Howdy all and welcome to the week.
Well I have not been getting any requests on either Rotten Reelz
Reviews or Rotten Ramblin' On so I thought maybe starting up a group
on Facebook so folks could drop a remark, request or restraining
order. Whatever fits your mood. Let me know if that sounds like a
good idea.
Today's film hails from acclaimed
director John McTiernan (Predator, Die Hard, The Hunt
for Red October, Medicine Man, Last Action Hero, Die Hard with a
Vengeance, The Thomas Crowne Affair and Rollerball) to bring
us some awesome action, compelling drama and a dark tale to be told
of bravery and valor. However, none of this could be possible
without our novelist/screenplay writer Michael Crichton (The
Andromeda Strain, A Case of Need, Binary, Westworld, The Terminal
Man, The Great Train Robbery, Looker, Runaway, Jurassic Park,
Disclosure, Twister, Sphere and Timeline)
conjuring up this battle of good vs evil. This is The 13th
Warrior.
 |
| As long as my career doesn't go south. |
A
poet/storyteller and lesser Arabian nobleman Ahmed Ibn Fahdlan
(Antonio Banderas of Matador, Baton Rouge, The Mambo
Kings, Interview with the Vampire, Desperado, Four Rooms, Assassins,
The Mask of Zorro, Original Sin, Shrek 2, Thick as Thieves, The
Expendables 3 and Knight of Cups)
has been exiled by the sultan to be an "ambassador" of good
will and to report back his findings of a distant land. Stopping
for a restock of supplies at a village port, there is much debate of
a kingdom under seige from monsters that come in the night and slay
their most able men. They cry out for warriors attended to give the
battle back to these monsters. Among these men a staggering man of
6' 5", great warrior and chieftain's son Buliwf (Vladimir
Kulich of Highlander, Necronomicon, Red Scorpion 2, Ground Zero,
Silence, Angel, Ironclad, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Vikings and
The Equalizer) offers his
skills and blade. An ancient seer tosses her runes to see the future
and proceeds to tell each man they will join Buliwf on this sacred
aid for mercy including Ahmed.
 |
| Sail Away!!! |
Connecting
with these barbaric men, Ahmed attempts to not only understand their
language but be able to speak it as well. Herger (Dennis
Storhoi of Mot i brostet, Vestavind, Eva's Eye, The Longest Journey,
Captain Sabertooth, Ved kongens bord, Shameless and Two Lives)
becomes Ahmed's constant companion and guide to this land and its
people that Ahmed has never known the like.
 |
| Chaaaaarge!!! |
The
village is almost all but destroyed, no defensive walls, men at posts
or even proper archery stands. With his health failing King Hrothgar
(Sven Wollter of Sally, A Song for Martin, False
Accusation, Birthmarked, Kira's Reason: A Love Story, Suxxess,
Dieselrattor och sjonmasmoss and Molly in the World)
speaks of these unholy beasts that sneak in the middle of the night,
rousing no one from their slumber and proceed to lop the heads off
their opponents...and take them with them. They simply are known as
The Eaters of the Dead. Eerie I know but what can you do? Oh
right, mount up a war party to dispatch these beasts. The party
must use every ounce of their skills and tenacity to stomach bringing
these monsters down. Can Ahmed become a warrior? Will these
Norsemen battle to the last man? Can anything be done to save the
land and its people?
A few
points of interest and my lack of observation. I either forgot or
was just now brought to the light that Queen Weilew (Diane
Venora of The Cotton Club, A.D., F/X, Bird, Thunder Alley, Chicago
Hope, Heat, Romeo + Juliet, The Jackal, The Insider and Hamlet)
seemed like such a pillar of the people I had either no idea she was
of royalty or simply did not register. May have something to do with
that fop of a son of hers. I think I would have beheaded the little
puke.
Composer
Jerry Goldsmith (The
Waltons, Outland, The Secret of NIMH, Supergirl, Rambo III, Star Trek
V: Final Frontier, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Congo, Mulan and
Star Trek: Insurrection)
breathes life into every scene with the amazing job. One of the
Viking ships used in the movie is currently residing in the EPCOT
center at Disney World where it's part of a playground for kids now.
Avast!!
 |
| So the traditional burning of the town virgin is a real crowd pleaser then? |
No comments:
Post a Comment