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Touchstone Pictures
Not part of a collection.
Prey for the living.
A Muslim ambassador exiled from his homeland joins a group of Vikings, initially offended by their behavior but growing to respect them. As they travel together, they learn of a legendary evil closing in and must unite to confront this formidable force.
CinemaSerf
May 16, 2023 · via TMDB
This is my kind of film, and so despite that rather dodgy casting of Antonio Banderas - indeed, the pretty ropey casting throughout - I still rather enjoyed it. Banderas is a gentle poet whose eye wanders at the court of the Caliph. That earns him a new job as ambassador to the Northmen and so off he rides, with his sagely friend "Melchisadek" (a few scenes from Omar Sharif). His arrival at their camp is greeted with indifference until a messenger arrives regaling them with horror stories of a terror back home. Their soothsayer advises that thirteen men must return home to combat this evil - but the last of this warlike baker's dozen must not be of their race. Oops - wrong place, wrong time for Antonio and off he sets into an enjoyably paced series of set-piece action scenarios with a Norse theme to them. Luckily, he befriends the charismatic "Herger" (an enthusiastic but pretty hopeless Dennis Storhøi) and intrigues the new king "Buliwyf" (Vladimir Kulich) with his ability to "speak sounds" (write!) and together they gradually bond in the face of their menacing enemy. It's not a great film, no - the dialogue is poor and the acting really isn't up to much ether but there is loads of swordplay, flaming arrows and the whole thing is generally quite light-hearted and good-humoured. This mythology always lends itself well to a good story and the (underplayed) clashes of culture between the rough and ready warriors and their more refined guest adds a little richness to the plot. You won't remember it afterwards, and I bet Banderas probably doesn't want to - but it doesn't hang around and kills an hour and an half easily enough.
The Movie Mob
Aug 19, 2022 · via TMDB
**Overall: Ignore the reviews. The 13th Warrior is the best Viking epic of all time!** The greatest historical Viking battle epic you never heard of. Just like Jurassic Park and Westworld, The 13th Warrior is based on a Michael Crichton book and boasts an incredible action director, John McTiernan (Die Hard, Predator), Antonio Banderas as the leading man at the top of his career, excellent practical effects and beautiful sets and costumes. Yet, critics obliterated the film, and it failed at the box office, becoming one of the biggest box office flops of all time. I have no idea how this happened or why the reviews are so bad because this is an EXCELLENT movie. The battle scenes in The 13th Warrior are in league with other action epics like Braveheart, The Last Samurai, or Kingdom of Heaven. The story is similar to 300, where a small band of warriors face impossible odds and mixes a little horror with fantastic action and great character development. I’m not sure how The 13th Warrior ended up in the garbage can, but it belongs on the top shelf with the best action epics.
Wuchak
Apr 26, 2021 · via TMDB
**_Good Viking Adventure -- Could've Been Great_** The story of "The 13th Warrior" (1999) comes from Michael Crichton's novel "The Eaters of the Dead" which combines the legend of Beowulf with a historical account of an Arab diplomat who meets and dwells with the Vikings after being banished from his homeland due to an adulterous liaison. Antonio Banderas stars as the Arab while the hulking Vladimir Kulich heads the Viking cast in the Beowulf role of Buliwyf (pronounced in the film BULL-vie). Speaking of Kulich, he would've made for an excellent Mighty Thor back in the day! The plot of the film is great: Once Banderas meets up with the Vikings, they run afoul of a mysterious brutal tribe from the deep woods. Banderas is selected as the lone non-Viking to assist the 12 Norsemen in ridding the communities of the threat, hence "the 13th warrior." The cast, characters, story, locations (Campbell River, Vancouver Island), sets, costumes, score (Jerry Goldsmith), and cinematography are all of the highest order. At a little over an hour and a half the film moves along briskly with a lot of action. Make no mistake, "The 13th Warrior" is a Class A film, but some story elements seem to be underdeveloped. This is probably due to the conflict Michael Crichton had with director John McTiernan. Crichton insisted on reshoots and cut at least 30 minutes of McTiernan's work, reportedly important character-developing scenes. We see this in the very prologue of the film: The story of Banderas' banishment from his homeland due to his indiscretions is literally relayed in a matter of a couple minutes. And at the 8 minute mark we are introduced to the Vikings with very little mystery and zero suspense build-up. The contrast of the sophisticated Arab culture with the coarse, rugged Norsemen is great, but I would have enjoyed seeing these characters fleshed-out a bit more. After all, the more we know the individuals, the more we care about what ultimately happens to them. Which brings us to the final 30 minutes of the film involving Banderas and the Vikings infiltrating the malevolent tribe's stronghold and a final attack on a Viking village. The visuals of these scenes are awe-inspiring but they fly by so quickly that the viewer is left disoriented and strangely uninvolved, not to mention unmoved by the story's outcome. All this reveals that "The 13th Warrior" COULD have been an outstanding 140-minute Viking epic, along the lines of "Troy" (2004); instead we are left with a brisk, action-oriented, near-throwaway Viking popcorn flick. I would love to see a Director's Cut some day but Vladimir Kulich opines that it will unfortunately never happen. Nonetheless, I appreciate the film as is. It's a good Viking adventure flick that's professionally done, despite the post-production problems. It's one of those films that gets better with each viewing, probably because everything flies by so quickly on initial plays. Despite it's flaws, "The 13th Warrior" isn't too far from rivaling Kirk Douglas' brilliant 1958 "The Vikings" as one of the greatest Viking films ever made. A Director's Cut could possibly even topple "The Vikings" from its lofty, coveted perch. The film was shot in British Columbia: Campbell River on Vancouver Island, Williams Lake and Pemberton, British Columbia. GRADE: B-/B.
User reviews courtesy of TMDB.
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Amazon Video
Apple TV Store
Google Play Movies
YouTube
Fandango At Home
Antonio Banderas
Ahmed Ibh Fahdlan
Diane Venora
Queen Weilew
Dennis Storhøi
Herger (Joyous)
Vladimir Kulich
Buliwyf
Omar Sharif
Melchisidek
Anders T. Andersen
Wigliff (King's Son)
Richard Bremmer
Skeld (Superstitious)
Tony Curran
Weath (Musician)
Neil Maffin
Roneth
Clive Russell
Helfdane (Fat)
Daniel Southern
Edgtho (Silent)
Sven Wollter
King Hrothgar
Albie Woodington
Hyglak (Quarrelsome)
John DeSantis
Ragnar (Dour)
Erick Avari
Caravan Leader
Maria Bonnevie
Olga
Richard Ooms
One-Eyed Old Man
Andrew Kavadas
Norseman
Layla Alizada
Serving Girl
Alex Zahara
Norseman
Turid Balke
Oracle (Old Woman)
Suzanne Bertish
Hulda
Susan Willis
Wendol Mother
Kristen Cloke
Wendol Mother (uncredited)
Tarik Batal
Arab Page
Kaaren de Zilva
Serving Girl
Sven-Ole Thorsen
Would Be King
Brian Jensen
Norseman
Michael Jonsson
Norseman
Mark Acheson
Norseman
Owen Walstrom
Wendol Guard
Greg Michaels
Sword Master
Peter Menzies Jr.
Director of Photography
Brent Woolsey
Stunt Coordinator
Ken Kirzinger
Stunt Coordinator
Casey O'Neill
Stunt Double
Sonny Surowiec
Stunt Double
Anita Hart
Stunts
Brad Loree
Stunts
Celia Bond
Stunts
Corry Glass
Stunts
Danny Epper
Stunts
David Jacox
Stunts
Dieter Rauter
Stunts
Duane Dickinson
Stunts
Gregory J. Barnett
Stunts
Marny Eng
Stunts
Melissa R. Stubbs
Stunts
Mike Mitchell
Stunts
Paul Rutledge
Stunts
Shawn C. Orr
Stunts
Troy Brown
Stunts
Owen Walstrom
Utility Stunts
John McTiernan
Director
Patricia McCorkle
Casting
Andrew G. Vajna
Executive Producer
John McTiernan
Producer
Michael Crichton
Producer
Ned Dowd
Producer
Matthew Wood
Assistant Sound Editor
Jerry Goldsmith
Original Music Composer
David Farmer
Other
Christopher Boyes
Sound Designer
Michael Crichton
Novel
William Wisher
Screenplay
Arnljot
Vrak
Schindler's List
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Scarface
Das Boot
Ran
Dance of the Damned
Kill Bill: Vol. 1
Warriors of the Wind
Kill Bill: Vol. 2
How to Train Your Dragon
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Dances with Wolves
Die Hard
The Chaser
Big Fish
Jaws
The Warriors
Trinity Seven: Heaven's Library & Crimson Lord
Police Story
Empire of the Sun
The Seven Deadly Sins: Prisoners of the Sky
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
No Mercy
Road to Ninja: Naruto the Movie
Bhairava Dweepam
O Brother, Where Art Thou?
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X-Men: First Class
Berserk: The Golden Age Arc II - The Battle for Doldrey
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Constantine
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Quo Vadis
Max
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Ghajini
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Civil War
First Kill
A Chinese Ghost Story II
The Man From Snowy River II
48 Hrs.
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The Lord of the Rings
Benedetta
Radioactive
War of the Worlds
Beverly Hills Cop II
A Chinese Ghost Story III
The Great Raid
Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle
The Man with the Golden Gun
The Principal
Man on a Ledge
Unhinged
The Seekers
The King of Kings
A Scandal in Paris
Rhea Gall Force
Bāhubali: The Epic
John Carter
Live by Night
Sniper: Ghost Shooter
Kidnapped
Firebrand
Just Cause
X-Cross
The Girl in the Spider's Web
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1
Jurassic Park III
A Tale of Two Cities
Eraser
Nancy Drew
The Wedding Party
Shaft
Bibi Blocksberg
Another 48 Hrs.
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Samurai Marathon
The Pity of War
The Time of the Turning
The 5th Wave
The Sign Painter
Beverly Hills Cop III
The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause
The Swan Princess: Royally Undercover
Black Water
Bad Company
Freejack
The Sword and the Sorcerer
Black Knight
Batman Forever
The Killer Robots! Crash and Burn
DOA: Dead or Alive
Alice in the Country of Hearts: Wonderful Wonder World
Ilya Muromets
Who Killed Nancy?
The Passion of Ayn Rand
Kickboxer 4: The Aggressor
Three Lives
The Wars of the Roses: A Bloody Crown
Guards of Shaolin
The Adventures of Halvdan Viking
Nights of Farewell
Veronika
Šílený kankán
Sand Serpents
Dragonball Evolution
Heavy Metal vs. Dominator
Darkside Witches II
DragonMan: The Adventures of Luke Starr
Fablehaven
WWIII
Brimstone, the Amish Horse
GULAG -THE MOVIE-
Oubliette
Dragon Girls
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The Last Stand of Ellen Cole
The Physician
The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die
Hulk vs. Wolverine
Kingdom of Heaven
The Northman
The 7th Voyage of Sinbad
The Outpost
Dragonheart: Vengeance
Highlander
Medieval
Conan the Barbarian
The Golden Voyage of Sinbad
Ivanhoe
Last Knights
The Lost Viking
In the Lost Lands
Stockholm Bloodbath
Desert Warrior
The Death of Robin Hood
Dune
The Legion
Ironclad
Valhalla Rising
Conan the Destroyer
Solomon Kane
Pilgrimage
The Last Witch Hunter
Mythica: The Iron Crown
Robin Hood
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Mythica: A Quest for Heroes
The Rising Hawk
Aug 27, 1999
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FISFiC Vol. 1
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Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs
2015
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Battle your watched movies head-to-head
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Evil Dead II
1987 · 14 wins
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2008 · 14 wins
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1978 · 13 wins
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2000 · 12 wins
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1981 · 11 wins
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