Enjoyable Viking Adventure

Rating: Null/10 (23 March 2014)

A thoroughly enjoyable adventure film. While the film's production problems were well publicised, the final version fits together well, despite some jumps in the narrative and an ending the feels a bit rushed. Furthermore, it doesn't ensure that some genuinely interesting supporting character's development comes to a satisfying conclusion.
However, that doesn't overtly mar this story. The film generates a genuine atmosphere of adventure, suspense and fear, and some of the action sequences are thrilling. This is helped by Peter Menzies's photography and above all by Jerry Goldsmith's thunderous score. Greame Revell's original score is interesting, but in no way matches the power of Goldsmith's music, and it was definitely the right decision by producer and writer Michael Crichton to replace Revell's score with a new one by Goldsmith as part of his process of taking over the production and re-editing the film himself as a result of poor test screening results. It is an interesting to note however, what John McTiernan's vision of this film was bearing in mind he left the production before completion when Crichton took over.
The story is solid, and the journey is seen from the perspective of Arab poet turned diplomat played very well by Antonio Banderas. One of this films key strengths is the chemistry of the Viking group actors, in particular the towering performance from Vladimir Kulich the leader Buliwyf; the entertaining one from Dennis Storhoi as Herger, and a very engaging one from Daniel Southern as Edgtho. The antagonist is largely faceless and is a collective for most of the film. The device used to keep the audience interested is therefore the excellent interplay between the whole Viking group and Banderas's character.
Actions scenes are well done, and work brilliantly with the aforementioned score. But as is the case with these large profile action films, the ending is what lets the film down. This is due to a rush at the film's conclusion, so while the Buliwyf's character's arc is satisfyingly resolved, this isn't the case for the remaining characters. We don't see what the other Vikings motivations or plans are post climax, and even Banderas's character resolution feels rushed and isn't sufficiently built up to a level that is appropriately satisfying. A hint at a romantic interlude with a local Norse woman is never resolved and looks like a potentially studio driven intention to have a quick ending as the film runs quiet long. Audiences however, will accept a good story, even if the film runs longer (e.g. Dances With Wolves, Lord of the Rings, Avatar) and I felt that the film- makers should have taken their time to sign the characters off with satisfying and complete character arcs.
Overall though, an enjoyable and exciting adventure.