The 13th Warrior (1999)

I always loved this film - there are so many levels to enjoy it on, from the most simplistic 'grab a sword and cut up the bad dude', to the very subtle and complex shifts of politics, personality and EVERYONE'S personal growth through cultural collision.I really love the scenes where he picks up the language over a long journey - simply through having a trained poet's and scholar's ear. And the scene directly afterward where Vladimir memorizes Antonio's writing - through his natural intelligence.And plenty of other scenes, both witty and entertaining for those with an eye for sub-text.I am also fond of bold men in bloody battles, and want to snatch up a sword myself in this fight - you can almost smell the blood and guts.Really very under-rated and one I watch at least once a year.

This is one of the best "medieval" movies I have ever seen, and I've seen a lot of them: El Cid, Braveheart, Excalibur, The Hobbit and The Fellowship of the Ring series, Ivanhoe, Adventure of Robin Hood, and the unlisted Prince Valiant. I have watched The 13th Warrior over 20 times.The music is very good, the story is believable: hominid anthropology overlap credible, holds together well, and I have always thought the film's portrayal of Ibn Fahdlan's learning transition, learning Old Norse by listening quietly to the other characters, makes his (our) transition to understanding all of the characters speech quite believable. Good job, there.The battle scenes are great, well constructed, lots of long-shot perspective, avoids cheap close-ups, the cannibalistic bear warriors fierce, the horse riding first rate, and the cave fight scary. As I do not like enclosed spaces, this portion is very believable.While the only notable actor, besides a short cameo by Omar Sharif (Melchisidek), is Antonio Banderas (Ahmed Ibn Fahdlan); I thought the ensemble acting of the others including Dennis Storhøi (Herger) Vladimir Kulich (Buliwyf) were very good. I have yet to see these actors, except Tony Curran, anywhere else.The only complaint I have is the geography. As a geographer, I know full well that Scandinavia can be, for the most part, short on coniferous forests. I deduced that the filming was done, not on location, but in Canada, which I found later to be true. Admittedly, it was probably cheaper to shoot in Canada, and made the story more enjoyable with a few more trees.I am amazed that there are those who've submitted reviews on this site, who rated the abysmal Conan The Barbarian higher the the The 13th Warrior! Honestly, after reviewing the movies on the Best Medieval Movies Of All Time, I cannot think of a better movie than The 13th Warrior.

After a troubled production that saw the budget balloon to nearly $160 million and writer Michael Crichton step in and take over directing duties from John McTiernan ('Predator', 'Die Hard') on a series of re-shoots, 'The 13th Warrior' (Based on Crichton's novel "Eaters Of The Dead", well worth reading on its own), opened to scathing reviews and weak box office. According to Wikipedia, it's the biggest box office bomb in history. Quite a pedigree, eh? But here's the thing. It's a really good movie.Featuring a classic stranger in a strange land formula and moving without any wasted motion--without sacrificing story or character, 'The 13th Warrior' is a rousing, old fashioned adventure tale. Antonio Banderas leads a cast of mostly unknowns, but everyone really makes the most out of their characters; particularly the 13 warriors themselves. Accompanied by a stirring score from the great Jerry Goldsmith, The 13th Warrior sits atop my list of the most underrated films of certainly the last few decades, if not all-time. Forget the naysayers, if you like the action/adventure genre, I think You'll like this one.

This is a screen adaptation of Michael Crichton's fictional melding of the legend of Beowulf and the journal of the Arab visitor to earliest Viking Age Scandinavia, Ahmad ibn Fadlān ibn al-Abbās ibn Rāšid ibn Hammād.Antonio Banderas did an excellent job as the lead character, ibn Fadlan/"eben." The explanation of Grendel and his mother ... who looked like a teenage actress, actually ... is more plausible than ... but not as good as ... the legend. The depiction of the Vikings' lifestyle remains true to idb Fadlan's writings. The sense of honor and humor shows a noble people living in and dealing with a harsh, primitive environment and the resulting society.The depiction of Beowulf is powerful and complimentary. He doesn't say much, but every word has impact.The sympathetic treatment of Islam is intriguing. Scandinavia is right now trying to reconcile Muslim immigrants with indigenous Christians and nonbelievers in religion. The outcome of this is ... problematic, as the 2011 terrorist attack by one disaffected young Norwegian male here in Norway evidenced.Every young (or old) person of the Northern European heritage should see ... and consider ... this film.