Rating: 
Summary: Great Action Flick
Review: The book "eaters of the dead" was much more graphic, and I'm glad for that, personally I would not have liked to seen some of those gory scenes that made me puke. So anyways, this still follows the plot of the book, which is based on the actual manuscripts of the Iraqi ambassador. The acting was excellent, the action scenes were very exciting, and it still has enough gore for those purists. See this if you like those mid age action flicks!My only semi complaint is that the DVD lacked the bonus material I wanted, but still the picture quality and sound was what you'd expect.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely dynamite movie!!!
Review: Crichton's Eaters of the Dead translates magnificently into a wild adventure vehicle for Banderas, who does suprisingly well in the lead performance at the 13th Warrior. Grimly realistic, the 12 Norsemen and the 13th Warrior (a la Magnificient 7) face canniblistic savages threatening a small village. Worth the price 'of the ticket' are actors Dennis Storhoi and Vladmir Kulich, who steal the showcase from Banderas, with strong performances as the Norsemen who lead the band of fearless warriors against the horde of near supernatural menace. This is lightening paced, and women enjoy it as much as the men - they especially enjoy Storhoi and Kulich!! Definitely, one that is great for repeat viewing.
Rating:
Summary: Better than the Book.
Review: THis movie is tightly directed, well acted and cast perfectly.
A cultured Arabic scholar meets the barbarous northmen and travels to fight the Neanderthals still lurking in the far north. An unlikely premise turned into a gripping, action flick that I watch over and over. Well worth the money
Rating: 
Summary: 5 star movie 1 star DVD
Review: The movie has become one of my most favored and most watched. Anythime I feel like watching epic battles and warriors overcoming impossible odds I pop this in the player. I most enjoy the fight over "an enginering dispute" and the dialouge after, great stuff. Those Northmen weren't as dumb as history wants you to think. However there are no bonus materials worth speaking of. Nothing, just some stupid recomdations from the studio. Not even a ... piece to promote the movie(i.e the making of..). I have never been so disapointed in a DVD before. but like I said before the moive is outstanding, its the DVD that's garbage.
Rating:
Summary: Lo, there do I see my father...
Review: Great movie for fans of historical fiction and a good sword fight. Full of excellent Viking lore and mythology, it gives us a new look at the Beowulf saga. It also explores an era where humans existed with another humanoid species (neanderthal possibly?). In the genre of historically-based movies such as Braveheart, Rob Roy, The Messenger, and Elizabeth, it was about time a decent Viking movie came out. My only complaints were this:
Antonio Banderas' performance was good, but not convincing enough to portray himself as an Arab. There was also insufficient lighting in certain scenes (the darkness may have been a deliberate attempt to represent the chaos of nighttime battles), but this movie is WELL worth watching nonetheless. If you get a chance, read "Eaters of the Dead," by Michael Crichton, and you will get a more detailed description of the travels of Ahmahd ibn Fahdalan. Great story, great movie!!!
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting adaptation
Review: I love this movie. I teach mythology to high schoolers and, after reading Beowulf, we discuss the way the original Epic has been adapted. I have my students compare the way the magical elements have been brought into the realm of possibility and this serves to help explain how myths often develop from real events. This, I believe, fits with Crichton's original intention, as stated in the afterword to Eaters of the Dead, which was to prove that the story of Beowulf is exciting. Besides, the music is fantastic and I never have any trouble watching Antonio.
Rating:
Summary: Waiting for a Director's Cut
Review: I love this movie, I just wish they would come out with a director's cut and put back all the talked about deleted scenes/footage. This movie deserves to be seen unedited and I would be camped out at the door waiting to buy it.
Rating:
Summary: Beowulf meets Zulu Dawn
Review: The movie is dark and murky and uninventively gruesome, but never boring. Some of the battle scenes rival "Apocalypse Now" in their hallucinatory beauty. I did like the imaginative re-interpretations of the Beowulf legend, even if this was aimed primarily at smart sixth-graders.
Rating:
Summary: Better Than Advertised
Review: This movie got a great deal of flak from "professional" movie reviewers, so I put off seeing it for quite some time. I found much of the criticism unwarranted. The film is one of the better book adaptations I've seen, and it should be - The Eaters of the Dead's author, Michael Crichton, also penned the movie script. Though the first few sequences seemed rushed, the overall pacing and tone of the film are very effective. The scenery is lush (it's so nice to see a movie that's filmed primarily on location for a change), the sets remarkable, and the costumes excellent. Though Antonio Banderas seems miscast as Ibin Fahdlan, he does a decent job with the part. The real stars of the movie, however, are the mighty Norsemen. Vladimir Kulich, Dennis Storhøi, and the raucous but noble host of others embody every boyhood dream I had of what Vikings should be. The only distraction from this party of merry warriors is their various nationalities lead to various accents. Oh well. They sure look the part and look as though they're having the times of their lives. The "monsters" are effective, but somewhat underwhelming. The battle scenes, choreographed well by director John McTiernan (Die Hard), are engrossing, and they are the reason I rented the movie in the first place. Overall, it's an engaging film, full of action and suspense. Enjoy! P.S. The DVD has a sharp picture and crisp sound, but the "special features" left something to be desired. There wasn't much at all... But that has no bearing on the quality of the movie.
Rating: 
Summary: Unlucky 13
Review: Film Director John McTiernan will never cease to amaze me. He put new meaning to 'in the wrong place at the wrong time' with DIE HARD. He convinced me that a submarine could fly in THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER. He did a remake of a classic film and the result was an all so excellent THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR. And now, he has taken a battle-filled story and made it surprisingly boring in THE 13TH WARRIOR. The screenplay is adapted from a Michael Crichton novel, which was in turn adapted from 8th grade required reading BEOWULF. But, the story we see is neither epic nor classic. Antonio Banderas portrays the Arab (insert a really long name), the poet turned reluctant warrior. His acting now consists entirely of very light, breathy dialogue, more appropriate to a screen vixen than an action hero. With the exception of the warriors' statuesque leader BULIWYF, no other character is more than one-dimensional. All females shown in the film are insane except for the obligatory blonde, right out of COSMOPOLITAN, who lies with Banderas. But, none of that matters! This is an action film! Well, there is a lot to make you nauseous. I don't mean the disembodied heads or unrecognizable gore, I mean the attacking filmmakers. They pillaged moviegoers out of $ (or [more] $ if they brought a date) leaving them with only a torn ticket stub. Well, that's a bit extreme. The cinematography is stunning and many times distracts from the main actors, who occasionally block what you want to see... Additionally, the musical score by the prolific Jerry Goldsmith is more rousing then the film deserves. So, the 13th Warrior can join the LAST ACTION HERO as another low moment in McTiernan's career. My suggestion, look to BRAVEHEART or GLADIATOR. Or just buy the musical score and make up your own adventure!
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