The best adaptation of Beowulf to date

Rating: 10/10 (20 November 2007)

Many years ago, when Michael Chrichton was in an English literature class, his professor briefly covered Beowulf and commented on how almost no one read the epic poem any more. Well that got Michael and his friends talking and one of them dared him to write his own telling of Beowulf. Michael Chrichton did so and produced a book called "The Eaters of the Dead" and as a result we have The Thirteenth Warrior, possibly the most accurate Beowulf depiction despite the fact that the names of characters and places only sound like the ones from the poem.
I like this movie for a number of reasons. Firstly, the Vikings are depicted rather accurately and the depiction of their religious beliefs is actually pretty spot on. I like this movie because it is almost 90% accurate to the original book. It has a much more "real" feel to it than many other movies set in medieval times.
I would also be so bold as to suggest that this is Antonio Banderas' best performance. As Ibn-Fadlan he gives a rather good portrayal as an Arabian poet who finds himself dropped into the middle of a culture that he cannot understand but eventually comes to respect.
"Lo there do I see my father! Lo there do I see my mother and my brothers and my sisters! Lo there do I see the line of my ancestors, back to the beginning. Lo they bid me enter with them into the halls of Valhalla, where the brave may live forever!"