Heartstone
Genre: Superhero/Action/Adventure
Director: Ridley Scott
Cast: Gerard Butler, Cillian Murphy, Emilia Clarke, Drew Galloway, Laura Fraser, Ryder Allen, Vivian Lyra Blair
Plot: It’s early morning in Scotland, all around the country, people are waking to greet the new day. In the small town of Liverpuddy, all is quiet and calm, none more so than in a small cabin at the farthest reaches of town where a middle-aged couple are sleeping peacefully when…
“WAKE UP DAD! IT’S TIME FOR SCHOOL!”
They are awakened by their children, Baker (Ryder Allen) and Heather Vivian Lyra Blair), jumping on top of them. The father, however, is able to grab onto Baker and place them on the ground, chuckling all the while. “Someone's worked up quite the energy.” He comments with a smile. As the kids run off for breakfast, he turns to his wife, Sandra (Laurie Brett), stating that it’s going to be another chaotic day out here in Liverpuddy. Sandra grins, saying that there’s no one she’d share it with other than Heath (Gerald Butler).
The day plays out as a relatively normal one, with the rambunctious kids running off to school after breakfast and Heath making his way into a local shack to prepare for his job as a woodsmith. In fact, most days seem to play out the same way. Heath maintains his smile, however, as he welcomes each morning as his own.
One day, after finishing a project for Drew (Drew Galloway), one of his clients, he mentions of a comet flying back Earth for the first time in many decades. Heath appears intrigued and considers spending a day with the family to see what that’s about. As he makes his way home, Heath’s popularity with the people of Liverpuddy is profound, as, although he is taken aback, he shakes the hand of his fellow townspeople.
Near the end of his trek home, Heath comes across a familiar occurrence, a woman lightly teasing a man with a rather foul expression. They are good friends to the family, Nessa (Emilia Clarke) and Christian (Cillian Murphy). As Heath greets them both, Nessa brags about the part of the play she got. Christian quips about how long it’ll take for her to get fired. The two siblings banter for a moment before Nessa struts off, leaving Heath and Christian to themselves.
Heath asks Christian how he’s been ever since the flood, Christian shrugs, saying he’s been better. Heath pats Christian on the shoulder, saying that if he needs anything, he’ll be there before hearing Sandra’s voice. Christian watches Heath run off and give his wife and children a warm embrace. Christian enters his house, taking a glance at everything around before walking into his bedroom and staring at a picture of himself, his wife, and children. He sighs, placing the picture frame back on the desk.
That evening, Heath takes a gander at the world around him and is about to head inside when he comes across a sight in the sky. A comet. Not just any comet, the same one Drew had told him about. Several people head out to observe the comet, Heath being the most amazed when…
Boom! A loud explosion goes off, sending each person tumbling down. Sandra rushes out, alarmed. Heath assured her that he’s alright. It was just the comet. In the house next door, Sandra then notices Christian. She waves to him, only for him to head back inside.
The next day, Heath is finishing up a birdhouse for a client. All seems normal until he picks up a hammer and accidentally smashes the house into pieces. Stunned, Heath picks up the hammer, making lighter taps. Like magic, the birdhouse is able to rebuild itself. Heath looks on, amazed. When he reports to the client, they’re impressed, before asking how he managed to make it look so good. Heath sheepishly admits that he doesn’t know.
Inside Heath and Sandra’s house, Sandra is writing something down when she feels the floor growing wet. Sensing a leak, Sandra heads in the bathroom, only to find the plumage is fine. The wet floors slowly consume her into a flood-like state as she floats about, trying to break free. The last thing she sees before she’s whisked away is a sinister face, one that seems all too similar.
That evening, Heath is on his way home when he too notices a draft. He shrugs it off before entering his house, only to find an upset Baker and Heather asking where Mother is. The three look around the house, only to find nothing. Heath approaches the table, coming across a mysterious note. Upon reading it, he slams the note onto the table before telling Baker and Heather to stay inside and running off.
Confused, the siblings read the note, horrified to learn that their mother had been kidnapped. If they wish to see her again, they must seek him out. Baker immediately suggests going out and finding the jerk, but Heather quivers in fear, scared for her mother. The two compromise on a different plan. All throughout the evening, Heath patrols the town, demanding to know where her wife is, only to come across more questions than answers as he learns of the disappearance of other familial members, including husbands, wives, and even children.
The next morning, the entire town is gathered at a local pub. Heath enters, shocked by what he sees, and finds Baker and Heather directing traffic. Baker tells his father that they didn’t want him to search for Sandra alone, so they brought the whole town in. Baffled but relieved at the concern, Heath approaches the group and makes an announcement. Now is not a time to be concerned, now is a time to find the person responsible for stealing those they love most and bring them to justice. He calls for a search party to be held immediately.
Amongst the concerned voices rings Drew, who warns Heath that it’s far too dangerous. Their family members are likely gone forever and at this point, who's to say this person responsible won’t stop here? He goes on to explain that whoever did this may have been outside when the comet hit, hence giving him otherworldly powers.
Heath demonstrates his own powers, smashing a table with a hammer, only for Drew to remain unimpressed. It’s not enough to beat whatever creature has done this. Filled with a hint of determination, Heath demands Drew prove his words right. Drew nods, before leaping over the table and kicking Heath’s face off. He takes off his jacket to reveal a sword, slashing towards Heath and slicing anything he sees.
What follows is a spirited brawl in which chairs, tables, virtually anything that is standing, is destroyed along with both men taking a pint of flesh. In the closing moments, Drew has Heath pinned toward the wall, sword in hand. He tells Heath to call him Claymore but to not get attached as that’s the last thing he’ll ever see.
In a desperate attempt, Heath wriggles free from Claymore’s clutch, finding his hammer still intact. Claymore charges after Heath, only to be sent flying into the air with one swing of his hammer before crashing onto the floor.
Heath puts his hammer down, attempting to help Drew up. Amazed, Drew asks Heath how he managed to pull it off. Heath isn’t sure, but claims he has a hammer of justice, one that will ensure triumph in these times. Drew bows, admitting fault and telling Heath that he’s ready. If anyone wants to tell him otherwise, they can answer him.
As the group converges, Heath hears beautiful vocalizing from afar. The group heads off, the voice growing louder until finally, Heath captures the sight of a woman singing out on the rocks. It’s Nessa, the actress. From the distance, Heather and Baker watch on, both captivated by her performance, only to be held back by Drew. Before Heath can get any answer, Nessa blows a kiss and jumps into the ocean. Heath tells everyone to prepare their weapons, they fight the creature tomorrow morning.
Under the sea, Sandra wakes up inside a sandstone cell along with several others. She asks a prisoner how long they’ve been here, horrified to learn that it’s been a whole day. She debates how this is possible, exclaiming that most people die after several hours.
“Not in here, you don’t.” Calls an unfamiliar voice. Sandra looks over to find a tentacled creature carrying a trident. He introduces himself as Kraken, keeper of the damned. He’s trapped everyone inside these cells for good reason. Tomorrow, they are to be executed thanks to the eels. Everyone protests, begging to be let go. Kraken assures them not to worry, as it is for a good cause. In order to calm their senses, they will listen to Nellie, the singing siren.
In swims a mermaid-like creature, staring into the eyes of the prisoners. She sings them a soothing song, lulling almost everyone to sleep. Sandra nearly falls for this, only to take one look at her face. A flashback soon follows involving Sandra tending to an inebriated and distressed Nessa, upset over having lost a role as well as other occurrences involving the two. Sandra’s eyes widen as she gazes at the mermaid.
“Nessa?”
With that, Nellie swims away, leaving Sandra haunted by what she has learned.
That evening, Heath finishes up on a personal project, tinkering and toying with it as best he can before hearing Heather’s voice. He turns around to see the poor girl, concerned. In a quiet voice, she asks her father if everything is going to be alright. Heath brings Heather in for an embrace, assuring her that everything will be alright.
Back under the sea, Nellie vents about what happened with Sandra to Kraken, pouting about the matter. Kraken tells Nellie not to worry about that, if anything, it shows he hasn’t done enough. Nellie swims toward an orb-like sphere, showcasing a vision of Heath and Heather, suggesting that this may be the key to breaking him. Kraken observes the vision, nodding.
“Nellie, you know what to do.”
In Heather and Baker’s room, Heather has trouble sleeping. She quietly calls out to Baker, asking if he can still hear a beautiful voice singing in his mind. Baker cannot, asking if Heather does. Heather admits that it hasn’t gone out of her mind, and it’s left her paranoid. Baker assures her that Heath won’t let anything come between them, or anyone. He’s going to do everything he can to get their mother back and help everyone else. This helps clear Heather’s mind and they both fall to sleep.
In the later hours of the night, Baker feels himself growing wet, as does Heather. To their shock, it’s raining inside their room. To make matters worse, Heather can hear Nellie’s voice inside her head again. Baker looks at the window, only to be snatched by several tentacles. Horrified, Heather tugs after Baker’s arm, only for Heath to swarm in and throw an axe toward Kraken. Heather and Heath watch on, Kraken fleeing away with Baker.
The next morning, Nellie rounds up all the prisoners, forcing them into a line when Kraken hands her Baker. Nellie pats Baker on the head, saying she’ll make for a delicious meal. All seems to be going as planned until Nellie notices the orb flashing brightly. Heath and the town are marching toward the ocean, preparing for an epic confrontation. Nellie tells Kraken to let her handle this, swimming up to the surface.
Heath and the town approach the ocean, coming across Nellie. Heath demands Nellie to bring him the Kraken. Nellie feigns innocence, wishing that she could, but there’s a song she wishes to sing on his behalf. As Nellie begins to sing, Heath feels himself become entranced by her vocals. One by one, the townspeople become seduced by Nellie’s song, putting down their weapons and lifelessly walking into the ocean.
Just before Heath can join them, he closes his eyes, thinking back to his conversation with Heather and how he watched Baker be abducted by Kraken. This is enough to snap out of it, warning everyone to do the same.
“It’s too late, father. Nellie’s work is all but done.”
Heath’s jaw soon drops as Heather stands in front, clearly in a trance. Nellie’s songs have inspired her, and now, they will bring his downfall. Heath begs Heather to snap out of it, getting to his knees. Heather remains emotionless, before telling Heath that she’s sorry. Moments later, Kraken’s tentacles appear from out of the distance.
Several moments later, Heath awakens in a dark, cold dungeon. He looks to his left, relieved to find Sandra and Baker alright, but also chained to the wall.
“My, my, this is a most unusual predicament.”
Heath looks around the area, demanding the voice to show himself. For a brief moment, Heath comes face to face with the Kraken, only for him to transform into his normal form, Christian. Distraught, Heath asks him why he would do this. Christian scoffs, claiming that it’s what Heath didn’t do. Christian asks Heath if he remembers the great flood. Several months ago, he was living a golden life with a loving wife, three children, and a sister who, while eccentric, cared for him.
When that flood happened, it took everything away from him. His home, his wife, his kids, everything. Heath claims to be such a good man who everyone idolizes, but he was never there for them when he needed them most. That comet was like a second lease of life, for now, he has the power to avenge his loss and bring Liverpuddy down to his level. Why, he’s already succeeded!
Nessa then skips into the view, a lifeless Heather alongside her. She looks into Sandra’s heartbroken eyes, and apologizes, hoping she understands. Christian tells Heath, Sandra, and Baker that they’ll be eaten by sharks tomorrow. In the meantime, they’ll enjoy these eels as a company. As Heather watches her actual family be zapped by eels, she tells her “mother” to sing for her. With that, Nessa, Heather, and Christian take their leave.
As Heath continues to be shocked and boiled by the eels, Sandra tells him that it’s all over and that he did what he could. Heath closes his eyes, thinking about what had become of Heather and how it all started. As if it was instinct, Heath breaks free of the chains and blows and dungeon doors away. Heath then lets Sandra and Baker free, telling them to reach the surface as soon as possible. It’s come between him and Kraken now.
Along the way, Heath picks up an eel, using him as a torch to maze through the dungeon. Once Heath exits the jail, he’s greeted by the open sea and starts swimming. As he does so, he comes across another group of eels preparing to send others to their death, including Drew. Eventually, Heath comes across Kraken giving orders to a group of sharks and calls for him. Kraken mockingly applauds Heath for finding a way out, but that he has nothing that can might the might of his trident. Heath pulls out from his shirt a large, golden hammer, daring Kraken to try him.
The two proceed to sword duel with their respective weapons, neither man really giving an inch as they fight all across the ocean blue. The tide appears to turn in Heath’s favor, however, when he is able to knock Kraken’s trident away. Heath circles up to Kraken, only for him to swim up to the shores. Heath follows suit and the two begin to brawl once more. Heath again garners an upper hand, only for Kraken to climb onto a rock and slam into the ocean, causing a massive tidal wave to send Heath hurtling back down, causing him to lose his grip on his hammer.
Kraken steps up to Heath, signaling for the end, only for Heath to find a stray eel. He picks it up, using the eel to shock Kraken. Enraged, Kraken picks up an eel of his own, causing another duel to ensue, this time involving the eels. As before, all seems even between the two, when Nellie captures a sight of Kraken appearing vulnerable. Determined, she belts out a few notes, causing Heath to become distracted and leaving Kraken able to capitalize with a powerful eel shock.
Heath passes out soon after, crashing to the ocean floor. Kraken steps up with the eel in hand and wraps Heath around with his tentacles. Kraken calls Heath a worthy opponent, but now he has won, and now, he will take everything Heath ever held dear in his life, for he is weak and pitiful.
As Heath has his life squeezed out of, he has one last flashback, dating back to his fight with Drew, the confirmation he needed to prove his worth. With his eyes closed, Heath begins to quiver violently before breaking free from Kraken’s grasp, blowing him away in the process. Heath swims towards the ocean, looking for his hammer as a bewildered Kraken chases after him. How is this possible he wonders. He was dead to rites just a moment before. Heath turns toward Kraken, the man he once knew as Christian. He is not weak or pitiful. He is Heartstone. With one swing of his hammer, Kraken goes flying into the air before crashing out in the distance.
Heath swims out in the distance, demanding Nellie let everyone go. He’s already dealt with his brother. Horrified, Nellie swims off, leaving Heath to free the others in the process. He comes across Sandra and Baker, engaging in an embrace before coming across Heather, still zombified as before. The entire family attempts to get Heather to notice them, eventually breaking through when Baker reintroduces himself to her. Heather blinks, absolutely confused, but willing to go with them.
The entire group of townspeople swim out of the ocean, now having been reunited with their loved ones. Drew comes up to Heath, thanking him for saving them all. Heath looks on, seeing some of the dazed expressions, before looking toward Heather, stating that a new task awaits them. Before they can continue onward, the group hears a powerful scream.
Heath rushes off to the distance, finding Nessa sobbing hysterically as they find Christian on a tree, bloodied and dead. Remorseful, all Heath can do is lower his head, quietly apologizing to Christian. The next day, the town holds a funeral for Christian. Heath and Sandra come up to a grieving Nessa to apologize, only for Nessa to shove Heath back, calling them murderers and declaring that they’ll rue this day. She runs off, leaving Heath and Sandra by themselves. Sandra says that it’s just as well.
Later the day, another ceremony begins, this time awarding Heath with a new, larger hammer. The Hammer of Justice. From now on, he will protect the town of Liverpuddy of hooligans, crooks, and ne’er-do-wells. Heath thanks the town for their support and vows to use this newfound power with care. There will be many more trials in the future, and there is one of great importance. Heath reveals his new mission, to find a cure for those critically affected by those entranced by Nellie.
That is for later, however, tonight, Heath tells the citizens to drink and celebrate a new age of Liverpuddy. As people cheer on, Heath raises his hammer up high in the sky.
The legend of Heartstone is born.
After Credits:
Out in the pouring rain, Nessa stares at the grave of Christian, gently patting the tomb. She wipes away several tears from her face before venturing off, entering the ocean, and transforming into Nellie. Upon entering what was once her brother's lair, Nellie examines the damage left behind, becoming entranced when she spots her orb, left undamaged. Carrying the orb, Nellie closes her eyes, lightly humming to herself. When she stares at the orb, she begins to cackle hysterically…
The legend of Heartstone has only begun.
No comments:
Post a Comment