jllewell
I always loved this film - there are so many levels to enjoy it on, from the most simplistic 'grab a sword and cut up the bad dude', to the very subtle and complex shifts of politics, personality and EVERYONE'S personal growth through cultural collision.I really love the scenes where he picks up the language over a long journey - simply through having a trained poet's and scholar's ear. And the scene directly afterward where Vladimir memorizes Antonio's writing - through his natural intelligence.And plenty of other scenes, both witty and entertaining for those with an eye for sub-text.I am also fond of bold men in bloody battles, and want to snatch up a sword myself in this fight - you can almost smell the blood and guts.Really very under-rated and one I watch at least once a year.
851222
Greetings from Lithuania."The 13th Warrior" (1999) was always one of my favorite movies of John McTiernan. 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. What still strikes me the most is how superbly atmospheric this movie was. Set design was superb, you can clearly see many objects build specifically, and they weren't just cheap sets. Actors were all superb and did a great job for this material, only wished to see late Omar Sharif more on screen. This movie plays like a adventure movie (in the beginning), later it becomes like "Predator" and at the some sort of "Siege" movie. All genres clicked in here, thus creating this superbly involving and brutal world.Overall, "The 13th Warrior" was the last great flick of the great John McTiernan, who's carrier after this movie basically went into oblivion (but not because of this movie). Shame. Having this skill of creating superbly involving, intense and plausible looking entertaining movies, he should definitely would be still very helpful around. "The 13th Warrior" is the proof.
elcoat
This is a screen adaptation of Michael Crichton's fictional melding of the legend of Beowulf and the journal of the Arab visitor to earliest Viking Age Scandinavia, Ahmad ibn Fadlān ibn al-Abbās ibn Rāid ibn Hammād.Antonio Banderas did an excellent job as the lead character, ibn Fadlan/"eben." The explanation of Grendel and his mother ... who looked like a teenage actress, actually ... is more plausible than ... but not as good as ... the legend. The depiction of the Vikings' lifestyle remains true to idb Fadlan's writings. The sense of honor and humor shows a noble people living in and dealing with a harsh, primitive environment and the resulting society.The depiction of Beowulf is powerful and complimentary. He doesn't say much, but every word has impact.The sympathetic treatment of Islam is intriguing. Scandinavia is right now trying to reconcile Muslim immigrants with indigenous Christians and nonbelievers in religion. The outcome of this is ... problematic, as the 2011 terrorist attack by one disaffected young Norwegian male here in Norway evidenced.Every young (or old) person of the Northern European heritage should see ... and consider ... this film.
Python Hyena
The 13th Warrior (1999): Dir: John McTiernan / Cast: Antonio Banderas, Diane Venora, Omar Sharif, Vladimir Kulich, Clive Russell: Savage blood bath of fear as cannibals behead victims in all its gory detail. It doesn't make one bit of difference what number Antonio Banderas is. We know he is suppose to fight off these cannibals and basically kicked their asses. These warriors come across a village that live in fear of cannibals known as the Eaters of the Dead. They attack when the mist is out and take the heads of the victims. The warriors realize that they may have to seek out the cave of the enemy. Predictable, repetitious and extremely graphic. The visual elements succeed and director John McTiernan provides tension. This would seem fitting material for him, having previously made Predator. Both films are similar in that faceless warriors are killed by a nearly unseen force, and it boils down to one person to make the difference. Banderas labors under flat material. He never emerges as a personality. He fears, trains then goes out and fights. During this retaliation more warriors are slain in graphic detail. Diane Venora, Vladimir Kulich and Omar Sharif are wasted in cardboard appearances. This film is so relentlessly graphic that it is about as much fun as witnessing a live birth. Pointless encore of brutality and disgust that should be placed in a grinder. Score: 2 / 10
AD
