Good movie but needed a longer running time

Rating: 6/10 (27 October 2006)

Antonio Banderas stars in this action filled re-telling of Norse legend. As an Arabian warrior he is taken with 12 Scandanavian warriors to do battle with a mysterious foe deep in the wilderness in order to save a village from extinction. Filled with action what this film lacks is some more time on character and story development to give it that epic feel. Performances and direction are good but it feels like you never really get to know anymore than one or two of the heroes so consequently you never feel involved when they are in peril and ultimately when some die. The ending is also confusing and doesn't make to much sense when you think about it.
Overall this is an enjoyable movie that with a little more could have gone from a 6/10 to an 8 or 9.
Not in the same league as Lord of the Rings or even Conan! But fantasy and epic fans will have a lot of fun with this and everyone else will find some enjoyment from the action scenes 6/10