This Movie Can Only Be Described With One Word.

The greatest movie ever made..!

Very interesting film. Was caught on the premise when seeing the trailer but unsure as to what the outcome would be for the showing. As it turns out, it was a very good film.

Worth seeing just to witness how winsome it is.

Movie Review: "The 13th Warrior" (1999)Based on a rarely-known book called "Eaters of the Dead" written by famous "Jurassic Park" author Michael Crichton (1942-2008), firstly published 1976, to a no-major-selling success or critical acclaim, nevertheless fascinating in its conception by following leading character an abandoned Arabic Prince by the name "Ahmed Ibn Fahdlan" to Nordic region of today's Scandinavia, meeting a tribe of Vikings, learning their language just through listening, before one night at a magically-captured bonfire scene by cinematographer Peter Menzies Jr. the ear of Ahmad, in a match-making portrayal by actor Antonio Banderas, as the words changes to full comprehension, when the Arabian finally gets accepted into the circle of childhood-close fellow Vikings, led by international casting choices as Vladimir Kulich, in fully convictions as Viking leader and actor Dennis Storhoi as Herger, the Joyous, who unfortunately does not get enough screen-time to make a mark in motion picture history, when the "Band of 12" set out then with "Ahmad" as "The 13th Warrior" to avenge a beastly R-rated ambush assault in a peace-loving Vikings' village by mask-wearing, black-magic indulging rival tribe of Nordic warriors fevering toward an ultimate showdown rain, thunder and mud.This adventure movie directed by John McTiernan should have become the ultimate Summer hit of 1998 after principal photography closing in November 1997 without holding back the barriers of a pressingly 100-Million-Dollar production budget given free by Disney Enterprises affiliate Touchstone Pictures to distribute worldwide, when a much more passionate writer-turning-director-again Michael Crichton, known for directing in 1970s with fair classics as Science Fiction thriller "Westworld" (1973) and heist-period-crime-story "The Great Train Robbery" starring Sean Connery and Donald Sutherland, who then must reshoot entire sequences for another rumor-has-it amount of 60-Million-Dollars a couple of scene for a delayed Summer release of 1999.Another time at the end of 1990s, when an editorial of just 95-Minutes gets presented to the U.S. American audience on premiere weekend of August 27th 1999, who then understandably felt cheated by such visually epic material, which deserved an 135-Minute-Editorial at least with splendid directed character arcs, sword fights of splintering blades and metal to slashing beastly flesh and an emotional as accurate warrior-to-redemption sub-story to let "The 13th Warrior" become one of "IMDb Top 250" movies, which is "The 13th Warrior" not, but nevertheless worth an initial watch of exotic adventure entertainment or even a revisit for genre-lovers.Copyright 2018 Cinemajesty Entertainments LLC

Ahmed Ibn Fahdian (Antonio Banderas)is extradited to the north by the Sultan after he falls in love with his daughter. On this journey, he stops at a Viking village and learns that a nearby kingdom is being terrorised (after the son of the King visits the village and asks their leader Bullwyf - Vladimir Kulich for help). Bullwyf and his associates agree to help the little boy and Fahdian is randomly selected as the 13th warrior and helps both Bullwyf and the boy's family to defend their kingdom...I've actually just re-read my summary for the film and deduced that it doesn't make much sense, but to my recollection that is exactly how the story is established so I can only apologise and reiterate things exactly how I saw them...Part of the problem with this film lies with its vague narrative; Fahdian is conscripted as the 13th warrior because the 13th warrior must not be from a Norse or Northern background. Oh how convenient? Of all the villages, in all the tents in all the world you just happened to walk in to mine... Quite why the 13th warrior cannot be a Norse warrior is anyone's guess - maybe it's explained in Crichton's novel, but hell it's certainly never explained in the film. I also found it strange that Fahdian seemed to be able to understand the Norse people's language and his explanation for understanding them is because he 'listened' - what that's it?? I've listened to people speak in other languages, but I'm still struggling with English so this makes no logical sense. OK, so the script has some ropy elements to it, but I was encouraged when I saw McTiernan's name on the open credits and felt sure that I would bear witness to some top quality direction... Nope the directing that I witnessed was actually very average; there were nowhere near enough action sequences, an unnecessary and unbearably long and dull set-up. The film is also way too serious and the fantasy/sorcery element was overdone and not particularly interesting.To be fair, the 13th Warrior isn't a total waste of time; there are a few decent action sequences (where McTiernan seems to have remembered some of what he was capable of with Predator and Die Hard) and the story is serviceable and moves along at an OK rate - at times it does have an old-fashioned adventure feel which always ensures that it's watchable.However, like I've said considering that this is the brainchild of talented people like Michael Crichton and John McTiernan it's hard not to feel a bit disappointed in this rather wishy-washy action adventure film - particularly knowing how great their films have been individually prior to this rather average collaboration.

Greetings from Lithuania."The 13th Warrior" (1999) was always one of my favorite movies of John McTiernan. Maybe that's because i've seen this movie when i was 15- 16 years old, and i saw it like 5 or 6 times, yes, loved this film at the time. What still strikes me the most is how superbly atmospheric this movie was. Set design was superb, you can clearly see many objects build specifically, and they weren't just cheap sets. Actors were all superb and did a great job for this material, only wished to see late Omar Sharif more on screen. This movie plays like a adventure movie (in the beginning), later it becomes like "Predator" and at the some sort of "Siege" movie. All genres clicked in here, thus creating this superbly involving and brutal world.Overall, "The 13th Warrior" was the last great flick of the great John McTiernan, who's carrier after this movie basically went into oblivion (but not because of this movie). Shame. Having this skill of creating superbly involving, intense and plausible looking entertaining movies, he should definitely would be still very helpful around. "The 13th Warrior" is the proof.

I feel like John Mctiernan's The 13th Warrior doesn't deserve the bum rap it's acquired over the years. Sure it was a flop, sure it has a few clunky parts near the beginning, but for the most part it's a visceral, rousing Nordic adventure flick that's guaranteed entertainment all the way, unless you're a wretched nitpicker. On the list of films about Viking warriors fighting some kind of barbaric enemy against gorgeously shot landscapes (that are all British Columbia no less!) it comes out a winner. Antonio Banderas plays an Arabian (yeah, yeah he's a Spaniard, deal with it) poet with an utterly unpronounceable name who is banished to explore new lands with a companion (Omar Sharif in an all too brief cameo) and attain knowledge from other people. He takes up with a rowdy Viking band, led by the kingly Buliwyf (Vladimir Kulich), who are summoned to their distant homeland to contend with a vicious threat that is attacking their villages. It being their custom to bring along one warrior who is not of their kind, they bring Banderas with them and venture home. The cinematography in their land is breathtaking, as Mctiernan uses a smoke machine in overdrive to give the hills, trees and meadows an ancient, ethereal look. They discover the menace that looms over their land is a primitive tribe of savages, and engage in spectacular battle against them. There's several sequences that shine in particular and will give your TV a workout, including a blood spattered, hazy opening battle and a wicked siege in a subterranean cave. Banderas always makes a stalwart protagonist, whether he's brash and cocky (The Mask Of Zorro) or moody and stoic (Desperado). Here he brings a wonderful naivety that's very unlike him, and uses the eventual horror and ghostly events of his character's journey to burnish his arc nicely to a point where his eventual combat scenes feel earned, having both weight and consequence. The Viking tribesman are all played with blue eyed ferocity by a tireless troupe, with especially fine work from Dennis Storhøi as Joyous, an incredibly brave warrior who Banderas finds a relatable kinship with. The years have somewhat buried the memory of this one, but it still stands as a stirring action epic with photography that is kind to the eye, combat scenes that lay the hammer down considerably in the violence department, and a story that vaguely mirrors the timeless Beowulf while adding its own dash of bloody adventure.