thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining! Some spoilers!

Rating: 9/10 (22 January 2000)

i, like many others, had not previously read reviews or comments on the movie. i missed the theatrical release and discovered this film with its video release.
i thoroughly enjoyed this film. i had not previously read the book it was based on, nor did i realize that it was also based on the epic beowulf. i went into watching this film just to be entertained. i was.
the story is about a young moor ambassador or arab,Ahmad, who in his travels meets up with a band of norsemen(northmen) or vikings. their king has died and the young heir, Buliwyf, a respected viking warrior is about to be crowned their new leader. after the funeral of the old king, a young boy, the son of a neighboring kingdom, arrives to ask Buliwyf and his men for help. King Rothgar has sent his son to ask for help in fighting a legendary, gruesome, and greatly feared enemy. this enemy is so feared by northmen, that they refuse to speak its name.
they consult a sear to find out how to defeat this enemy and are told that 13 warriors must go to this battle. before a final warrior can volunteer, the sear states that the final 13th warrior can not be a man of the north and points to Ahmad. he must be the 13th warrior. so the adventure begins.
the next few scenes of the 13 traveling to the north by land and sea are wonderfully cinematic. the scenes where ahmad discovers and learns the northman's language were beautifully done. i realize that this may seem impossible, but remember this is a legend and legends are bigger than life.
what follows without giving too much away, is an account thru the eyes of ahmad, of how the northmen fight the chilling and gruesome enemy. of how, ahmad, originally horrified by the pagen rituals and uncivilized behavior of the northmen, comes to respect them for the great band of warriors they were. after watching this movie i will definitely go back and read michael creightons book. from many of the comments, it seems that some of the scenes that may have given more insights to some of the characters, were cut from the movie. i wish they had released a directors cut with this video.
without giving too much in the way of spoilers, one of the most chilling and appreciated scenes in the movie, was the final battle scene. knowing that they may die defending the village, the men gather and fortify themselves. Buliwyf, their leader, injured in a previous battle, is thought to be near death. as the villagers and men arm themselves, they realize they will be going into battle without him and they are afraid, worried that many will run in fear of so large and gruesome an enemy.
At the last minute, as the enemy are advancing, Buliwyf, struggling valiently, gathers his strength, and takes his place as leader of the group. as he stands, in front of his men, tall and proud, he watches the enemy approach and sees the dreaded leader of the ememy. Buliwyf begins to recite a viking battle prayer, and with each line, his fellow warriors join in, until all are reciting it with him, all drawing strength and resolve to face what lays before them. as the final words are spoken, Ahmad, joins in with them. the prayer is a wonderfully spoken plea for strength and courage:
"lo there do i see my father.. lo there do i see my mother, and my sisters and brothers... lo there do i see the line of my people.. back to the beginning.. lo, they do call to me.. they bid me take my place among them.. in the halls of valhalya.. where the brave..may live..FOREVER!"
i replayed this scene over and over again. it was chillingly beautiful and showed why the norsemen, even a small band, were revered and greatly feared and respected warriors. how they drew their strength and courage from their generations old pagan beliefs and superstitions. and that death, faced with bravery and courage, led to a joyful and happy afterlife.
while this movie is not an great epic of the proportions of "braveheart", it was wonderfully and chilling entertaining. my only wish is that the director had spent more time developing the individual characters, or spent more time giving us information about who the 12 warriors actually were and where they came from. more about them as a people or clan.
those that are offended by graphic violence, beware, this movie has plenty. the revelation of who and what the enemy actually are, is as gory and graphic as it gets. but the resolution is a wonderful triumph of the human spirit.
see this film if you wish to be entertained, you will not regret it.