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Amazon.co.uk Review
What happened to The 13th Warrior? Directed by John McTiernan (Die Hard), it's the tale of young Arab ambassador Ahmahd ibn Fahdalan (Antonio Banderas), who's banished from his homeland for loving the wrong woman. On his journeys he associates with a ragtag group of Vikings who are travelling back to their homeland to confront a nefarious threat that's cloaked in such superstition they're forbidden to speak its name. It is prophesied by a witch doctor that 13 warriors must confront the evil; however, the 13th chosen man must not come from the north. Suddenly Banderas is forced into the breach, somewhat against his will. More poet than battle-worn warrior, he must not only fight the aggressors but come to terms with the unfamiliar Norse culture. What follows is a vigorous and brutal adventure reminiscent of Kurosawa's Seven Samurai.
Sumptuous and invigorating battle sequences fill the screen from beginning to end as the brave Norsemen battle insurmountable odds. Sounds good. So why did this film, once known as the Eaters of the Dead, sit on studio shelves for two years? Presumably because of the thoughtless editing that trimmed down the film to its bare bones, crafting an actionfest out of an epic. It's not often that you crave for a movie to be longer, but The 13th Warrior would have benefited from fleshing out of its subplots and characters. On the surface it's good eye candy with some fine pulse-quickening moments, and Banderas and the accompanying cast turn in sympathetic performances, epitomising camaraderie in the face of impending doom. However, if you're looking for a good thematic tale from the Dark Ages (akin to Braveheart), you may be disappointed. --Jeremy Storey
Video Description
DVD Special Features
Interactive Menus
Scene Access
Languages In Dolby Digital 5.1: English/Spanish/Italian
Subtitles: Italian/Dutch/Swedish/Norwegian/Danish/Finnish/Spanish/English for the hearing impaired
Ratio: 2.35:1
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
26 of 26 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
It disappoints me that the blurb for this DVD doesn't mention that it's an adaptation of Beowulf, based on Michael Crichton's book Eaters of the Dead. It's not necessary to know this to enjoy it, but it gives an extra edge to see how the classic legend has been adapted into a 'demythologized' form. I loved the scene where Ibn Fahlan is learning the Viking's language, and what he hears slowly morphs from Norwegian into English. An Ibn Fadhlan actually existed, and much of the intro - the Viking funeral and unsanitary washing habits - comes straight from his account of meeting the Rus (Viking merchants). An excellent and clever film - and one unusual in presenting a Muslim main character sympathetically and non-stereotypically.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Crichton's Eaters of the Dead translates magnificently into a wild adventure vehicle for Banderas, who does surprisingly well in the lead performance at the 13th Warrior. Grimly realistic, the 12 Norsemen and the 13th Warrior (a la Magnificent 7) face cannibalistic 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.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
I liked this film and the bad reviews came as a surprise after having already watched it. What I like most about this story is the fact that the narrator, a nobleman who comes from a highly sofisticated society, is not a macho-man dare-anything hero, but a poet who has never in his life seen a battle. His cultural shock when he finds these barbarians --the Vikings-- is enormous, and we just see everything through his eyes and from his point of view. The fact that he doesn't know the Viking language and needs first a translator (from Latin, which he doesn't speak either) and then to learn the Viking language, is one of the difficulties that he finds and link us to him: we (us and him) don't understand anything. Another big problem that makes us sympathize with him is that he goes unwillingly on this adventure. When he is thrown in the middle of chaos and bloody fight, we see what he sees, that is, we don't realise that the enemies are men and not beasts until we see it through his eyes.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
So good it should have been longer...
I've watched this several times and have come to the conclusion it's an under-rated, under-appreciated gem. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Border Reiver
A very underrated film
I saw this film in the cinema with my wife and we both loved it. Since then I have watched it on video and every time it is on t.v. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Baggio R
An entertaining film
I love Antonio Banderas and had never seen this film before and I wasn't disappointed. It gets off to a bit of a slow start but the action kicks in soon enough. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Vixx H
He? She?
This story happened long ago, when Vikings and superstition still roamed the earth. Antonio Banderas is the He of the story, and the She is part of the superstition that they all... Read more
Published 12 months ago by autumnleaf
Cracking yarn
I found this troubled production to be hugely entertaining and it is one I enjoy watching time and again. The basic idea is that Ibin (Antonio Banderas) is a wealthy Arab. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Mr. S. Storey
Great but flawed film
This is one of those films, like 'The Messenger' that has absolutely everything it needs for greatness. Read more
Published 20 months ago by Stitch Jones
Excellent action yarn!
Saw this a number of years ago and then purchased it later! An excellent adventure story with Antonio Banderas playing an excellent but uncharacteristic leading role. Must buy!
Published 22 months ago by S. M. Washington
Excellent Vikings v cannibals romp
The 13th Warrior is a brilliantly engaging action-adventure film where viking heroes take on a bunch of wannabe bear pagans who like nothing better than human sacrifice and... Read more
Published on 19 Jan 2010 by Kentspur
No plot, isn't that something of a problem?
I was keen to watch this but was quite disappointed.
There wasn't really a plot. That is - he's selected as the 13th warrior and just says 'OK, I'll come with you'. Read more
There wasn't really a plot. That is - he's selected as the 13th warrior and just says 'OK, I'll come with you'. Read more
Published on 11 Jun 2009 by Md Lachlan
An action movie where the heroes are fallible.
I loved the book 'Eaters of the Dead' which I read way back in the 1970s. The film is very, very close to the book: however, I was surprised that they chose such an anodyne title... Read more
Published on 1 May 2009 by Dick Pearson
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