El corazón del guerrero (1999) Poster

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6/10
Thrilling and spectacular Spanish movie full of imagination and fantasy
ma-cortes16 January 2011
HEART OF THE WARRIOR is a tense, mysterious and suspenseful Spaniard movie appointed to juvenile public and role playing aficionados. Sword-and-sorcery epic with silly adventures , spectacular images and fantastic scenes with witchcraft and necromancy .This is a tale of fantasy , magic , imagination, blood and wizardly set in a mythical primitive world and modern age. This is an amusing adventure inspired on Robert E Howard's pulp tales with interesting and thrilling screenplay by the same director Javier Monzon. It stars Fernando Ramallo who dreams every night in the alternate world of being the mythic and valiant warrior Beldar (Joel Joan), a Hyborian Age hero in loincloth fighting heinous forces of evil , he is usually accompanied by the gorgeous Sonja (Neus Asensi). They undergo on a perilous trip to find a treasure confronting magicians (Santiago Segura) , spectres and dangerous adventures. Fernando Ramallo becomes involved in a conspiracy to kill the President (Adria Collado) of a political party , whom he is convinced results to be a sect leader and leading a vibrant ending.

This exciting film packs noisy action, fantasy, comedy, adventure, witchery , rip-roaring fights and some nudism in charge of the sexy Neus Asensi. Dumb images , intentionally hilarious and lots of amusement and entertainment . Made on a fairly big scale with spectacular production design and glimmer photography . Quite budget for a Spanish movie and lavishly produced by Eduardo Campoy and Gerardo Herrero. This entertaining picture contains suspense, frenetic action, twits plots, tension , necromancy, and moving action scenes such as the underground scenes . The film is full of freaks and Psychotronic characters ; it is quite entertaining because being a laborious and intriguing suspense tale with lots of humor and tongue-in-cheek . Good special effects by DDT , subsequently won Academy Award for ¨Pan's Labyrinth¨. Colorful cinematography by Carlos Gusi (Torrente, Box 507) who photographs splendidly Madrid outdoors and interiors. Impressive musical score composed and conducted by Roque Baños (Fragiles, Machinist,Sexy beast,800 bullets) as vibrant as the Basil Poledouris's original score Conan .The motion picture is well directed by Daniel Monzon, a former cinema critic. Previously he directed comedy ¨Biggest robbery never told¨, being his Hit smash ¨ Celda 211¨ starred by Luis Tosar who appears as very secondary in ¨Heart of the Warrior¨. Rating : Good, better than average. The film will appeal to twisted stories buffs . In other words, it seem likely Conan enthusiasts and juvenile viewers will be delighted because thrills, action and adventures are brilliantly presented and edited to offer the maximum impact.
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6/10
Bizarre alternate universe fantasy movie
funkyfry27 September 2010
Warning: Spoilers
While not entirely successful in perhaps achieving all its goals, or indeed in letting us know what kind of movie it was really trying to be, Monzon's "Corazon" is certainly unique and intriguing enough to merit a viewing by anybody interested in fantasy and alternate reality premises. Thankfully one thing is for sure: with its goofy-gory fantasy combat (reminiscent perhaps of Raimi's "Army of Darkness" although much more limited in scale) it clearly isn't asking us to take it 100% seriously a la Matrix and other "trip out" alternate reality movies.

Ramon (Fernando Ramallo) is a shy high school-aged nerd who plays a lot of role-playing games and has dreams every night of being the warrior Beldar (Joel Joan), accompanied by the sexy Sonja (Neus Asensi). Gradually the fantasy of being Beldar begins to take over Ramon's "real" life, and he becomes involved in an elaborate conspiracy to assassinate the leader of a fascist political party, whom he's become convinced is a cult leader in the alternate world. Yes, the plot of the movie really is that convoluted, and even moreso. There's a wizard who communicates between the 2 worlds (but isn't nearly as funny as the director seems to think) and a weird midget who lives in the sewers (very funny) and is the only one to believe Ramon's story.

It's a mixed bag, which seems almost unavoidable. The performances are OK, considering what a bizarre premise they're playing with. There's the usual "was that a dream?" stuff where elements we see in the "real" world cross over into "fantasy." It's interesting that Ramon has a whole new body for his fantasy self, but Sonja is the same even though she's a strong independent woman in the fantasy world but a junkie prostitute in the real world. In terms of the conspiracy plot, I thought the film was suggesting something satirical in that only a lunatic child could see the "true reality" underneath the appearances. All of this doesn't really fit together in a hugely compelling way; watching the movie is more a series of somewhat interesting and surprising events strung together by the logic of the boy's psychosis. The narrative unity is damaged by some scenes that show us the nature of the conspiracy from a totally different perspective than the boy's delusion -- there's too much information about this political party being shown us that's not being shown to the protagonist or connected with him in any way, which breaks down the subjective possibilities of the scenario for no good reason other than informational purposes.

I believe that with a tighter script this could have been a truly good movie. But it's worth watching as it is, because I've never really seen or imagined anything else quite like it.
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Sweet and funny, but...
Gonkiz23 September 2001
This is a really sweet and funny movie. If you are a fan of role-playing games and conspiracies, this will really hit a nerve. It is a nice movie, not the best I've ever seen in this genre, but definitely worthwhile. The movie has one great advantage. It doesn't take itself seriously.
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1/10
oh the pain.
sinerit13 March 2005
This movie was so bad that about 1/2 an hour in, myself(the only gamer of the group), and the 3 people I was with looked at each other and walked out. This is the only movie I've ever walked out on.

If you feel like watching a movie with bad acting, a boring, nonsensical plot, and really bad stereotyping, this is the movie for you.

Shockingly enough, this movie isn't even fun to make fun of. It's just painful to watch and makes you wonder where they got the meager budget they did have.

Save yourselves. Don't watch this. If given the choice between watching this all the way through or chopping off one of my fingers, I'd watch the movie. But I'd seriously consider both options.
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2/10
Absolutely perfect for mindless teenage appetites
khatcher-25 April 2002
Surrealist fantasies concocted supposedly from the mindless wanderings of a derailed adolescent. Churning through rol-play, comic-type brainlessness and the harrowing supposed reality of a couple of sexually-frustrated kids immersed in immature "macho" feelings, the story bounces back and forth without any more sense than cycling across the Sahara. Neus Asensi is all sexily dressed up in the style of all those dolls in video games, and all sorts of weird goings-on in subterranean caverns and such like is the backbone of anything that might be happening.

However, the special effects are extremely good: but that is precisely my bug-bear - I just cannot see much point in wasting celluloid on a load of FX with a story that has nothing to tell above the intellectual level of 14-20 year-old coke and potato-crisps experts and whose aims in life seem to have come to a stop in the classroom and the unemployed queue.

If you want to see Fernando Ramallo in something which makes more sense, see him with Antonio Resines in "Carreteras Secundarias"(qv): light-hearted but much more enjoyable for a wider audience.

Apart from that, if you do not belong to the aforementioned adolescent category, go elsewhere, read a book, go to bed, ring up your girl-friend, take a shower, give the dog a long walk, or do anything else which might occur to you.
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10/10
Amazingly mature!
PKazee5 August 2008
Warning: Spoilers
This is a teen film that is not necessarily for teens. It is also a gaming film that is not necessarily for gamers. EL CORAZON DEL GUERRERO is a chilling look at a teen gamer who either stumbles upon a frightening conspiracy... or else he is dangerously insane. And, either way, the end is absolutely chilling. I can only imagine that the reviewer who claimed that the movie did not take itself seriously, either did not watch it to the end, or else he was not really paying very close attention. As for the reviewer who admits to leaving before the film was even half over, I would suggest he's not really in a position to properly judge the film without having experienced the midway twist in its tone. Easily one of my favorite films.
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8/10
more than a fantasy
joan-sanchez22 January 2005
Warning: Spoilers
Yes, another silly film about mind-affected teenager that see coinsurance's and evil wizards ruling the world... But he was right, or really he *is* right. Because the world is ruled by them, the mighty and his warriors. You can close your eyes, but they are still there.

In fact, I started to see the film as a fantasy but at the end I thought that it was allegorical. Not so accurate, but you can see lesser relationships linking a fantasy role-playing game and political and social facts on a certain country, where the film was made on, my country.

OK, let's say I have so much imagination, too. But can you say that you never suspected about a conspiracy in your own country? never thought that there is some people ruling the rulers? If so, this film is for you. enjoy it.

(note: RPG players are not mind-affected. Most of times.)
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Wonderful!
JohnS-811 October 2003
This is one of the best fantasy films ever made. It wonderfully blends the aspect of heroic adventure and our reality. This film has a deeper meaning. I think that the best reccomedation to it will be Ursula Le Guinn's words "The best fantasy movie I have ever seen"
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10/10
One of the most real fantasy films, the best one.
gareth3es26 July 2001
When I went to the cinema to see El corazon del guerrero, I knew I would like it, but I didn't know it would be my Spanish favourite movie, and one of my favourite movies. I have been expecting a movie like that since I was a child, and fortunately, has been an Spanish director who had the idea of making it. Why in Hollywood nobody had such a great plot? I'm very proud that this film is Spanish. Unfortunately, some critics were not capable of understand the intensity of the film, and they said it was a fantastic story about a crazy boy. But I think that is not true,this film is so really real, nobody can judge what happens in the mind of a misfit teenager, who thinks he's a hero. Nobody wants to understand him, but he continues dreaming, El corazon del guerrero is a beautiful poem to imagination, freedom and dreams, Why everything has to be seen or done as you've been teached? this is very serious, the adventures of Beldar must not been seen like a comedy/action sequences, because in that moments Beldar is struggling for his believes. Maybe this is the hidden secret. Fernando Ramallo does here the best performance of his career, his character,although aparently shy and coward, takes into a strong and dramatic one. Fernando is really credible here, when I saw it I think he was the real Fernando and not a character!, he's so natural, no one could play Ramon. The other cast is also superb, Joel Joan is great, Neus Asensi is awesome in her double role, the two of them very credible. The movie is also completed with entertaining action scenes, very well done, photographied and produced, and very credible special effects, that make real the fantasy world Ramon dreams. Daniel Monzon, director and scripter did a great job, greater if we know that this was his first work, is an excellent job for a debutant director to enter in a difficult and ignored genre like fantasy The score is amazing, the Spanish composer Roque Banyos make here his best work of art,a beautiful music that makes even greater this wonderful movie. El corazon del guerrero is the best fantasy film based on reality I've ever seen, is far away from that teenager movies or these destroy/action products, it contains a lot of poetry and nostalgia, is a masterpiece,a very perfect work of art, with dosis of humor that makes some moments funny, and real dramatic moments. It's a pity is not so well known out of Spain. I highly recommend this film to all seers that like fantasy genre and dreams that you want to be come true.
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