Hellbinders (2009)

Hellbinders (2009)

[+]

(Foreign Titles)

Tagline(s):

A Soulless Mercenary Battles an Army of Darkness

Nomination Year: 2023

SYNOPSIS:

So, a ninja, a Knight Templar, and a soulless mercenary walk into a bar...

Demons ("The Legion") have found a great way to thwart being destroyed. They simply live in cities around lots of people, so when their bodies are killed, they just zzzzip right into a new person, a la Fallen. Cain is a wandering immortal warrior, last of the Knights Templar (and quite possibly the Biblical Cain himself). Max is a cares-for-nobody leader of a band of mercenaries who literally lost his soul when he died on the operating table a few years back. Ryu is a ninja, now turned ronin after killing his master. This unlikely trio teams up to stop all Hell from breaking loose...literally.

Bryan Cassidy

Smithee Award Nominations

Most Ludicrous Premise
A Ninja Assassin, A Knight Templar, and a Literally Soulless Mercenary Walk into a Plot... Max, Cain, and Ryu are all explaining the plot back at Max's place. Seems they're all immunte to demon-possession for one reason or another, and they have to stop Legion (the demons) from flooding the world.

Worst Special Effect
The CGI Budget Has Gone to Hell Cain is busy fighting, so Max saves the world by disrupting Samael's Doomsday Spell... The effect of which is to transport them both directly to Hell, do not pass Stop, do not pay $200. The CGI of the falling battle...wow...let's just say it ain't no The Two Towers balrog battle...

Deus Ex Machina
Diabolicus Ex Machina Max is LITERALLY in Hell, dying. Then along comes Beezulbub! Because Max has been a good little soldier for him (you know, killing and being generally violent and selfish), the Prince of Hell decides to give Max his soul back and send him back to Earth. Wow.

"Cutting Butter With A Chainsaw"
One Hell of a Reputation The exchange was done. Max handed over the Necronomicon, and the gangsters (demons, really) handed over the cash. But...Max realizes he has a rep to protect... AND the bullets fly and fly and fly! People get possessed left and right, including his own crew. He's immune becasue he has no soul, you see.

Directors

Director	Claim to Fame
Mitch Gould	Directed Battle Drone.
Hiro Koda	Does lots of stunts (like for "Stranger Things"), but also directed The Last Contract.
David Wald	Does mainly stunts, like for "Supergirl" and "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." But also directed Love Like Bullets.

Cast

Actor	Character	Claim to Fame
Ray Park	Max	Star Wars's Darth Maul; was also Snake Eyes in the G.I. Joe franchise and Toad in X-Men.
Johnny Yong Bosch	Ryu	He was the voice of Kaneda in Akira. He was the Black Power Ranger. And he has a MASSIVE 416 credits on IMDb.com; mainly for anime and video-game voices, so you've probably heard him.
Esteban Cueto	Cain	Beefy and strong-looking, he plays toughs, heavies, and badasses. Like Berto in Fast Five and Nubai in the Stargate franchise.
Richard Cetrone	Samael	Pierce in the Underworld movies; pops up as creatures like a morlock in The Time Machine, the werewolf and merman in Cabin in the Woods, Tor-An in Man of Steel, a frost giant captain in Thor and the Headless Horseman on "Sleepy Hollow."
Ingrid Sonray	Carmen	Lisa in Short Fuse and Amy in Night of the Templar.


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