Emtertaining yarn

Rating: 7/10 (5 January 2007)

Your run of the mill story about an 10th century Arab expelled from the caliph's court at Baghdad for looking at one of the women of his harem and going to Scandinavia to help a Viking kingdom resist the raids from a cannibalistic tribe. Except there are not that many movie with that theme. Based on Crichton's short novel "Eaters of the Dead" (Crichton reportedly had a hand in the direction of the movie), this is an old-fashioned adventure movie. Crichton made the book as a blend from the real chronicles of an Arab traveler to the land of the Norsemen and the well known story of Beowulf. The movie blends this two sources greatly and you are likely to go through a good time in the theater (though if you can't stomach cinematic violence, you may as well skip it). And in how many Hollywood movies you get to see a Muslim play the good guy?