Sumuru (2003 film)

Last updated

Sumuru
Directed by Darrell Roodt
Written by Torsten Dewi
Sax Rohmer
Peter Welbeck
Peter Jobin
Produced by Harry Alan Towers
Brigid Olen
Rola Bauer
Starring Alexandra Kamp
Michael Shanks
CinematographyGiulio Biccari
Edited byAvril Beukes
Music byGuy Farley
Distributed by Tandem Communications
Release date
  • 30 April 2003 (2003-04-30)
Running time
90 minutes
CountriesUnited Kingdom
South Africa
Germany
LanguageEnglish

Sumuru, or Sax Rohmer's Sumuru, is a 2003 pulp science fiction film directed by Darrell Roodt and starring Alexandra Kamp and Michael Shanks. It is an update of the character Sumuru created by pulp novelist Sax Rohmer. It was the first adaptation of Sumuru in a sci-fi setting (the prior two adaptions were The Million Eyes of Sumuru (1967) and The Girl from Rio (1969)). [1]

Contents

Story

Earth's outermost colony was forgotten for 900 years -- until now. Cut off from the rest of the universe, men have become beasts of labor -- and women rule.

Arriving on the planet Antares, Adam Wade and Jake Carpenter come with a mission and a secret. Humanity has suffered from a deadly virus that has left the women barren, and the two are to seek out the last fertile members of the human race and relocate them.

When the small spaceship crashes, the two find the planet run by women ruled by Queen Sumuru, and the men slaving in primitive mines, used occasionally for procreation purposes.

The two astronauts have to overcome anti-male prejudice as well as earthquakes, a giant snake (The Snake Mother, worshipped as a Goddess by the High Priestess Taxan and her followers) and opposition from snake cult priestess Taxan, but find support in the relatively rational-minded queen Sumuru as well as her personal guard Dove and her kid brother Will.

Ultimately Taxan and her followers are defeated and Adam, Jake, Sumuru and her followers including the freed male slaves set off for an anticipated new home amongst the stars; escaping Antarres, which is due to explode from its internal pressures.

Cast

Production

The film was produced in late 2002 in the area around Johannesburg and Pretoria, mainly around and in mine dumps, the Voortrekker Monument, a film studio in Johannesburg and a disused explosives factory in Modderfontein. [2] [3]

Reception

The film received relatively bad reviews, being called "thoroughly forgettable"; [4] other reviews refer to the rules of the genre ("trash factor") and call it "good fun". [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fu Manchu</span> Fictional villain based on Asian stereotypes

Dr. Fu Manchu is a supervillain who was introduced in a series of novels by the English author Sax Rohmer beginning shortly before World War I and continuing for another forty years. The character featured in cinema, television, radio, comic strips and comic books for over 100 years, and he has also become an archetype of the evil criminal genius and mad scientist, while lending his name to the Fu Manchu moustache.

<i>Stargate</i> (film) 1994 film by Roland Emmerich

Stargate is a 1994 science fiction action-adventure film directed and co-written by Roland Emmerich. The film is the first entry in the Stargate media franchise and stars Kurt Russell, James Spader, Jaye Davidson, Alexis Cruz, Mili Avital, and Viveca Lindfors. The plot centers on the titular "Stargate", an ancient ring-shaped device that creates a wormhole, enabling travel to a similar device elsewhere in the universe. The central plot explores the theory of extraterrestrial beings having an influence upon human civilization.

Stargate SG-1 is a military science fiction adventure television series within Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Stargate franchise. The show, created by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, is based on the 1994 science fiction film Stargate by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich. The television series was filmed in and around the city of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The series premiered on Showtime on July 27, 1997, and moved to the Sci Fi Channel on June 7, 2002; the final episode first aired on Sky1 on March 13, 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sax Rohmer</span> English novelist (1883–1959)

Arthur Henry "Sarsfield" Ward, better known as Sax Rohmer, was an English novelist. He is best remembered for his series of novels featuring the master criminal Fu Manchu.

Daniel Jackson (<i>Stargate</i>) Fictional character from the Stargate universe

Daniel Jackson, PhD, is a fictional character in the military science fiction franchise Stargate, and one of the main characters of the 1997 series Stargate SG-1. He is portrayed by James Spader in the 1994 film Stargate, and by Michael Shanks in Stargate SG-1 and other SG-1 derived media. Jackson is the only Stargate character to appear in all films and series in the franchise.

<i>Escape from L.A.</i> 1996 American action film

Escape from L.A. is a 1996 American post-apocalyptic action film co-written, co-scored, and directed by John Carpenter, co-written and produced by Debra Hill and Kurt Russell, with Russell also starring as Snake Plissken. A sequel to Escape from New York (1981), Escape from L.A. co-stars Steve Buscemi, Stacy Keach, Bruce Campbell, Peter Fonda, and Pam Grier. Escape from L.A. failed to meet the studio's expectations at the box office and received polarized reactions from critics. The film later found a strong cult following.

Stargate is a military science fiction media franchise based on the film directed by Roland Emmerich, which he co-wrote with producer Dean Devlin. The franchise is based on the idea of an alien wormhole device that enables nearly instantaneous travel across the cosmos. The franchise began with the film Stargate, released on October 28, 1994, by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Carolco, which grossed US$197 million worldwide. In 1997, Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner created a television series titled Stargate SG-1 as a sequel to the film. This show was joined by Stargate Atlantis in 2004, Stargate Universe in 2009, and a prequel web series, Stargate Origins, in 2018. Also consistent with the same story are a variety of books, video games and comic books, as well as the direct-to-DVD movies Stargate: Children of the Gods, Stargate: The Ark of Truth, and Stargate: Continuum, which concluded the first television show after 10 seasons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Children of the Gods</span> 1st and 2nd episodes of the 1st season of Stargate SG-1

"Children of the Gods" is the first episode of the military science fiction television series Stargate SG-1. It was written by producers Jonathan Glassner and Brad Wright and was directed by Mario Azzopardi. The episode first aired on July 27, 1997, on Showtime. Originally presented as a television movie, the episode would later be split into two parts for repeats and syndicated viewings. A new, updated cut, which is entitled "Children of the Gods – The Final Cut" was released on DVD on July 21, 2009 by MGM Home Entertainment.

The Ori are fictional characters in the science fiction television series Stargate SG-1. Within the storyline, there are fictional beings described as "ascended" because of their use of advanced technology and knowledge of the universe. The Ori are an example of such beings. A significant part of the storyline in the ninth season of Stargate SG-1 involves the Ori's attempt to trick humans into worshipping them as gods.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harry Alan Towers</span> British film producer (1920–2009)

Harry Alan Towers was a British radio and independent film producer and screenwriter. He wrote numerous screenplays for the films he produced, often under the pseudonym Peter Welbeck. He produced over 80 feature films and continued to write and produce well into his eighties. Towers was married to the actress Maria Rohm, who appeared in many of his films.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vala Mal Doran</span> Fiction character from the Stargate franchise

Vala Mal Doran is a fictional character in the American military science fiction television series Stargate SG-1 about a military team exploring the galaxy via a network of alien transportation devices. Played by former Farscape actress Claudia Black, Vala was created by Damian Kindler and Robert C. Cooper as a guest character for the season 8 episode "Prometheus Unbound" (2004). Because of the on-screen chemistry between Black's Vala and Michael Shanks' character Daniel Jackson and the character's popularity with the producers and the audience, Claudia Black became a recurring guest star in season 9 (2005–2006) and joined the main cast in season 10 (2006–2007).

Mythology of <i>Stargate</i> Mythology in the Stargate franchise

The mythology of the Stargate franchise is a complex and eclectic fictional backstory, which is presented as being historical, of the Stargate premise. A "rich mythology and world-building" are used to establish "a vast cosmology and an interesting alternate take on the history of Earth"; a defining feature is "its use of ancient mythology, with stories that take inspiration from multiple places around the globe". Narratives center around xeno-mythology as experienced by humans during episodic contact with alien races. Audiences across a variety of platforms - including TV series, novels, comics and movies - witness the people of Earth exploring a fictional universe using the Stargate. Species established early on in the franchise recur throughout, with one adversary often dominating a particular story arc, which can continue across several seasons.

"Redemption" is the two-part season 6 premiere of the science fiction television series Stargate SG-1. Airing on June 7 and June 14, 2002, it was the first all-new SG-1 episode to be broadcast by SCI FI, the new home of SG-1 after the series' move from Showtime. The episode was written by producer Robert C. Cooper, and directed by Martin Wood. "Redemption" is the first episode where actor Corin Nemec had main cast status, his character Jonas Quinn replacing Daniel Jackson who died at the end of season 5. The episode also marks the second appearance of David Hewlett's character Rodney McKay, who later became a main character on Stargate Atlantis. "Redemption Part 2" was nominated for a Gemini Award in the category "Best Visual Effects".

"Lifeboat" is the 6th episode from the seventh season of military science fiction adventure television show Stargate SG-1 and is the 138th overall. It was first broadcast on July 18, 2003 on the Sci-Fi Channel. The episode was written by the shows co-creator Brad Wright, and was directed by Peter DeLuise.

Sonja Bennett is a Canadian actress and screenwriter. Her film debut was in the Canadian feature film Punch (2002), for which she won the Vancouver Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress in a Canadian Film. She has since starred in the films Donovan's Echo, Cole, Control Alt Delete, Young People Fucking, and Fido as well as the television series Godiva's and Cold Squad. In 2014, Bennett made her screenwriting debut with Preggoland in which she also starred.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fah Lo Suee</span> Fictional character from Sax Rohmer novels

Fah Lo Suee is a character who was introduced in the series of novels Dr. Fu Manchu by the English author Sax Rohmer (1883-1959). She is the daughter of Dr. Fu Manchu and an unnamed Russian woman, sometimes shown as an ally, sometimes shown as a rival. The character featured in cinema and comic strips and comic books alongside her father, sometimes using another names, and she has also become an archetype of the Dragon Lady.

<i>Stargate SG-1</i> season 8 Season of television series

The eighth season of Stargate SG-1, an American-Canadian military science fiction television series, began airing on July 9, 2004, on the Sci Fi channel. The eighth season concluded on February 22, 2005, after 20 episodes on British Sky One, which overtook the Sci Fi Channel in mid-season. This was the first season of the show to have 20 episodes instead of 22, as well as the first to air concurrently with Stargate SG-1 spinoff series Stargate Atlantis. The series was originally developed by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, while Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper served as executive producers. Season eight regular cast members include Richard Dean Anderson, Amanda Tapping, Christopher Judge, and Michael Shanks

Sumuru is a female supervillain created by Sax Rohmer, author of the Fu Manchu series of novels. She first appeared in a 1945-1946 BBC radio serial, which was rewritten as a novel in 1950. Four more novels were published between 1951 and 1956. Two movies were then made in the 1960s and one more in 2003.

References

  1. Jager, Christelle De (3 February 2003). "Third 'Sumuru's' out of this world". Variety. Retrieved 30 December 2019.
  2. Worsdale, Andrew De (3 December 2002). "CGI-heavy fantasy Sumuru wraps in South Africa". Screendaily. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
  3. "Stargate SG-1 Solutions: Michael Shanks: Sumuru". www.stargate-sg1-solutions.com. Retrieved 30 December 2019.
  4. McLennan, Jim (20 November 2019). "Review: Sumuru". Girls With Guns. Retrieved 30 December 2019.
  5. "Review Sumuru". www.badmovies.de (in German). Retrieved 5 August 2021.