In Greek mythology, Cerberus was the hound of Hades (god of the Underworld), a monstrous three-headed dog with a snake for a tail and snakes down his back like a mane. Cerberus guarded the gate to Hades (Hell) and ensured that spirits of the dead could enter, but none could exit (additionally, no living person was to come into Hades).
Thanks to Wikipedia for that entry. Obviously Cerberus wasn’t a canine capable of being tamed by even Cesar Milan, the Dog Whisperer.
Attila the Hun’s breastplate is on display at the National Museum of Antiquities in Bucharest. A man named Cutter (Greg Evigan) wants to borrow the breastplate, but the museum curator says no. Suddenly men in black clothing and ski masks drop from the ceiling, kill the curator and the guards. Cutter steals the breastplate and takes off.
A young professor named Samantha Barnes (Emmanuelle Vaugier) is preparing an art exhibit for the Van Buren Museum of Art in New York City. Her brother Zach (Brent Florence) comes to visit her. She knows he must be in trouble again, as he asks to borrow money. She tells him to go to her apartment and she’ll be home later. Sam gets a phone call from the Bucharest museum telling her that her mentor, the curator of the Bucharest museum, has been killed. She looks at a photo of the two of them together and feels very sad. She gets interviewed by a State Department investigator named Jake Addams (Sebastian Spence). He asks why the breastplate would have been stolen. Samantha tells him the legend is that Attila’s breastplate could lead one to the grave of the god Mars. Legend has it Attila made a deal with the Devil and when he died he went to Hell and is guarded by Cerberus. Anyone who finds the sword and tries to take it has been killed by Cerberus. She tells Jake whoever stole the breastplate is trying to find the sword and gain its power.
When Sam gets home from work she finds her apartment front door open. She goes looking for Zach but he’s gone. Suddenly the phone rings. A man tells her they have Zach and not to ask questions or Zach will die. He tells Sam to pack a bag and get her passport because a car is waiting for her outside.
Just outside of Bucharest, Cutter delivers Zach to a man named Sung (Garret Sato), a Korean ex-military general. Sung is obsessed with the occult, the breastplate and finding Mars’ sword. Cutter is supposed to get the sword and deliver it to Sung.
Sam arrives in Bucharest a short time later. A driver picks her up and says he’s taking her to Zach. But they are followed, and Sam escapes. She is captured by three men - one of them is Jake. Sam thinks Zach is in trouble over a gambling debt, but in truth, he’s being held hostage because with her mentor dead, Sam is the only person who knows anything about Attila’s breastplate.
Sam, Jake and two other State Department men, Burke (Michael Cory Davis) and Willis (John Terleskey), go to the Magyar Fortress, a citadel built in the 13th or 14th century. According to the writings on Attila’s breastplate, this is the hiding place of Attila’s tomb, and the sword of Mars. It is said the castle leads to Hell itself. Just as they get into the caves below the castle, Cutter catches up with Sam and the guys. Cutter takes the sword and releases Zach. He tells them they have 10 hours of oxygen and starts a cave-in so they are trapped. But Sam knows the Huns would have had two exits to a tomb. She finds a secret passageway under Attila’s tomb and they escape just in time - Cerberus is out of Hell - he’s angry, and he’s out for blood. Burke refers to Cerberus as a “3-headed, mean-assed, bad breath dog.”
Jake asks Sam if there’s any way to kill Cerberus. She tells them only the sword can kill it, so they know they have to get it away from Cutter. Jake admits he served under Cutter in Army Special Ops. Cutter killed a child in Fallujah and was court-martialed. Jake testified against him and Cutter was honorably discharged from the Army and served time in Leavenworth Prison. His obvious lack for human life is obvious, as he kills two of his own men for being insubordinate.
Cerberus escapes from the castle and kills several people, including Burke, some of Cutter’s men, some innocent people camping in the woods and some of the villagers. Cutter and Sung fight over ownership of the sword, ending in Sung’s death. Sam tells Zach that in Greek mythology, Hercules soothed Cerberus with the sound of a magic lyre. Obviously not having one, they try using a car radio to distract Cerberus from killing. Jake almost gets killed in a fight with Cutter, but manages to get the sword from him. Jake hurls the sword at Cerberus, who gets sucked back into Hell.
This movie was more about Cutter wanting to get the sword than Cerberus itself. I wish it had been more about the legend of the hell hound or mythology. The CGI Cerberus was pretty cool, though it was difficult to see sometimes. Another issue with the movie was that Sam says Attila was killed by his wife on their wedding night. This is one story, but actually, the great Hun died of a nosebleed on his wedding night. Kind of boring for a guy who you’d think would have been killed in a great battle.
Stinky Cheese Rating System: 10 Stinky Cheeses
Image from the Web. Looks to be Hercules and Cerberus. But this’ll give you an idea what Cerberus is supposed to look like.