*Spoilers* Though for a movie approaching 20 years old, it seems moot.
This is about the movie, not the book. The book is great, but the movie, for whatever reason, was horrifically received. Its on Wikipedia's list of the Worst Box Off Bombs of all Time.
And I love it! The idea of Vikings fighting Cro-Magnons/Neanderthals is just amazing! Yes, not everything from the book is carried over, but that's adaptions for you. In the book Ahmed never learns the North language and makes do with hand gestures and plain old guessing. For a movie, that may not have sold well so he learns the language in a montage. Good. Fine, I'll let it pass.
The acting I find to be, if not amazing then certainly passable. I believe them when they speak their lines. And Antonio Bandaras is decent. It's not his best role, and yes its odd for a Latino man to be an Arab, but he sells it well enough.
The costumes look authentic, the weapons authentic, the beliefs both pagan and proto-pagan are great. At least in my opinion it paces itself. I love the scene just after the farm-stead massacre, where the vikings of Buliwfy's company are just watching the treelines, noting only that deer running away; something drove them out!
But what I love most?! The lack of computer graphics! As far as I can tell there are two scenes; the aforementioned treeline scene. Can't imagine they trained deer to run when they needed. The other is a silly scene early on when Antonio is proving his horse is agile and leaps over a wagon. Outside of that...
I guess I just love that I can never tell if its a horror story or an action movie. Yes, there is hacking and slashing and blood and oh my! But for the first hour there is this build up, this sense of 'what the fuck are they up against?! What makes a Viking shake in his boots?!' that the movie really takes advantage of. Because we are essentially in Antonio's perspective, we're at a loss as to what the Wendol are and what they've done. And its a great climax when we realize that not even the Vikings know!
I dunno, I guess I never understood why its so hated. But then again I actually liked Starship Troopers, so there ya' go...
If nothing else, remember. Fear profits man nothing.
This is about the movie, not the book. The book is great, but the movie, for whatever reason, was horrifically received. Its on Wikipedia's list of the Worst Box Off Bombs of all Time.
And I love it! The idea of Vikings fighting Cro-Magnons/Neanderthals is just amazing! Yes, not everything from the book is carried over, but that's adaptions for you. In the book Ahmed never learns the North language and makes do with hand gestures and plain old guessing. For a movie, that may not have sold well so he learns the language in a montage. Good. Fine, I'll let it pass.
The acting I find to be, if not amazing then certainly passable. I believe them when they speak their lines. And Antonio Bandaras is decent. It's not his best role, and yes its odd for a Latino man to be an Arab, but he sells it well enough.
The costumes look authentic, the weapons authentic, the beliefs both pagan and proto-pagan are great. At least in my opinion it paces itself. I love the scene just after the farm-stead massacre, where the vikings of Buliwfy's company are just watching the treelines, noting only that deer running away; something drove them out!
But what I love most?! The lack of computer graphics! As far as I can tell there are two scenes; the aforementioned treeline scene. Can't imagine they trained deer to run when they needed. The other is a silly scene early on when Antonio is proving his horse is agile and leaps over a wagon. Outside of that...
I guess I just love that I can never tell if its a horror story or an action movie. Yes, there is hacking and slashing and blood and oh my! But for the first hour there is this build up, this sense of 'what the fuck are they up against?! What makes a Viking shake in his boots?!' that the movie really takes advantage of. Because we are essentially in Antonio's perspective, we're at a loss as to what the Wendol are and what they've done. And its a great climax when we realize that not even the Vikings know!
I dunno, I guess I never understood why its so hated. But then again I actually liked Starship Troopers, so there ya' go...
If nothing else, remember. Fear profits man nothing.