At Last Hollywood does justice to the Norse

Rating: 8/10 (27 August 1999)

Hollywood takes another chop at making a Viking epic. Will the 13th Warrior be the `Braveheart' of Viking epics? The 13th Warrior chronicles the journey of an outcast Moor (Antonio Banderas) who becomes involved in a mission to save a Viking village from the onslaughts of some bloody thirsty cannibals. Originally entitled `Eaters of the Dead' and adapted from the Michael Crichton novel, this film has taken one and a half years to get to our local multiplex. Rumors of a $150 million plus budget and numerous scenes being reshot, I was beginning to wonder if this film would ever surface. Director John McTiernan was extremely upset with the film and the studio pulling the plug pre-emptly. There are reports that the studio pulled the plug then asked the angered director to reshoot the ending and various fight scenes. Let's just say this film was a behind the scenes mess. What's so incredibly amazing is this film overcomes the plagued behind the scenes mess. The sweeping Viking mists, the longboat overcoming thirty foot waves, blood thirsty battle, and scenic highlands are just some of the mystique that have enchanted our minds on the views of Viking lore. What's really rich and never been done in Hollywood is the thought of an outsider entering this mystical world and letting us see it through his eyes. Banderas' Muslim outsider is kind, sensitive and passionate until he becomes embroiled in the honor of being a man of the North. He is among very few Hollywood heroes who are disturbed by the blood and gore associated with Viking civilization. But when he finds that the `unnamed' evil is only a man, his anger engulfs him and he begins to see a new vision of what man is. This is an epic in the greatest sense of the word. The only ever evident flaw in this film is the ending itself. Why is it so short? Why is the climax not on a major scale? I know the symbolism associated with Vikings dying in battle and why didn't they take that to next level? The ending is only about 3 minutes when we should have been in the 10-20 minute range. On a positive note, this is the first Hollywood venture I have ever seen that takes Vikings seriously and I have wanted to see something in that nature all my life. I just hope because of all its problems they don't stop making Viking films. Previous Viking films have been on less than 10 million dollar budgets and looked like men dueling in woolen overalls. Anybody out there remember `Lee Majors' in `The Vikings' or `Tim Robbins' in the funny `Erik the Viking'? Well these were about the only Viking staples until `The 13th Warrior'. So go out and see this epic but when its done think what it would have been like if the final war scenes were 10 minutes longer. I hope Hollywood can hear me. (4 of 5) So Says the Soothsayer.