 | The 13th Warrior Starring: Antonio Banderas, Omar Sharif, Diane Venora, Kristen Cloke |
I was prepared not to like this film. In truth, it's a rather well done adventure, providing believability is left behind and you are in the mood to settle for pure escapism. The 13th Warrior is set in the good old days of flying carpets and genies. It tells the story of an Arab (Banderas) who is caught fooling around with the wife of an important citizen of Baghdad. The husband, a close friend of the Caliph, has him exiled. The Arab, being a nobleman and a poet, is sent by the sympathetic Caliph to the unknown North Country as an ambassador (some things never change). The Arab takes with him a wise old sage as translator (Sharif). After almost being wiped out by blood thirsty Tartars, his small entourage seeks refuge in a camp of Vikings. The Vikings, crude northern rednecks with bad table manners, eventually grow on you. After they receive word that unspeakable monsters are invading their country, a hooded witch tells them that thirteen warriors must return to the homeland to defeat these evil flesh-eating creatures. Here's the rub. The 13th warrior must not be from the North. All eyes are on the Arab who reluctantly joins the proud group; after all, he's a lover not a fighter. Upon their return the Arab proves to be a worthy warrior and eventually the vile beasts are defeated. With the northlands in peace, the poet/Arab returns to Baghdad (maybe the husband kicked the bucket) and writes of his glorious adventure. The music soars and the credits roll. Realizing it's all a bit dated, director McTiernan and cinematographer Presley do quite well to keep this film moving. The cold, icy ambiance of the North is impressively photographed. The tracking shots (with a stedicam) and montage during the battle scenes are done with a genuine flair and excitement. For this genre, it's a good film. I might add, Banderas is a credible actor. If I were he I would have my agent drawn and quartered for placing me in this film, find a good one, and hopefully get some roles where my talent could be effectively realized. |