A good good versus evil flick (Vikings are the good guys?)

Rating: Null/10 (28 August 1999)

The 13th Warrior - Cultured Arabian poet gets mixed up with Vikings and monsters. This may not sound like the best of plots but it is actually quite an enjoyable movie (okay, I may be a bit biased as it was filmed nearby). Granted there are some big continuity errors - daylight suddenly turns to night, Ibn Fadlan (Antonio Banderas) learning Norse by listening to the Vikings etc. and a few plot holes (we don't really find out much about the enemy or their origins). But hey, I'm big enough to get past all that.

Warrior boasts gorgeous scenery, the best battle scenes since Braveheart (only here they're darker and grittier, more reminiscent of Excalibur ) and some very funny dialogue (thankfully it's intentional). I was glad to see that they employed a lot of Nordic actors that speak Swedish and Norwegian as it makes the movie a lot more believable (nothing ruins a movie for me more than lines delivered in foreign languages with abysmal accents). If you enjoy movies in this genre (mythical/battle) or just think Banderas is to die for you will like this flick.
Tuesday night or matinee.