"I am not a warrior..."      

THE 13TH WARRIOR (R)

Reviewed September 4, 1999 - Check out The 13th Warrior Website.

Studio Synopsis: Based on Michael Crichton's best-selling novel "Eaters of the Dead," The 13th Warrior is an exciting and unforgettable adventure thriller. When an important emissary (Antonio Banderas) is abducted by a band of warriors, he is forced to join their quest to battle mysterious creatures legendary for consuming every living thing in their path. Eventually surrounded by the frightening and ferocious foe, he must conquer his personal fears and help battle the elusive invaders, who emerge out of the shroud of fog in the black night.

Fuzzydog Review: A big-budget production from Michael Crichton and John McTiernan, The 13th Warrior is a visual feast of exotic locations and grand setpieces.  It is also, unfortunately, amazingly uninteresting and uninspired.  With a band of thirteen warriors that are never interesting enough to care about, and a "frightening and ferocious foe" that never lives up to its billing, this film feels like a very bad merging of Braveheart and The X-Files...and it doesn't work.  Banderas, who has turned in some fairly entertaining performances in films like The Mask of Zorro and Desperado, seems out of his element in 13th Warrior, and his weak performance definitely hurts the film.  Add to that the disappointingly sloppy direction of several big battle scenes (some filmed too darkly to clearly see what's going on), and you end up with a big-budget movie that should really be avoided. 

Responses from cyberspace--thanks for writing!

bluestarflame@yahoo.com gives this movie  stars: "Loved this movie...and I still do:) It was a very awesome and gruesome movie...It will always remain the tops in my books:)" (10/2/01)

keesbrook@sympatico.ca gives this movie  stars: "I enjoyed this movie immensely, a number of times in fact. I think they did a very good job of casting and scripting the "Northmen" to give a real feel of Viking life and attitudes. The music was great and the battle scenes impressive. I always enjoy Antonio Banderas and found this film allowed him to depict a different type of character. He didn't outshine the other main characters either. Allowing the audience to identify with more than just his character. This held true to the book as he was the story teller and observer, not the main hero." (8/24/00)

pulsarlvr1@aol.com gives this movie  stars: "I wish I'd seen this movie on the big screen. I enjoyed it immensely. The scenery, soundtrack, and acting were just what they needed to be. I thought the casting for the Viking roles was great. This is a movie i will enjoy watching over and over again. I will even consider it when my son starts to learn about Vikings and/or Medieval times. I watch movies to be entertained, there was only one part where I had to turn my head, and it wasn't a fight scene. I read the book after watching the movie. I hope the actors and actresses enjoyed making this movie as much as I have enjoyed watching it. " (8/2/00)

John gives this movie  stars: "Great Film based on a TRUE Story! I thought the acting was good but the music score, cinematography and sound was great! Watched it 4 times!" (5/13/00)

ChelseaKID@excite.com gives this movie  stars: "I thought this movie was terrific. I enjoyed the battle scenes especially the last one.I think it spoke to me in a very deep way, about being a man and sticking together no matter what the odds are, how often do you see that in real life? Anyway see it !" (4/19/00)

jakegolden@msn.com gives this movie  stars: "Great action flick! Antonio Banderas is great. Why do the critics always try to compare one movie to another??? Just enjoy this one. It's gooooood!" (4/19/00)

desfletc@yahoo.com gives this movie  stars: "one of the best films i have seen for a very long time,we dont see enough of these type of films.brilliant stuff,battle scenes were great.i would love to have been there myself,it certainly made me feel like i was there.lets have sum more" (3/29/00)

sleepyww@bigfoot.com gives this movie  stars: "I loved this film! Can't wait to see it again and again!" (11/2/99)

emporer10@hotmail.com gives this movie  stars: "this movie was one of the best ever" (10/13/99)