A great film for those who love a good adventure film!

Rating: 9/10 (20 December 2000)

The 13th Warrior lies somewhere in that grey region that exists between the real world and that of high fantasy. While little more than a re-telling of Beowulf, It gives us a surreal but entirely believable setting with none of the bizarre magic or monster fare common in this sort of high-adventure film. What the film lacks in exposition it more than makes up for in lush cinematography and intelligent presentation. It doesn't take itself seriously at all, and yet the comedy we do see is more everyday reality-based comedy as opposed to the one-liner, slip on a banana peel type of comedy we see in films like the Lethal Weapon series. It's the kind of movie that not all will really appreciate and many will overlook, however if you're looking for medieval fare, swords without the sorcery and dungeons without the dragons, and aren't in the mood for the political and dramatic presentation of something like Braveheart or The Messenger, than you can't go wrong with the 13th warrior.