The 13th Warrior

Plot synopsis:
Ahmad ibn Fadlan is a court poet to the Caliph of Baghdad, until his amorous encounter with the wife of an influential noble gets him exiled as an "ambassador" to Northern Barbarians. Traveling with Melchisidek, his caravan is saved from Turkic raiders by the appearance of Norsemen (presumably Varangian). Taking refuge at their settlement on the Volga river, communications are established through Melchisidek and Herger, a Norseman who speaks Latin. Ahmad and Melchisidek are in time to witness a fight, which establishes Buliwyf as heir apparent, followed by the Viking funeral of their dead king, cremated together with a young woman who agreed to accompany him to Valhalla.
A youth enters the camp requesting Buliwyf's aid: his father's kingdom in the far north is under attack from an ancient evil so frightening that even the bravest warriors dare not name it. The "angel of death", a völva (wisewoman), determines the mission will be successful if thirteen warriors go to face this danger—but the thirteenth must not be a Norseman. Ahmad is recruited against his will.
Ahmad learns Norse during their journey by listening intently to his companions' conversations. He is looked down upon by the huge Norsemen, who mock his physical weakness and his small Arabian horse, but he earns a measure of respect by his fast learning of their language, his horsemanship, ingenuity, and ability to write.
Reaching King Hrothgar's kingdom, they confirm that their foe is indeed the ancient "Wendol", fiends who come with the mist to kill and eat human flesh. While the group searches through a raided cabin they find a venus figurine. On their first night three of their number - Hyglak, Ragnar and Haltaf are killed. In a string of clashes, Buliwyf's band establishes that the Wendol are humanoid cannibals who appear as, live like, and identify with bears.
Their numbers dwindling and their position all but indefensible, an ancient völva of the village tells them to track the Wendol to their lair and destroy their leaders, the "Mother of the Wendol" and their Warlord who wears "the horns of power". Buliwyf and the remaining warriors infiltrate the Wendol cave-complex and kill the Mother, but not before Buliwyf is scratched deeply across the shoulder by her poisoned "fingernail claw".
The remaining warriors return to the village and prepare for a final battle they do not expect to survive. Buliwyf staggers outside before the fight and inspires the warriors with a Viking prayer for the honored dead who will enter Valhalla. Buliwyf succeeds in killing the Wendol Warlord, causing their defeat, before succumbing to the poison. Ahmad ibn Fadlan witnesses Buliwyf's royal funeral before returning to his homeland, grateful to the Norsemen for helping him to "become a man, and a useful servant of God". He is shown at the movie's end writing down the tale of his time with them.

Tags: fantasy, murder, violence, cult, good versus evil, action, romantic

Review:
Its easily the most underrated movie I have come across, and can best be described as a hidden gem for the ones who like historical adventure/action-movies (Braveheart/Gladiator/Kingdom of Heaven/Robin Hood) and fantasy-movies.
It should be viewed as a fantasy, even though the vikings portrayed and their buildings/settlement is the most realistic I have seen in any movie to date.Btw: To all you who like the above-mentioned movies for the big battle-scenes and sword-fighting, don't expect this one to have its major impact in that area (even though it got them).
There is a fantastic cast in this movie, with Banderas, Storhøi and Kulich making their characters come truly alive.This is a great adventure of a movie, which should be regarded alongside the other movies I mentioned above.9/10 - Must see for all who like adventure/fantasy.
The band of 13 is led by the huge and intimidating Buliwyf (read Beowulf), a hero among his people who must battle both the Wendol and their deadly "mother." Alexander Gudonov lookalike Vladimir Kulich is the hero of this film, and delivers a strong, amazing performance.
The casting is great, with standout performances by the aforementioned Kulich as well as Dennis Storhoi as Herger, Banderas's translator and only friend; the handsome Scottish actor Tony Curran (in an unlikely kilt, but who cares?!?!) as the Celt Weath and the woefully underrated Richard Bremmer as the intimidating tattooed redheaded (and damn sexy!) Skeld.
The direction and the cinematography are all top notch, while the cast is great specially the actor who played Beowulf..his commanding presence on the screen totally ruled the movie..
makes it easy to understand why this is the land of such creatures.The movie tells the story of an Arab courtier / diplomat who was sent to the barbaric North as a punishment for falling in love with the wrong woman.
The Arab, however not believing that these mythical creatures from the forests really exist, joins them in their battle against the Wendol...Normally I'm not too much of a fan of Antonio Banderas' work, but this time I really liked him as the Arab with the impressive name of Ahmed Ibn Fahdlan Ibn Al Abbas Ibn Rashid Ibn Hamad (I guess you better don't try to say that 10 times in a row).
The other actors all did a very good job as well, even though I have to admit that I've never heard of most of them before.The story is nice and well written, the way it was all shot is done properly and overall I must say that I really enjoyed watching this movie.
Antonio Banderes plays an arab who is picked to fight as a warrior against an unknown race of people who attacked a village of Vikings.
On route, he is accepted as the thirteen warrior and invited to join a group of adventurous Vikings who are requested to return to the mother country to defend the villagers against a monstrous flesh eating peoples called the Wendol.
Slowly I stated to understand the plot and the point of the movie and just found it all interesting and great to watch.All around it was interesting to watch and see what people believe the Vikings did for one another..
the movie provides a vehicle to learn or experience the characters in a different manner than reading about the events, which from the account of the narrator are somewhat bland and overly factual.this is a great effort to stay true to the story provided and i personally find that the strange connection and distance that you encounter with the main characters convey the true meaning of what it would be like to experience an event like this - that is without the language and social skills of the environment one is thrust into.so on the whole i think that this is a respectable attempt to recreate the story as documented, without taking too much license at "artistic additions" in the film version.
A lot of people slate this movie for its lack of plot, its supposedly weak story line and apparently poor acting and minimalistic scenes.
I would like to remind those people that 13th Warrior is set in a place where expansive scenarios don't just appear and landscapes are not necessary when the movie is based around such a small area.
After a troubled production that saw the budget balloon to nearly $160 million and writer Michael Crichton step in and take over directing duties from John McTiernan ('Predator', 'Die Hard') on a series of re-shoots, 'The 13th Warrior' (Based on Crichton's novel "Eaters Of The Dead", well worth reading on its own), opened to scathing reviews and weak box office.
It's a really good movie.Featuring a classic stranger in a strange land formula and moving without any wasted motion--without sacrificing story or character, 'The 13th Warrior' is a rousing, old fashioned adventure tale.
Accompanied by a stirring score from the great Jerry Goldsmith, The 13th Warrior sits atop my list of the most underrated films of certainly the last few decades, if not all-time.
the 13th warrior is surely one of the best action thrillers ever made.inspired from michael crichton's bestseller ''eaters of the dead'',the movie lives up to the reputation of the book.john mctiernan proved again and again why he is one of the most versatile and sought after directors of the action/thriller genre.right from the beginning ,the movie gives u that chill-up-ur-spine feeling with it's silent background themes.the direction:perfect,the cast stars big names :antonio banderas,vladimir kulyich and noted British actor andy curran .the action scenes are extremely well directed suiting the viking style.on the whole my rating is definitely an 8.3 after complete analysis.critic rating:a must see!.
As has already been said, Antonio Banderas is a civilized Arab in the land of the Vikings in this well done adaptation by Michael Crichton's of his novel Eaters of the Dead.
A nice surprise to find a story we all heard of in school so well done on the screen!In school we read about the Arab who encountered Vikings far away from their homeland, and the film follows his description thoroughly (beautiful but dirty people).
They have tried to make Viking behaviour believable and have managed all right there, if you have read Nordic sagas.In our country we prefer to hear people talk the language they are supposed to speak on the screen, but in a Hollywood production like this we can here at least hear Nordic languages spoken for a time.I particularly like the way the film showed how the Arab (Banderas) learns the Nordic language.As a whole: an alright adventure story with a good ancient atmosphere..
I do know the author (Michael Crichton)also enjoyed it however.I find that this movie is by far an away the coolest if not best personification of viking warriors that I have seen.
Not the travelogue of many adventure movies, here the weather varies rapidly from brilliant sunshine on verdant forests to gloomy, drenching rain to haunting mist, which becomes a major plot element.For action, imagine an Arabian poet, exiled as Ambassador, having to join a band of warriors led by Buliwyf, i.e., Beowulf, in defending King Hrothgar against a large army of "Wendol", the "eaters of the dead", which the Northmen fear are demons.
Shortly after , he is enlisted to battle a mysterious evil force, creatures of the mist (though never explains who the ravenous-hunger "mist monsters" actually are and in the novel, they were the descendants of the Neanderthals) attacking by night as supernatural head-cutters (Wendol) and devouring human flesh that threaten the village existence .This epic movie initially titled ¨Eaters of the dead¨and subsequently ¨The 13th Warrior¨ begins with a real sense of wonder and surprise and winding up with continuous struggles against the body eaters .
The costumes, the sets, the way the characters react to situations.Antonio does a great job as an arab poet forced into adventure by these warriors.
There is a lot of fun to be found here, such as a fight between two of the Northmen, one older and one younger, which is a prime example of how quality sound editing can really make or break a one-on-one battle- a flaw that doomed Troy's Achilles-Hector fight scene.I don't understand why people criticize this film's minute details as if it was a historical epic.
Even after six viewings in total, I am still noticing new minor but significant details.I have no doubt that The 13th Warrior will one day be considered as one of the best films of the 20th century, ranking alongside The Seven Samurai, 2001: A Space Odyssey and The Great Escape (to name just three movies that share some of its characteristics) as a cinematic landmark action/adventure.
This complementary difference is probably best explained by Ahmed when he explains how he learned his companions' Norse language: "I listened!"; Buliwyf responds by explaining how he could write a complicated Arabic phrase after seeing it just once, weeks earlier: "I watched!"The basic plot of the movie is simple: Banderas is chosen as the non-Norseman member of a mystical party of 13 warriors who are needed to combat an invasion by a mystery horde of flesheating invaders, the Wendol (who seem to be modelled on the ancient Picts).
However, I wasn't too sure whether or not I should like this movie adaptation of Michael Crichton's novel, so I decided to watch the whole thing online feeling a little underwhelmed at first, but as the film progresses, I said to myself, "You know what?
This is a great adventure romp that any geek will love.You've got a nice little story, good, memorable characters (especially Herger), great music and battle sequences - what more can you ask for?
Resigned to his role as an ambassador and accompanied by a family friend, Melchisidek (played by the excellent Omar Sharif), he gets more than he wagered by being named by a soothsayer to help the nordic warriors in their quest.What follows is really a growth story for the main character, who shows his true worth when his time of testing comes.I've read "Eaters of the Dead" and to be honest I much prefer this adaption!.
A Great Adventure Move: Easily the best Viking movie ever made..
Antonio Banderas is very good as the Arab diplomat, that comes to live amongst the Vikings and adopt many of their ways.
I love the way the Vikings are depicted in this movie, not as mindless brutes, but as extremely intelligent, calculating, warriors.
I have watched The 13th Warrior over 20 times.The music is very good, the story is believable: hominid anthropology overlap credible, holds together well, and I have always thought the film's portrayal of Ibn Fahdlan's learning transition, learning Old Norse by listening quietly to the other characters, makes his (our) transition to understanding all of the characters speech quite believable.
Good job, there.The battle scenes are great, well constructed, lots of long-shot perspective, avoids cheap close-ups, the cannibalistic bear warriors fierce, the horse riding first rate, and the cave fight scary.
As I do not like enclosed spaces, this portion is very believable.While the only notable actor, besides a short cameo by Omar Sharif (Melchisidek), is Antonio Banderas (Ahmed Ibn Fahdlan); I thought the ensemble acting of the others including Dennis Storhøi (Herger) Vladimir Kulich (Buliwyf) were very good.
Maybe that's because i've seen this movie when i was 15- 16 years old, and i saw it like 5 or 6 times, yes, loved this film at the time.
This blend of historical adventure and horror maybe somewhat incoherent at times, but it's hard not to be caught up in this tale of an Arabian nobleman recruited to be 'The 13th Warrior' by a band of Norsemen who have been called on to defend a village from apparently supernatural flesh-eating creatures.Antonio Banderas is effective as our audience identification figure, a cultured civilized poet, in a fish-out-of-water scenario with the uncouth Norse folk he's with.The battle scenes are impressive, with Antonio and co taking on the monstrous marauders.
I don't know any guy that would turn down the chance to join "Ibn" and this band of Vikings deep down.A great film that men of the modern age could try to aspire to...to be strong, brave, honorable, and just...and deal with our weaknesses as best we can.
I really enjoyed this movie; it was authentic; there was a lot of action scenes, and I think that the setting dialog, and clothing, and actors were great making the movie seem real..
visually stunning and set designs that transport you back in time for 100 mins.this is not a histronic epic but matinée popcorn b movie and i mean that in good way.a film like this is one you buy and every 6 months you can watch without any qualms.
i have seen 13th warriors over 10 times so i know what I'm talking about.viking movies are always good value but is one of the best.with only the vikings as a close second.
I couldn't help laughing every time Banderas's character Ahmed Fadlan opened his mouth to add narration to the story , when he said " We traveled to the lands of the north " I kept expecting him to say " So I could meet some really sexy blonde ladies , ah really really lurve Abi Titmuss " Seeing as this brought amusement to the proceedings I'm glad I was reminded of Avid Merrion because that's the only entertainment to be had by the first hour of this movie whose narrative is entirely taken up by Ahmed traveling with a group of viking warriors to the lands of the north which is even less exciting than it sounds .
I would have also preferred a non-existent love affair over the one in the movie.I have not read the book this is based off (Eaters of the dead) but the movie is most likely inspired by the Japanese classic "Seven Samurai", not enough to make it seem like a copy, but enough that if you've seen both you'll see the connection for sure.In all: Very good movie, entertaining and dark and gritty, you'll find your hands sweaty and your eyes not blinking during some parts of the movie and if you enjoyed shows like Vikings, King Arthur, 300, and even films such as Yojimbo, Seven Samurai, and The Last Samurai, you might very well like this one.
Give it a shot despite the scores and keep in mind it might not have aged exceptionally but it's got that 90s charm.Expanding a little bit:A lot of Norse mythology went into this movie of course, it being inspired by the story of Beowulf, but I would have loved to see some other references in there.
i mean that this is the first modern movie, before the gladiator, to have big fight scenes, and war like action.
The evolution of the main character is done very well, and not only that Banderas is not really the main character if you really watch the movie, hes just the guy that goes along with the vikings to their land because that bone oracle said so, and there he doesn't do much just help kill thous things, but the story is seen through his eyes, he is the character we can identify with, he knows as much as we do bout whats going on.
This is a great action adventure movie that should have been much better.
I have watched this film approx 5 times and really enjoyed it.I thought the way Banderas learned a new language was quite novel.The story and subject were fresh,and I would like to see previous adventures of the Vikings brought to the screen.The brotherhood of the group of fighters was apparent early in the film,and I liked the almost book like/theatre like, chapters/acts that we were treated to.You quickly find yourself becoming attached to the very different characters, whom, on the whole all play vital roles in their ultimate goal to overthrow the growing evil mystical cult which threatens to engulf that part of the world.
It has so many great actors in it, Antonio Banderas, and Omar Shariff and others that I had seen in other movies.
I really enjoyed both the look and feel of this movie which I believe is destined to become a favorite of not only Antonio Banderas fans but also of this great action director.
In the same vain of great movies like "The Vikings" with Tony Curtis & Kirk Douglas, and the all time classic "Spartacus" or the little known film "The 300 Spartans" starring I believe Richard Egan as the Warrior King, the 13th Warrior is an entertaining and enjoyable movie that can be watched over and over and enjoyed as much as the first viewing.
At times, "13th Warrior" reminds me of *Beowulf* and at others, "Erik the Viking," but I think that the Vikings themselves would have found it at least a good story if nothing else.I know nothing about Michael Crichton's book, but I'm assuming that Antonio Banderas' character "Ahmed Ibn Fadhlan" was actually based on the Arab Ibn Fadhlan, who in the 920s encountered a band of Vikings on the Volga in modern Russia and wrote of his experiences with them, which this film (and I'm assuming Crichton's book) merely dramatizes and adds monsters too.
It's a well known story (or at least it should be) and so the need to spell out every little detail seems extraneous.The characters ARE quite well developed and I saw in Buliwyf (sounds a bit like Beowulf doesn't it?) the quintessential Viking warrior/king.
Great movie with humor, action, and story.
If this film starred Gibson or Arnold Schwarzenegger as Buliwyf (played instead by veritably unknown Vladimir Kulich), and spent a little time developing him as a leader, I'm sure everyone would have thought it was a great movie.They only real flaw in the plot was premise that an Arab that they just met, especially one who was not a warrior by profession, would be selected as the 13th warrior.