Jamie Rolleston in The Dead Lands (Magnet Releasing)

In terms of plot and emotional development, this brutal coming-of-age film is essentially as clichéd as any B movie or karate flick. However, it gets untold mileage from an interesting setting and a generally unexplored form of physical combat. In pre-colonial New Zealand, the warriors are Maori, and the fighting is done with deadly paddles with a spear or two thrown in for good measure.

Hongi (Jamie Rolleston) watches as his whole tribe gets slaughtered by the ruthless Wirepa (Te Kohe Tuhaka) and his band of warriors in a ruthless surprise attack. Inexperienced in the ways of war but determined to avenge his tribe’s death and honor his ancestors, Hongi swears revenge and follows Wirepa into the dreaded Dead Lands, so named because no tribes live there. It is purported to be the home of a monster and, of course, no one who enters leaves.

Once inside the Dead Lands, Hongi meets the monster face to face, who turns out to be a vicious, amoral, tremendously effective combatant known only as the Warrior (Lawrence Makoare). He takes Hongi in and teaches him to be an effective fighter. In return, Hongi slowly brings the human out of the monster, and they begin a symbiotic, tug and pull relationship.

There is an attempt to bring a Shakespearean grandeur to the proceedings as the Warrior faces his sins and regains his dignity and humanity. It’s almost pulled off, though Shakespeare is a pretty high bar for anyone to vault. There is much talk of honor and satisfying your ancestors, all of which adds a bit of a mystical element to the proceedings.

But most folks will come to this for the combat and, in this end, The Dead Lands doesn’t disappoint. The fighting showcases a brutal elegance that the director highlights by focusing on the characters movements and the brute strength needed in this particular type of combat. The fighters bluster, brag, and attempt to intimidate each other before attempting essentially to split their head open with paddles.

This is a pretty good flick recommended for folks who dig art films but like a little of the old ultraviolence as a side dish.