Gottes Wege sind blutig

I can't help it, but these historical gritty movies don't do much for me. I know there is some attempt at a message here, but for me, it just doesn't feel right. It's gritty, but I find it terribly empty in terms of plot. It wants to appeal to the viewer, but at the same time, its pace can be boring, even though there are fights and action scenes. No, this isn't for me. (09.07.2017)

An interesting piece from an attractive setting and period, but it has no juice. There is not enough action for my taste, but it is brutal and the blood is not spared, and I give a thumbs up for it, and everything is dominated by the bloated Punisher, who has a great role again. Tedious and dull in places, flatter story-wise, but I’m giving it three stars for the grim visual atmosphere and the brutality. 55% (10.07.2017)

A lot of bang for your buck. An atmospheric movie about a pilgrimage during which a group of monks are taking a reliquary to the Pope in Rome to boost the numbers of knights in the Holy War. One of the monks happens to be Spiderman, accompanied by the Punisher as his Sherpa/bodyguard, but there’s more to him than meets the eye. Along the way, they encounter obstacles, get attacked by the natives and the bloodbath begins. Bernthal decapitates heathens with a wooden shield, people are disembowled alive, criminals have their hands chopped off. The ending is appropriately crushing and pointless. Films like this are like gold dust and deserve admiration. Judas! (02.02.2020)

For having a smaller budget, it's quite a decent film. Yes, it does feel miles away from a larger financial injection, and yes, some locations don’t seem the most convincing, and yes, I would have liked more bloody medieval battles. On the other hand, considering all the aspects, I am extremely satisfied. I wouldn’t hesitate to call the story good and high-quality; I have never seen a plot involving the transportation of a Christian relic and its protection. The best character is undoubtedly the Christian fanatic (the most fervent of all fanatics), who couldn’t lock his crossbow. He kept mumbling about something, which eventually proved fatal for him. And the actor portrayed this role with brilliance, carrying the whole film. Jon Bernthal was also pleasing, with his smaller Punisher rage moments, slaughtering one enemy after another. One major battle secured its place in the film, and they definitely did not hold back on the brutality. The ending was properly concluded, and the Armitage vs. Bernthal duel added the figurative cherry on top. I give it a deserved 65%. (14.09.2018)