising Hawk
