Blood-stained historical adventure.

Rating: 6/10 (17 June 2003)

The Thirteenth Warrior went through a difficult production history and in many ways the finished film - though entertaining - is a shadow of what it could have been. Antonio Banderas plays the hero, an 11th century Arab poet who finds himself in very strange surroundings indeed.
He becomes the 13th member of a Norse expedition as they travel to the frozen north, intending to rid their homeland of its fierce enemies. Some very nasty tribesmen have been slaying the villagers and ripping away their heads, leaving people in fear and communities in ruin. The 13 Norse warriors are the only hope that people have of regaining their lives.
Jerry Goldsmith's music is rousing throughout, especially during the battle scenes. Banderas gives a good performance as the bewildered hero, fighting for a cause about which he doesn't really understand. The action is filmed well, with brutal battles and narrow escapes shot in convincingly bloodthirsty detail. However, the characterisation is sketchy, with few of the warriors developed in a particularly meaningful way. Also, the occasional attempts to get a romantic storyline going are terribly weak, almost as if much of the footage was left on the cutting room floor. This film never fulfils its potential. It is fun to watch, but it could have been a first-rate epic.