Jabberwock: Dragon Siege   Starring: Tahmoh Penikett, Michael Worth and Kacey Barnfield Chelsea Films RRP: £12.99 CFDV 030 Certificate: 12 Available 28 May 2012

When Cid and his friend accidentally reawaken an ancient curse, the Jabbawock, death and destruction soon follow. Making for the nearest village he brings the bad news of the beasts return, only a short time before the beast itself arrives...

Jabbawock: Dragon Siege (2011 - 1 hr, 23 min, 49 sec) is a made-for-television fantasy film, very loosely based on the Lewis Carroll poem, to the same level that this review is based on Homer’s ‘Iliad’. The film was directed by Steven R. Monroe from a script by Raul Inglis and Rafael Jordan.

Given that channels like Syfy require a high number of films to show each year, it is little surprising that quality is often traded for speed of production. If we were in a kindly mood Jabberwock could, at best, be described as a ‘B’ movie.

The script is weak, with little in the way of originality, a criticism which holds true for the acting as well. The CGI’d beast is passable, at best, and the world which the whole thing inhabits suffers from the usual problem of looking like it was hired. The clothes are too clean and buildings uninteresting, looking more like refugees from a medieval theme park than a rich fantasy creation.

Anyone who has watched more than two films will be able to work out the whole plot in the first fifteen minutes. Jabbawock comes. The village blacksmith, who has a secret crush, steps up, gets the monster and gets the girl. It’s as simple as that.

The film's look is a little flat, though you have the audio option for either 2.0 or 5.1 track, though neither is spectacular. The only extra on the disc is the trailer.

If this had appeared on television I probably wouldn’t have turned it off, but only because I’d become suddenly and inexplicably paralysed. As a purchase, it’s a little bit naff.

4

Charles Packer