The 13th Warrior

Director: John McTiernan

Stars: Omar Sharif, Dennis Storhoi, Vladimir Kulich, Antonio Banderas, Diane Venora

Year: 1999 Running Time: 103 mins Rating:

Exiled Arab courtier Ahmad Ibn Fadlan (Antonio Banderas) joins a party of Vikings on a trip to the barbaric North in AD 600. Despite disapproving of their cold-blooded human sacrifices he finds himself joining them to battle creatures that make mincemeat of human flesh. Michael "Jurassic Park" Crichton's story gets the full Nordic treatment in this compelling actioner.

Review

Broadswords clash, arrows whistle and heads roll as banished Arab nobleman Antonio Banderas is swept from Asia to Scandinavia to help a band of Norse warriors battle an enemy laying waste to the country.

Despite some clunky lines and too much slow motion in the final attack, this is superior medieval fare with blood-surging action in Seven Samurai tradition.

Pitched battles and adventures in caves are thrillingly done and Banderas is perfect.

Based on Michael Crichton's Beowulf-inspired legend novel Eaters of the Dead, the movie was heavily cut and re-edited just before cinema release.