The 13th Warrior
In John McTiernan's 1990 film adaptation of Tom Clancy's The Hunt for Red
October, the director avoided subtitles by simply having his Russians slip
into English. The same trick works in this adaptation of the Michael Crichton
bestseller Eaters of the Dead, where everyone considerately falls into
English when 10th-century Vikings meet up with Arab emissary Ahmed Ibn Fahdlan
(Antonio Banderas), a wayward poet forced into ambassadorship. Exiled from his
homeland for an indiscretion with an influential statesman's wife, and
accompanied by his manservant Melchisidek (Omar Sharif), Ahmed is seized by
Viking warriors who determine that he is the non-Viking "13th warrior" whose
help they need against a mysterious flash-eating enemy that the elderly King
Hrothgar (Sven Wollter) and his young wife, Queen Weilaw (Diane Venora), are
battling back home. The mighty Norsemen poke mead-hall fun at their ally when
he proves too weak to wield a broadsword; but Banderas, charismatic as ever,
turns out to be pretty kick-ass (as we knew from Zorro), and this
literate entertainment -- it's a loose retelling of Beowulf -- turns out
to be a pleasing actioner.
-- Tom Meek
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