Rendel : Les Origines

Down here at the End of the World, as they like to call it, one of the perks is getting transmissions from Cubavision, an FTA channel broadcast from 30°W, orbitting at 30,000 kilometers above the surface of the planet.

Sometimes this channel shows some pretty unusual stuff, as evidenced by RENDEL which showed up with a Euromix of tongues including some Hoch-Deutsch, a smattering of Russkie, suomi, some words of English with added subtitles in Spanish. Of course, the movie doesn't *come* with subtitles.

It was a movie that might hearken to the Bat-Guy but much, much darker and violent. It was highlighted by insane humour that could only be described as macabre. It was also very satisfying, in a way that eventually a house fire is extinguished.

Would I see this again? Sure. And there is a sequel in the works. I recommend it. Unless you're looking for a version of The Sound of Music.

Some sinister corporation has developed a vaccine for developing countries. The place is run by the evil boss and his partying dumber son who's supposed to take the reigns of the corporation. In town though there is a vigilante going after bad guys who by accident starts to get closer and closer to the corporation. But there is a pretty reporter who has an inkling that something isn't right with the corporation, she also by accident comes in contact with our hero--Rendel. Another story involves some ethical employee somewhere who interviews some wicked little guy but doesn't hire him despite the warnings of the little guy. Sure enough, the little guy gets our employee fired...and then hires him at the evil corporation. The employee eventually uncovers something at the corporation which leads the boss's son the go after the guy and his family. These two stories eventually converge as Rendel goes head-on after the corporation which has hired a bunch of incompetent criminals to eliminate him.

Rendel reminds me of a long (1:45) episode of Arrow but without the charisma, not a surprise given that it's a Finnish production. Otherwise it's competent work with mostly decent action and some interesting bits in the story. Maybe the sequel won't be filmed in complete darkness which gets tiring pretty fast. With some tighter editing this movie would have improved but for an European, and Finnish at that, attempt at action, Rendel is ok.

Evidently if you take away Spawn's powers, and use a similar costume, and maintain the same gritty, dark, shadowy industrial gothic city setting, NO ONE WILL NOTICE SOMEHOW

Finland may be famous from some things but one of those definitely is not action films. Only small independent groups seem to make those. Major studios sometimes make crime thrillers and they put violence in dramas too but pretty much never real action flicks.

So, when rating Rendel I feel like the sheer fact that it is a Finnish action film makes me want to give it more points, because I'm so glad someone in the country finally tries to make something cool.

Rendel as a character is quite cool indeed, at least the costume looks good. In essence he is a bit like The Punisher, a vigilante on a revenge mission. The only thing a bit weird to me was that he almost always goes fist fighting even if the enemies have machine guns. I get it his tactic is sneaking and attacking from behind but I just think his boxing method is a bit too unbelievable (because he doesn't have superpowers - or does he?). The hero's origin story is explained in flashbacks of some sort, but not every detail, so part of his "birth" is left a bit mysterious. I think that should have been explained a bit more thorough because it feels a bit random how he got his powers/abilities.

The movie has quite a dark tone which combines the loud punching sounds of action films with traditional Finnish style of crime films which are often rooted in a more realistic/cynical atmosphere...ruthless villains, lots of shouting and swearing.

Overall I'm left a bit conflicted. It's perhaps not quite as good as I hoped for but still step forward in Finnish genre cinema. In comparison to international action movies, well, I think it's average/decent. Recommended for fans of dark masked vigilantes...but not others.

First Finnish super hero, Rendel, between all superheros seen in different countries, genres and universes has one, unique characteristic.... is Finnish! Approaching this film my main thought was to find something new, unusual, something I couldn't find in all blockbusters as well as smaller but still 'American-made' films about caped vigilantes with good intentions. Did I find it? Nope. Pretty much everything that Rendel brings to the screen, has been seen before: Batman's eyes and darkness, Punisher's motivation and merciless, another villainy corporation with money and business as motivation to kill numbers of innocent people etc. Sorry, we have seen it already bazillion times... Fight choreography taken straight from wrestling areas, stereotypical characters and weapons, quick action cuts, to create impression of dynamics, and don't show you that fists and kicks are landing always 3 inches away from opponents face. Really, should I be impressed? Every country, every culture, every nation, every majority and minority deserve its superhero. If only each country in Europe has its own superhero, chance of getting something new in this genre would significantly increase. Finland already has Rendel. Now it's time for the others! Iceland! San Marino! Please bring us something we haven't seen, it's still possible! Impossible is nothing for superheroes!