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by Frank Wilkins
We join the story sometime in the 10th century A.D. as Ahmed Ibn Fahdlan (Antonio Banderas) a dashing Arab, has surrounded himself with a socially inept band of slovenly Nordic warriors. As the men awaken from the previous night's drunk and engage in a ritualistic face cleansing that involves a mutual "Viking handkerchief", we learn through a flashback that Ibn was once a well-revered poet in his homeland. That is until he fell in love with the wife of a man of influence in his native Baghdad. As a result of his forbidden love, he now serves as an ambassador in a far away and frozen land, interacting with chaps who go by such enchanting monikers as Helfdane the Fat, Skeld the Superstitious and Hyglak the Quarrelsome.

As a result of the decree of a shaman-like soothsayer, Ibn or "Little Brother" as he becomes known, is directed to accompany a carefully chosen band of twelve sword-wielding countrymen (effectively making him the 13th warrior), as they are summoned to the aid of a Norse kingdom under threat from a tribe of savage yet mysterious enemies.

For the sake of advancing the plot and avoiding the death nail of a three-hour runtime, the filmmakers leave the tale a little lacking in background information. I found myself wanting to learn more about the traditions of these people and to know what compels them to so readily volunteer for such missions of valor. Maybe they do it out of a sense of Nordic pride or perhaps the survivors of battle are spared from the disgust of washing their faces in that wretched bowl of body fluids. Whatever the case, as the adventure continues, the ensuing action, bloodshed and intriguing mystery effectively override any real need for character motivation.

Most of the remainder of the movie is occupied by the doomed village's conflict with the mysterious band of soldiers that descends from the the mountains in a "fireworm" formation. That the enemy only attacks under the cover of mist and fog adds just enough time for the heroes to re-fortify their positions and provides just enough anticipation for the viewer to ride a roller coaster of anxiety.

The 13th warrior is not a representative of masterful filmmaking. But then again it never tries to be. Although William Wisher's screenplay is cliché-ridden with analogies to no fewer than five or six similar films, the battle choreography combined with the intense action sequences – including beheadings - make for a thoroughly entertaining ride into a world of 10th century Viking existence.

Frank Wilkins

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