Friday, Aug. 27, 1999 | 10:09 a.m.
The Movie Guys, starring Jeff Howard and Dave Neil, appears Fridays in the Sun (Movie Buzz written by Thomas Feeney). You can also read their capsule reviews of movies in Las Vegas Weekly magazine. Plus, check them out online at lasvegassun.com/sun/sunlife/movies and themovieguys.com.
Grades: Jeff, C; Dave, C+.
Starring: Antonio Banderas, Diane Venora, Dennis Storhoi, Vladimir Kulich and Omar Sharif.
Directed by: John McTiernan.
Screenplay by: William Wisher and Warren Lewis.
Rated: R for strong graphic violence and mature themes.
Running time: 103 minutes.
Playing at: Regal Cinemas Boulder Station 11, Regal Cinemas Village Square 18, Regal Cinemas Colonnade 14, Las Vegas Drive-In, Cinedome 12 Henderson, Rancho Santa Fe 16, Century Orleans 12, UA Green Valley, UA Showcase mall.
Synopsis: When an important Arabic emissary is banished from his homeland he discovers a band of Norse warriors who coerce him into joining their quest as they are summoned to fight mysterious creatures legendary for consuming every living thing in their path.
Dave: Filmmaker John McTiernan was forced to watch his film -- originally titled "Eaters of the Dead" and based on author/co-producer Michael Crichton's best-selling novel of the same name -- collect dust on Disney's shelf for more than three years. With the film finally released today star Antonio Banderas has since met Melanie Griffith and swashbuckled his way to further success in "The Mask of Zorro." Now we can see him as the respected delegate Ibn Fahdlan, who becomes a nomad and is recruited as "The 13th Warrior."
Jeff: Dave and I have always wondered what happened to that Viking movie that director John McTiernan ("Die Hard," "Predator") was working on a few years back. Well, here it is and it was sort of worth the wait. Simply put, the film is basically "Seven Samurai" meets "Starship Troopers," all told with Norsemen and a single Arab. Murderous creatures known as the Eaters of the Dead have been terrorizing a Nordic village and it's up to our band of heroes to defend them.
The movie is based on the true accounts of Ibn Fahdlan when he was traveling in Central Asia and came across a band of Norse warriors. It was his writings and accounts upon which Crichton based his book. Fahdlan is spoiled. He's lived in a lap of luxury within his palace and finds himself recruited among the Norsemen to defend the village. He quickly becomes one of the gang learning their language and customs and, in exchange, they learn something. Fahdlan can quickly adapt. He must face a culture that embraces evil spirits and must use his educated background to fight the enemy, which is pure evil.
Dave: Director McTiernan, whose recent summer success is "The Thomas Crown Affair," delivers a gritty, brash piece of fable and fantasy. One of the more memorable scenes involves Ibn Fahdlan learning the Northern language. As he observes his fellow warriors gathered by the nightly campfire he picks up their native tongue (as does the audience), recalling the mastery the director employed in "The Hunt For Red October" when Sean Connery changed from Russian to English. His fluid style of storytelling and his reteaming with cinematographer Peter Menzies Jr. ("Die Hard with a Vengeance") recreates the barbaric age that began the second millennium.
Brutally depicted in graphic detail are the primitive customs (the morning washing from the same bowl), common swordplay (to settle disputes), superstitious prophecies (the guidance from crazy-looking hags) and the grueling environment of the harsh forest (home to the Nordic kingdom). I couldn't help, however, but feel the film had a dated feel to it -- more like an '80s action piece than a '90s "Excalibur." But it's a common adventure nonetheless that incorporates a small cameo performance by veteran Omar Sharif, which is complementary to any picture.
Jeff: You're right, Dave. It did seem to mimic the production values of a "Conan" film at times. "The 13th Warrior," if anything, is pure medieval action with hand-to-hand combat, numerous decapitations, abdomens split up the middle and arrows in the eyes, the kind of brutal action we saw with "Braveheart." For some sequences, more than 200 horsemen attacked a village of 300. Add 50 Norse warriors and their stunt doubles, plus a crew of 300 and you have yourself the beginning of an epic film. It even had a Viking ship, 95 feet long with 18 oars. The battle scenes are realistic, with our European cast of unknowns using every bit of human strength to slay the enemy as they attack from all corners. At times the battles were reminiscent of "The Alamo." They were clearly outnumbered and had only the strength and wisdom of each other to keep their cause alive.
The friendships forged by Ibn Fahdlan, the outsider, and the Norsemen keep you rooting as the men are cut down against unbeatable odds. This is the most primal of all action films, where mankind has very little science and most battles were fought with brawn and not brains. But some of the Norseman warriors are very smart, as well as possessing the strength of five men. Herger the Joyous, played by Norwegian actor Dennis Storhoi (making his American film debut), was clearly the most charismatic warrior, keeping me entertained throughout the film. Despite its slow start, "The 13th Warrior" delivers the bloody bounty in a Dark Age epic that mixes mysticism and brute strength.
Dave: Well, Jeff, I'd describe the opening act as a tedious narrative rather than a slow start. As we hear Banderas' voice quickly guiding us through a montage sequence that lazily describes his background we are given no such pleasure with which to appreciate Ibn Fahdlan's adjustment into his nomadic condition. With all things forgiven and stripped of its occasional bumps, "The 13th Warrior" is a welcome addition to those aforementioned Dark Age sagas.
Movie Buzz
Universal changes: Now that the release of the Andy Kaufman biopic "Man on the Moon" has been moved to Christmas Day Universal Pictures has started shuffling its fall schedule. Moving in to the Nov. 5 slot vacated by "Moon" is the new Denzel Washington thriller, "The Bone Collector." "Bone" was originally scheduled for Oct. 1. Washington's other new movie for Universal, "The Hurricane," was originally going to be out on Christmas Day but is now scheduled for sometime in December. Finally "Snow Falling on Cedars," the new film from "Shine" director Scott Hicks, will have limited openings on Dec. 22 in New York and Los Angeles to allow it to be included for Oscar consideration. It will open wide on Jan. 7.
Mel gets "Mad" again: Mel Gibson has reportedly approved the script for a fourth "Mad Max" film, and is expected to reunite with director George Miller for the new sequel. Gibson will follow the film he's working on now, "The Patriot," with a romantic comedy entitled "What Women Want," in which an accident gives him the powers to hear what women are thinking.
"Patriot" people: Speaking of the latest Mel Gibson project, Joely Richardson ("101 Dalmatians"), Chris Cooper ("October Sky," "Lone Star"), Jason Isaacs ("Armageddon") and Tcheky Karyo ("Wing Commander") have joined the cast of Columbia Pictures' "The Patriot." The Roland Emmerich ("Independence Day")-directed war drama stars Gibson and Heath Ledger as a father and son fighting for America's freedom during the Revolutionary War. "Patriot" begins shooting in South Carolina next month for a release next year.
Name That Flick
What was the title of the first motion picture to use the widescreen Cinemascope format? Greg Zastava was the first to call and correctly guess "The Robe" from 1953. Way to go, Greg!
For this week where did director Alfred Hitchcock make his famous cameo appearance in his film "Lifeboat"? If you think you know, call the Movie Guys Hotline at 225-9026, or log onto our website at www.themovieguys.com. Be sure to spell your name and if you're the first to answer correctly, we will print your name right here in our column for the entire Las Vegas Valley to read.
Be sure to pick up this week's issue of the Las Vegas Weekly to read our interview with Hugh Grant, star of "Mickey Blue Eyes." See you next week!
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