Aarcflick

 Anthony Mackie co-stars alongside Aiysha Hart—who plays a queen who unites the tribes of Arabia to fight against a ruthless emperor—in a large-scale production that, from a narrative standpoint, proves functional. The stillness of Arabia’s arid and inhospitable landscapes is shattered when they become a battlefield for human conflict in *Desert Warrior*, a long-gestating Saudi epic inspired by real ancient tribes and events that took place in the region. Visually striking—though narratively conventional—the new work from director Rupert Wyatt (*Rise of the Planet of the Apes*) is set 1,500 years ago, when Emperor Kisra II (Ben Kingsley, in a one-scene appearance) orders his subjects to surrender their daughters. These young women are to serve as concubines. Among them is Princess Hind (Aiysha Hart), who has remained hidden deep within the desert alongside her father, King Numan (Ghassan Massoud). Director: Rupert Wyatt Writers: Erica Beeney, Gary Ross, David Self Stars: Aiysha Har...