Rating: 
Summary: Enjoyable high adventure
Review: While not quite of the epic proportions that it aspires to be, "The 13th Warrior" is nevertheless a rousing, entertaining action adventure, spiced with well orchestrated battles and director John McTiernan's (Die Hard, The Hunt for Red October) unique view of how an action film works. The film follows the adventures of Ahmed (Antonio Banderas), an exiled 8th century Arabian ambassador. Banished from his homeland for having an affair with a powerful rich man's wife, Ahmed is sent to the northern lands, to act as an ambassador to the barbarians who dwell there. Shortly after he arrives at his new "home", Ahmed is selected by an aged oracle to accompany 12 seasoned veterans, led by Buliwyf, to destroy the evil Wendol, an ancient evil threatening the lands of King Hrothgar. Ahmed, by no means a man of action, eventually finds his own identity as he and the 12 defend Hrothgar's realm against the evil enemy and, eventually, seek out and destroy them in their lair. This is one of Antonio Banderas' finer roles: though the part doesn't demand a lot of acting talent, Banderas seems comfortable in the role, and even manages to escape the "hunk" persona he created for himself in "Desperado" and "The Mask of Zorro". Aside from Banderas, the film is made up of Swedish character actors, with the exceptions of Diane Venora and Omar Sharif (always a delight to see) in small supporting roles. While "The 13th Warrior" doesn't quite hit the "epic" mark, in terms of either its scope or the presentation of its numerous battles, it is still one of the better films of this genre to have come out in quite some time. One interesting aspect of the film, based upon Michael Crichton's "Eaters of the Dead", is the way in which it deconstructs both the Beowulf legend and the conventions of the fantasy adventure genre. "The 13th Warrior" is not, contrary to initial appearances, a fantasy film, though some clues left earlier in the film report it to be: tales of a great dragon, the assumption that the Wendols are demons, etc. Once all is revealed, the Wendol are simply a hostile, cannibalistic tribe of barbarians who take to the shadows. While the idea of the Beowulf legend is hardly touched on in the film at all, it is still an interesting subtext for those familiar with the legend or with Crichton's novel...The battle scenes stand next to McTiernan's other fine action sequences: well staged, complex, and a bit confusing on a first viewing (all of McTiernan's films deserve at least a second look). The bombastic score is sweeping, just the right tone for a film of this sort, and the art direction and cinematography are stunning. It may not be a masterpiece, but considering its flawed history "The 13th Warrior" is still one of the finest "sword & sorcery" type pictures to hit the screen in quite some time.
Rating: 
Summary: fact not fiction
Review: if you happened to read the book before you saw the movie you would know that this is a true story . it was wriiten by the 13th warrior as a journal of his journies in the lands of the north.that is what makes this movie so good. you can feel like this could be the way he actually lived during that time. the story that came out of the movie was good and never slows. but i would love to see a directors cut of this movie as alot must have been edited out. for shame, this could have been just as good if not better than the epic gladiator. so for all reviewers remember this movie was based on fact not fiction.they could have billed this as a docudrama.
Rating: 
Summary: Great battle scenes
Review: This movie was packed from beginning to end with great battle scenes and good action. The only problem was that the development of the characters was lacking and some plotlines went unfinished leaving me a bit confused.This film started out strong, but by the end I noticed that it went nowhere in alot of areas. The movie could have used a good fleshing out in some areas. Not a bad movie, but one that could have been great.
Rating:
Summary: Great
Review: Action adventure the way they should be made. Original, awesome and violent - and none of that Xena sentimentality. Best adventure movie I've seen since the Mask of Zorro.
Rating:
Summary: Make your own Decision
Review: Bascially, when it comes to movies people should really watch them and decide for themselves as to if they like something or not. But for all those interested I'll give my 2 cents worth. I had no ideal what this movie was going to be about when I rented it, the only thing that I knew was that the sexy Antonio Banderas was going to be in it. So having no expectations for the movie and wanting to see Antonio is a big influence on why I enjoyed the movie as much as I did. It started off very interesting with 12, big, strong, norsmen warriors volunteering to help a kingdom in need and a reluctant Antonio becoming the 13th member of their party. So they head out on their mission and start to encounter some pretty unbelieaveable, and frightening things about their enemy. The way all of this was handeled in the directing, writting, and dialogue was very intriguing and it kept me in my chair waiting to see what was going to happen next.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent movie and incredible accurate!
Review: When I first saw this flick, I thought that it was not very historicaly accurate, but much to my surprise, it was! I had visited my local library and snooped around of the internet and discovered that those individuals involved with making this film, did alot of research. It is all highly probable, even with that Arabian character, played by Antonio Baderes. The film is increadibly accurate, mixed with a little mytholigy in the form of perhistoric men, who are Cannibals that ravage a local king's lands. Beautiful movie, lovely local. I would highly recommend this film to anyone who is interested in Scandanavian, Celtic, and Germanic/Anglo-Saxon cultures.
Rating:
Summary: awesome
Review: Every person that i have ever told to see this movie, truly loved it. You go in expecting to see a Zorro-like movie and what you see is a movie throught the eyes of a stranger. the main character is not even banderas, in my opinion, but this band of warriors that get together to fight an unknown evil.this movie is excellent and you will be pleasantly pleased like i was.
Rating:
Summary: A Classic Popcorn Movie for Those with Strong Stomachs
Review: I had the pleasure of catching this movie immediately after watching Akiro Kurosawa's "The Seven Samurai" (familiar to many Americans in its remake, "The Magnificent Seven"). The parallels between the two cannot be overstated. In "The 13th Warrior," 12 Vikings and an Arab envoy (Antonio Banderas) are recruited to aid another Norse tribes struggle against a horrible foe, the "eaters of the dead." As in "Samurai," a handful of fine warriors are charged with protecting a hapless village from an overwhelming foe, relying almost entirely on individual bravery and cunning. While the story is fairly straightforward, it shines in the way it portrays the cultural differences between Arab and Norseman without demeaning either. The combat is bloody but not excessively so, the camera does not dwell on gore. The cinematography is terrific, portraying the muddy hues of the far North's landscape in an appropriately somber fashion. One could pick away at a number of little inaccuracies ("Beowulf" written in the original Arabic?) but why bother? This is a great action movie which is accurate in a more significant fashion than most Hollywood movies---there are no sex scenes. Period. Pick up "The 13th Warrior" and you'll find 13 is a lucky number after all.
Rating:
Summary: Is he the ultimate warrior?
Review: Okay, when the opening scenes rolled and the normal beginning that we've seen many a time before for movies passed before my very eyes I thought here we go again! Alas, I do see dry land ahoy though as this movie soon comes into its own! This is a fullblown testorone movie. It's all about bravery and taking your place in Valhalla! The story, thirtenn warriors go to save a village from rampaging demons. Do they win? Watch to find out as this movie has a first, the main character isn't the hero. It's like the film is narrated by him, we see the action through his eyes. The way he sees people is the way we see them also. This movie has it all. Sword battles, bravery, an assult on the enemy's stronghold by the vikings, which is very impressive. you just can't help but be washed away with this movie as I was mesmerised for the full length of the movie. If you think you know what bravery is, then watch this movie. Once you have, come back and tell me if you still know what bravery is!
Rating:
Summary: Mood Magic
Review: I am a reasonably conservative old-man film lover, who has little time for the buckets of gore action genre, and often complain, with senile raputure, about how superficial plot development and fast-cut editing have created a generation of impatient illiterates who couldnt read a whole classic book -- how many of you have actually read Ivanhoe? -- if their lives depended on it. I should have hated this movie. But I loved it. Why? One of the earlier reviewers "got it". This movie is all about mood and evocation of place and emotion. It is much much better than Crichton's "Eaters of the Dead" on which it is based, a book which is often panned as a pale reconstruction of the Beowulf saga. The movie actually IS successful in that it captures the spirit, the savagery, the action and the intention of the Beowulf legend. THAT is the point! Do regius professors of medieval English literature at Harvard give Beowulf only one star because it has plot gaps, character anomalies, or even a fundamental contradiction in sliding back and forth between heathen and christian worldviews? Of course not. People who slam this movie for unexplained connections, fast jumps, an unconventional balance between the characters absolutely do not get it. This is an incredibly well crafted film, a subtle film, and probably the best approximation of the structure, style, and spirit of a Norse saga ever attempted. Naybe Chrichton and McTiernan intended that, and simply shot over the head of the teeny-bopper audience. I'll give them credit for having tried for that structure and effect. Whatever - this is a better film than most of you realize. Go out and buy Haney's new translation of Beowulf, and you will see the point.
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