Inconclusive journey to Valhalla

Rating: Null/10 (30 August 2000)

* * (2 out of 5)
The 13th Warrior

Directed by: John McTiernan

Intriguing but fragmented and limp adventure tale that suffers from post-production re-shoots and incoherent editing. A mixture of sword and sorcery (Conan, Excalibur) yet appealingly featuring the same monumental, raw and ragged surge also present in Jean-Jacques Annaud's classic Quest for Fire.
Based on Michael Crichton's 1976 novel Eaters of the Dead (from the Scandinavian tale of Beowulf). Thirteen Viking warriors set off to fight a rival tribe in 1000 AD northern Europe, only to encounter remnants of a vicious Neanderthal clan.

Director McTiernan and writer Crichton disagreed on the final cut and it shows. There's a misplaced romantic opening (featuring Omar Shariff) and a disappointing rushed ending.

Other than that, there's quite a lot to get excited about; McTiernan infuses a nice, honest and unself-conscious atmosphere and he makes his characters believable with just the bare essentials of dialogue. Audacious performances by most of the cast. Great sets and scenery, dark and fascinating battle scenes and astonishing outdoor cinematography (shot in British Columbia, Canada).

However, the make-up department should maybe have taken it easy. Why have the rugged warriors all got unblemished faces and why is Antonio Banderas wearing mascara? Not forgetting to mention the preposterous way that Banderas' Arab character learns to speak the indefinable language of the Scandinavian Vikings.