Photo Credit: Vertical Entertainment Anthony Mackie is no stranger to big-budget spectacles, but his latest swing into historical action did not sit well with critics. Desert Warrior, one of the most expensive films produced in Saudi Arabia, has landed with a thud on Rotten Tomatoes, getting a dismal score. What critics are saying about Desert Warrior in reviews Directed by Rupert Wyatt, Desert Warrior reportedly boasts a $150 million budget and an international cast that includes Aiysha Hart, Sharlto Copley, and Ben Kingsley.
Set in seventh-century Arabia, the story follows Princess Hind as she refuses to become a ruthless emperor’s concubine and teams up with a legendary bandit, played by Mackie, to fight back. The premise promised sweeping desert battles and a defiant female hero, but early reviews paint a picture of a film crushed under its own ambition. Mike McGranaghan ofAisle Seat stated, “There’s some good stuff in Desert Warrior, but you have to wade through a lot of nonsense to get to it.” Flickering Myth’s Robert Kojder noted, “With aspirations of being a historical epic harkening back to blockbusters of yesteryear, Rupert Wyatt’s [movie]… is about as generic and epically dull as one would expect from a film plainly titled Desert Warrior.” Further, Glenn Kenny of The New York Times wrote, “Rather than extend the epic sweep of this picture into the cosmic ineffable, he just wants the viewer bouncing along and rooting for its female hero.
And the film succeeds admirably in this respect.” James Mottram from The National (UAE) also found the spectacle serviceable, noting, “Desert Warrior may not redefine the historical epic, but it delivers what it promises — scale, spectacle and a vivid sense of place.” Monica Castillo of AV Club argued the film’s real story lies off-screen, stating, “While the story onscreen is dull and the performances uninspired, it’s the story around Desert Warrior that solidifies it as a strange chapter in a country’s self-promotional history.” Russ Simmons from KKFI-FM (Kansas City) pointed out its lofty aspirations, declaring the movie “a historical action flick that desperately wants to be ‘Lawrence of Arabia,’ but falls somewhat short.” Desert Warrior draws a poor score on Rotten Tomatoes At the time of writing, the film’s Tomatometer score sits at a rotten 40%, a brutal verdict for a project designed to put Saudi Arabia’s growing film industry on the global map. The Popcornmeter audience score remains empty for now, leaving the door open for viewers to potentially rescue the film from harsh reviews from critics.