A great epic retelling of a classic story

Rating: 9/10 (28 August 1999)

Having waited some time to see this long-delayed screen version of Michael crichton's "Eaters of the Dead" I went into the theater with a few reservations about how this film would turn out. Two hours later, I left the theater exhilerated by one of the best and most surprisingly intelligent action films since THE MATRIX. The 13th WARRIOR is an excellent addition to a sadly underused genre, the period epic actioner. Not since BRAVEHEART has a film included such large scale exhilerating combat sequences, skillfully directed by action auteur John McTiernan. While many may not believe that this as good a film as DIE HARD or HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER, I strongly believe that in terms of direction alone, this is McTiernan's crowning achievement.
Amazing action sequences aside, the intelligence in this film lies within its roots. The film is essentially a retelling of the classic epic "Beowulf." Instead of the valiant knight Beowulf, you have thirteen valiant warriors. Instead of Grendel, you have a huge clan of mysterious cannabalistic creatures. The same questions surrounding Grendel apply to them. Are they animal or man? Or perhaps something even worse? Having knowledge of the Beowulf epic does enhance the film, as the story has some holes you may not understand if you are not familiar with the epic. The same may hold true for the book, which I have not yet read, but very well may after seeing this film. The film also includes another great action performance by Antonio Banderas to add to his exciting turn in MASK OF ZORRO. It also includes a supporting cast who should be commended for endowing their roles with such character even with only a few lines of dialogue. Overall, I highly recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys movies like Mel Gibson's BRAVEHEART or John Boorman's EXCALIBUR, which I also recommend to anyone who has not seen it and enjoys this genre. I highly recommend to those who enjoy this film that they track down a translation of BEOWULF and enjoy the epic poem from which this high-powered film is derived.