Instant classic adventure film!

Rating: Null/10 (1 October 2000)

A lot of people have bashed this movie since it first came out, but I think they just missed the point. I saw it it the theatre, and I went in not expecting too much. However, I came out very impressed. The cinematography was beautiful, with the angles and colours setting the moods just right. Also, the acting on behalf of Antonio Banderas and the rest of the "Vikings" was quite good. The plot flowed nicely, mostle because it was pretty straightforward, and I was happy to see that the movie deviated from Chrichton's book on several key points. I hated "Eaters of the Dead" when I read it, mostly because I can't stand Chrichton's preachy pseudo-scientific writing style. in the book, the bad guys were some sort of "missing link" tribe and the monster at the end was some wierd horrible creature that lived in a dark cave. I was happy to see that in the movie the bad guys were more realistic, and even more fearsome because they were more believable. The action scenes were excellent, and even though there was a lot of gore, it wasn't dwelled upon. The scenery was magnificent (yes, Campbell River B.C. really looks like that) and the sets and costumes were well thought out. As for the parallel to the Beowulf legend, that's all it was, an interesting parallel. It's not blatant, but once you finally figure out that is is a parallel, it adds a more heroic and tragic depth to the film.
I was pleasantly surprised by this movie, and considered it worthy enough to own. For fans of action and adventure, and of tales of heroism and tragic bravery, this film is a must-see.