Karl Urban Movies
Considering his previous experience essaying the recurring role of Julius Caesar on the popular small screen fantasy adventure series Xena: Warrior Princess, it seems only natural that New Zealand born actor Karl Urban would advance to slay orcs in Peter Jackson's epic Lord of the Rings trilogy. Appearing as a somewhat more rugged version of screen heartthrob Leonardo DiCaprio, it's obvious from his work in such films as The Price of Milk that the handsome young actor has the looks and the skills to make it on his own.A Wellington native and son of a leather goods manufacturer, Urban's first acting experience came with an appearance in a New Zealand television show at the age of eight. Though he would subsequently eschew an acting career until after graduating from high school, Urban was drawn back in front of the cameras when he was offered the opportunity to appear on an evening soap opera entitled Shortland Street while preparing to attend Victoria University. The acting bug was a bit harder to shake the second time around, and after a mere year at Victoria, Urban abandoned higher education for a career on the stages of Wellington. A relocation to Auckland found Urban gaining exposure on New Zealand television, and after a turn as a heroin addict in Shark in the Park, he made an impression in the 1998 Scott Reynolds thriller Heaven. An unaired pilot for a show called Amazon High was eventually incorporated into an episode of Xena, and Urban would next take to the screen for the gory horror outing The Irrefutable Truth About Demons.
A turning point of sorts came when Urban was cast as the lead in the romantic fantasy The Price of Milk, and his performance as a milk farmer whose relationship is on the rocks found him gaining increasing recognition on the international art house circuit. Though mainstream American audiences would begin to get acquainted with Urban courtesy of his role in the seafaring horror outing Ghost Ship, his role in the Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers later that same year ensured that audiences would be seeing plenty more of him in the future. Following his escapades in Middle Earth, Urban would take to the stars opposite Vin Diesel in The Chronicles of Riddick (2004). Action roles continued to come at a clip when, after dodging bullets in the fast-moving sequel The Bourne Supremacy, Urban jettisoned to Mars to do battle with a particularly nasty breed of evil in the video game-to-screen adaptation Doom. From the far future to the distant past, Urban next laid down his plasma rifle to take up sword against his own people when he assumed the role of a Viking boy raised by Native Americans in director Marcus Nispel's 2006 fantasy adventure Pathfinder. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 2009
Karl Urban stars in this 3-D action epic as one of four extreme sports stars who crash-land on an island and have to fend for themselves against a hoard of murderous tribesman in this Baldwin Entertainment production, helmed by 3,000 Miles to Graceland's Demien Lichtenstein. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Karl Urban
This epic western starring Val Kilmer, Steve Zahn, Linda Cardellini, and Rachel Griffiths was adapted from Larry McMurtry's sprawling novel of the same name, and actually constitutes a prequel to Lonesome Dove. Texas Rangers Woodrow Call and Agustus McCrae may be getting up there in years, but their determination to capture Comanche war chief Buffalo Hunt, Comanche horse thief Kicking Wolf, and an elusive Mexican bandit king certainly hasn't faded with age. Now, as Gus attempts to resolve his personal issues with longtime love Clara Forsythe and Call comes to terms with his feelings for local prostitute Maggie Tilton, fellow Texas Rangers Deets, Jake Spoon, and Pea Eye Parker do their best to safeguard the advancing western frontier from the legions of Comanches who have vowed to defend their land to the death. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Val Kilmer, Steve Zahn, (more)
Out of the Blue, New Zealand writer-director Robert Sarkies' long-awaited follow-up to his 1999 feature debut Scarfies, recreates the events that led up to and surrounded David Gray's November 13, 1990, mass murder of 13 locals in the town of Aramoana, New Zealand. Sarkies, however, approaches the material not as exploitation or as an action picture, but -- like Terrence Malick in his 1973 true crime picture Badlands -- as an understated and detached drama. Sarkies uses a contemplative and reflective approach and a small-town pace and resists gratuitousness, intersecting several tales of casualties and survivors and downplaying the brutal violence. One story involves the contentious relationship between fiftysomething Jim (Timothy Bartlett) and his mother (Lois Lawn); another has a mom, Julia Anne (Tandi Wright) informing her daughter Rewa (Jacinta Wawatai) and her beau's children that they plan to share a house; and in a third, eccentric gun nut David Gray (Matthew Sunderland) cracks and guns down Julia's boyfriend, Gerry (Simon Ferry), in cold blood. These only represent the first three threads in a complex narrative tapestry; the story ultimately gives way to tense hours as the locals, realizing that a predator is on the loose and will kill anyone he can find, barricade their homes and cower in fear. Cinematographer Greig Fraser gives the picture a chilly, wintry aesthetic, rich with whites and blues. The film co-stars Karl Urban; Graeme Tetley co-authored the script with Sarkies. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Karl Urban, Matthew Sunderland, (more)
- 2001
Escaping from Hades, Julius Caesar (Karl Urban) waylays the Three Fates so that he may alter the Threads of Destiny. As a result, the events leading up to Caesar's death are radically altered, and apparently for the good. Xena (Lucy Lawless) is now Caesar's empress, and Gabrielle (Renee O'Connor) has become Rome's most successful playwright. Alas, the evil shamaness Alti (Claire Stansfield), now the high priestess of Rome, fouls things up with her usual lust for power and wealth. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lucy Lawless, Renee O'Connor, (more)
Recalling the absurdist bloodletting of fellow kiwi Peter Jackson, Glenn Standring's debut feature is a clever, gleefully ludicrous flick about demons, disembowelments, and bloody death. Auckland anthropologist Dr. Harry Ballard (Karl Urban), a noted foe of fringe religious cults, receives a video death threat from demon-worshipper and Anton LeVey clone Le Valliant (Jonathon Hendry). Ballard laughs off the missive but as he is trying to get into his car, he is abducted by a band of Satanist punks, shot full of heroin, and beaten within an inch of his life. Somehow he escapes from his prison, but when he relates his experiences to the police, they are more inclined to believe that Ballard's story is based on drug-induced hallucinations than fact. Later he discovers his girlfriend strung up with barbed wire and an incriminating message written in her blood. Panicked, Ballard flees into the streets where his sanity and his faith in rationality slowly starts to come apart. While being pursued by a slick-skinned demon, Ballard is saved by Benny (Katie Wolfe), a borderline schizophrenic angel of mercy who knows a thing or two about the dark side. As they try to save themselves in the city's maze of darkened back alleys, Ballard struggles to understand this new irrational world that yawns before him. This film was screened with the Midnight Madness program at the 2000 Toronto Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Karl Urban, Katie Wolfe, (more)
- 2000
At the suggestion of Gabrielle (Renee O'Connor), baby Eve is slated to undergo the Right of Caste. This bizarre and potentially painful ritual will determine if Eve is worthy of becoming an Amazon princess. Meanwhile, Eve's mother, Xena (Lucy Lawless), is kept busy trying to save the Amazon village from being besieged and literally devoured by a pack of male cannibals. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lucy Lawless, Renee O'Connor, (more)
- 1999
Callisto (Hudson Leick), the mortal enemy of warrior princess Xena (Lucy Lawless), has come back from Hades with a lot of mischief in mind. Callisto's plan involves placing the duplicitous Caesar (Karl Urban) on the emperor's throne and corrupting Xena. Not everything goes according to plan, but the dire predictions made by evil shamaness Atra in an earlier episode come to pass as the Roman legions prepare to crucify Xena and Gabrielle (Renee O'Connor). Originally intending as the final episode of Xena: Warrior Princess' fourth season, "The Ides of March" ended up as next-to-last. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lucy Lawless, Renee O'Connor, (more)
- 1999
When Ephiny (Danielle Cormack) is killed by Brutus (David Franklin), Gabrielle (Renee O'Connor) is crowned the Queen of the Amazons. Meanwhile, Xena (Lucy Lawless) tussles with both Brutus' comrade in arms, Caesar (Karl Urban), and their mutual enemy, Pompey (Jeremy Callaghan). And a rebellious teenaged Amazon named Amarice (Jennifer Sky, in her first series appearance) attaches herself to the nonplussed Gabrielle. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lucy Lawless, Renee O'Connor, (more)
- 1998
Now that Gabrielle's unholy daughter, Hope, has killed Xena's son, Solan, an action that also cost Hope her life, Xena (Lucy Lawless) and Gabrielle (Renee O'Connor) are bitter enemies. But before they can act upon their mutual hatred, the two former comrades are transported to Illsuia, a dream world patterned after tarot cards. Here, with the help of several series semi-regulars, Xena and Gabrielle are forced to confront their feelings -- and, possibly, find forgiveness. This is the celebrated "musical" episode, with everyone expressing their emotions in song (even the war god Ares [Kevin Smith]!) ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lucy Lawless, Renee O'Connor, (more)
- 1998
When her comrade in arms Vercinix (Tamati Rice), leader of the Gauls, is captured by Julius Caesar (Karl Urban), Xena (Lucy Lawless) tries to negotiate a trade. If Vercinix is set free, she will release her own captive, Roman aristocrat Crassus (Matthew Chamberlain). As to the question of whether or not Caesar will uphold his end of the bargain, suffice to say that Xena ends up outnumbered in the gladiatorial arena. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lucy Lawless, Renee O'Connor, (more)
- 1998
Danielle Cormack plays a dual role of twin sisters in this comedy drama from New Zealand. Chrissy Dunn (Cormack) exits the bed of a strange man while her twin sister, Olympic swimmer Carol (also Cormack), wins an major race and prepares to swim for the gold. Back home, TV director Brian Stanning (Brian Sergent) spearheads a local TV station's plan for a satellite hook-up to reunite the entire dysfunctional Dunn family (including the widowed mother and two other sisters). Chrissy states her intention not to cooperate and finds that TV cameraman Paul (Karl Urban) is the stranger she slept with that night. Director Andrew McCarten made his directorial debut with this film, shown at the 1998 Melbourne Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Danielle Cormack, Timothy Balme, (more)
- 1998
Accepting his designation as "the chosen one," Hercules (Kevin Sorbo) agrees to defend Eire against the invading Julius Caesar (Karl Urban) -- who is already reeling from previous encounters with our hero's female counterpart, Xena the warrior princess. At the same time, Hercules endeavors to reform the surly demigod Morrigan (Tamara Gorski) so that she can properly exercise her duties as the new Druid of Justice. Unfortunately, the evil Celtic god Kernunnos (Stuart Devenie) refuses to relinquish his control over Morrigan -- and even worse, he holds her daughter, Brigid (Benedicta Joseph), as hostage. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kevin Sorbo, Tamara Gorski, (more)
- 1998
Xena (Lucy Lawless) and a small band of Greek soldiers have sworn to make a stand against rival Roman warriors Caesar (Karl Urban) and Pompey (Jeremy Callaghan). It is not that the two "noble" Romans have buried their own hatchet; it is simply that their civil war threatens to spill over into, and ultimately destroy, Greece. Meanwhile, Gabrielle (Renee O'Connor) is ridden with guilt over her participation in a battle that will cost thousands of lives for the sake of a single village. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lucy Lawless, Renee O'Connor, (more)
- 1997
With Xena (Lucy Lawless) elsewhere, Gabrielle (Renee O'Connor) and Joxer (Ted Raimi) rescue a Princess (Mandie Gillette) who is en route to marry a handsome prince. Unexpectedly, the Princess falls in love with the klutzy Joxer, who, thanks to an inter-celestial tiff between Aphrodite (Alexandra Tydings) and Cupid (Karl Urban), has suddenly been transformed into a dashing hero. This metamorphosis is brought about by the ringing of a local bell -- which also takes away Joxer's new personality at the most embarrassing moments. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lucy Lawless, Renee O'Connor, (more)
- 1997
It is off to Brittania for Xena (Lucy Lawless), Gabrielle (Renee O'Connor), and Khrafstar (Marton Csokas), the high priest of a new monotheistic cult. The trio's mission: to thwart the impending invasion of Julius Caesar (Karl Urban). But the battle may be lost before it begins when Gabrielle, tricked into shedding the blood of an innocent, is forced into an unholy union with satanic god Dahuk. Among other events, a certain well-known archaic British landmark comes into being in this episode. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lucy Lawless, Renee O'Connor, (more)
- 1997
Hoping to purge some more of her inner demons, Xena (Lucy Lawless) visits the site of a city burned down by her former warriors. Before long, Gabrielle (Renee O'Connor) is captured by cannibals and Xena is seriously wounded while rescuing her friend. The only hope for Xena's survival is the legendary Healer of Mount Nestus. The first episode of a two-part story, "Destiny" is highlighted by a dazzling flashback sequence in which Xena relives the events leading up to her assuming the mantle of Warrior Princess. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lucy Lawless, Renee O'Connor, (more)
- 1997
Bliss (Cameron Russel), the mischievous son of Cupid (Karl Urban), grabs his dad's bow and arrows and sets out to spread a little love all around. As a result of Bliss' -- er -- cupidity, Xena (Lucy Lawless) falls madly in love with her enemy, the warlord Draco (Jay Laga'aia); Draco is smitten by Xena's traveling companion, Gabrielle (Renee O'Connor); and Gabrielle goes gaga over the klutzy wannabe warrior Joxer (Ted Raimi). This was the final episode of Xena: Warrior Princess' second season. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lucy Lawless, Renee O'Connor, (more)
- 1996
Jealous of the beautiful mortal Psyche (Susan Ward), goddess of love Aphrodite (Alexandra Tydings) orders her son Cupid (Karl Urban) to shoot Psyche with "love arrows" so that the girl will remove herself from romantic competition. What Aphrodite doesn't know is that Cupid is in love with Psyche himself, which is why he misfires his arrows and hits Hercules (Kevin Sorbo) instead. This proves to be a miscalculation when the smitten Hercules falls for Psyche himself, whereupon Cupid is so consumed by jealousy that he literally transforms into the "Green-Eyed Monster" of the title. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kevin Sorbo, Michael Hurst, (more)
- 1996
Xena (Lucy Lawless) and Gabrielle (Renee O'Connor) appoint themselves protectors of a 12-year-old runaway named Icus (David de Latour). The boy has been slated to be sacrificed to a new God -- and, much to Xena's surprise, Icus' father and brother are determined to kill the youngster. Things become even dicier when Gabrielle is drugged and the religious zealots recapture Icus. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lucy Lawless, Renee O'Connor, (more)
The sole survivor of a Viking "dragon" vessel shipwrecked on the eastern shores of the New World 15 years ago provides the only hope for the a Native American tribe faced with certain destruction by Norse berserkers in director Marcus Nispel's (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre) dark action adventure. Reared by the Wampanoag tribe following a failed attempt by the Vikings to raid coastal villages for slaves, a ten-year-old shipwreck survivor is nicknamed "Ghost" by his adoptive tribe due to his pale complexion and blond hair. Legend says that death and destruction will follow the boy wherever he travels, yet the peaceful people of the Wampanoag tribe selflessly take the frightened child in as if he is one of their own. Over the course of the following decade, the adopted young Norseman eventually grows into a strong warrior (Karl Urban) determined to prove his worth to the people he calls family. When the rampaging Vikings return to the New World to rain destruction down on the Native Americans and to claim the fertile land of the peaceful people, Ghost finds himself in the precarious position of having to stop his own people from destroying his village and ruthlessly slaughtering the woman he loves (Moon Bloodgood). Now, as Ghost's true destiny is revealed by the powerful shaman known as the Pathfinder (Russell Means), the fearless warrior sets out to stage a savage one-man war on the marauding Vikings and become the savior once prophesied to defend the Wampanoag people in their darkest hour. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Karl Urban, Moon Bloodgood, (more)
One of the most popular and influential video games ever makes its way to the big screen in this sci-fi thriller. A coalition of Earth's scientific and military interests have established a research colony called Olduvai on the planet Mars, but one day all communication from the outpost stops and no one can tell what has happened -- though the final messages suggest it's not good. Believing foul play may have overtaken Olduvai's crew, the Rapid Response Tactical Squad, a team of specially trained military personnel, are deployed to investigate the situation and, if necessary, eliminate the invaders. But Sarge (Dwayne Johnson, aka The Rock) and Reaper (Karl Urban), leaders of the RRTS team, soon discover the situation is far more grim than they could have imagined. An experiment on Olduvai has very literally opened a portal to Hades, and a variety of savage and demonic creatures have overtaken the colony. Now the RRTS must seal off Olduvai, close off any access to Earth, and exterminate the satanic beasts before they can kill again. Doom also stars Rosamund Pike (as Dr. Grimm), Dexter Fletcher, Ben Daniels, and Deobia Oparei. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Karl Urban, Rosamund Pike, (more)
A salvage team think they've made the find of a lifetime, until they discover there's more on board than meets the eye in this supernatural thriller. Led by Captain Sean Murphy (Gabriel Byrne), the crew of the tugboat Arctic Warrior have discovered a sideline far more lucrative than hauling ships in and out of the harbor -- they locate missing or wrecked ships in international waters, repair them until they can be brought back to port, and then sell off the ship and its contents as salvage. Acting on a tip from Jack Ferriman (Desmond Harrington), a pilot in the Canadian Air Force, Murphy and his crew -- salvage expert Maureen Epps (Julianna Margulies), first mate Greer (Isaiah Washington), and crewmen Santos (Alex Dimitriades), Dodge (Ron Eldard), and Munder (Karl Urban) -- set out to find a large craft seen adrift off the Alaskan coastline. To their surprise, the crew of the Arctic Warrior discover what appears to be the Antonia Graza, a famous Italian ocean liner, legendary for its luxury, which vanished without a trace in 1962. While they at first anticipate the payday of a lifetime from this find, the crew soon discover a sinister force has taken control of the ship, and before long they're battling not for salvage rights, but for their lives. Ghost Ship was directed by special effects man turned filmmaker Steven Beck, who previously directed the 2001 remake of 13 Ghosts. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Julianna Margulies, Ron Eldard, (more)
Scott Reynolds directed this New Zealand thriller about a transsexual stripper. Architect Robert Marling (Martin Donovan) has mounting problems that include drinking, gambling, and alimony payments to his ex, Jennifer (Joanna Going), who's attempting to gain custody of their son. Redesigning a strip club for his psycho friend Stanner (Richard Schiff), Marling meets transsexual dancer Heaven (Danny Edwards), who has precognitive visions. Heaven's therapist, Dr. Melrose (Patrick Malahide), employs his patient's predictions to boost his own bank account. With all professional ethics evaporating, the evil Melrose sleeps with Jennifer while counseling Marling. Hallucinatory visions prompt Heaven to warn Marling of even more hellish events awaiting in his future. Shown at the 1998 Montreal World Film Festival and the 1998 Toronto Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Martin Donovan, Danny Edwards, (more)
Mission: Impossible III director and Alias creator J.J. Abrams resurrects the classic science fiction franchise created by Gene Roddenberry with this feature film that embraces the rich history of the influential television and film series while also exploring some uncharted territory. Heroes star Zachary Quinto assumes the role of the Federation Starfleet lieutenant and Vulcan made famous in the original series by Leonard Nimoy (who also appears in an older incarnation of his original role), Spock, with Anton Yelchin stepping into the role of USS Enterprise navigator Pavel Chekov, Zoe Saldana assuming the role of communications officer Uhura, Simon Pegg keeping the ship in top shape as chief engineer Montgomery Scott (aka "Scotty"), and Eric Bana tormenting the benevolent space explorers as the villainous Nero. Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle co-star John Cho also boards the Enterprise as Hikaru Sulu, with Chris Pine and Karl Urban assuming the legendary roles of Captain Kirk and Leonard "Bones" McCoy, respectively. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, (more)
