williamgregorburton 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.

Fluke_Skywalker 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.

petra_ste A famous box office bomb, this Michael Crichton adaptation is better than its reputation - as far as non-supernatural versions of mythological sagas go (Beowulf in this case), it definitely beats Petersen's Troy and Fuqua's King Arthur.Directed with a deft hand by veteran John McTiernan (Die Hard, Predator), the movie boasts solid action scenes and a compelling premise: Arabian traveler Ahmed (Banderas) reluctantly joins a band of Vikings facing the mysterious Wendol, a savage horde of raiders with a beast-like appearance. Fine battles aside, there are a few neat moments: for example, a clever and effective "character slowly overcomes a language barrier" montage.The biggest flaw is how, Banderas aside, nearly all fellowship members remain underdeveloped - with the exceptions of leader Buliwyf and Ahmed's pal Herger, everyone else is a bearded, grim cypher. They should have reduced the group, developed every character and called it The Seventh Warrior instead.7/10

Kirpianuscus not great. but real interesting. for the idea to present three Medieval societies together. for the flavor of a period in its deep symbols. for the mixture of fantasy and heroic. for the tension. and, in not ordinary manner, for the fight scenes. a film about faith out from religion's circle. because it is picture of a new world's birth. and that fact, presented without great expectations but in right manner, using symbols more than action, using the emotions more than heroism, is the inspired way to describe a history's slice in honest style. sure, the accuracy is not the greatest virtue. but the message, the old fashion message is useful. maybe, not only for do an interesting show, but for discover another side of the roots of contemporary society's challenges.