Amon Saga

Having logged more than my fair share of hours playing RPGs (role playing games) on various systems, I was more than equal to the challenge of a "saga"--but, at 75 minutes, the 15-year-old Amon Saga (which hasn't aged all that well) is really more of an extended "episode" than a full-blown epic. Resembling--in attitude--the laconic, squinting Clint Eastwood circa the spaghetti Western days, the young warrior hero Amon, nursing an understandable grudge against the Emperor Valhiss (who killed his mother), fights his way into Valhiss' warrior workforce (at a huge fortress on the back of a giant mobile mechanical turtle), with the sole intention of planting the evil despotic ruler six feet under. Not surprisingly, his attention is divided once he learns that the lovely Princess Lichia is being held ransom by Valhiss for a map to the fabled (and rather unimaginatively named) Valley of Gold. Damsel saving, guard dispatching, and an ultimate face-off against the big enchilada ensue in oh-so-predictable fashion. Neither visually interesting nor engaging narration-wise, this feature-less (unless you count trailers as extras) disc is not a necessary purchase. Aud: P. (R. Pitman)