13th Warrior

MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

A cultured diplomat joins a band of savage warriors in time to meet an even more fearsome enemy in this historical adventure. In 922 A.D., Ibn Fadlan (Antonio Banderas) is a Muslim emissary from Baghdad en route to meet with the King of Saqaliba when he is captured by a gang of Vikings. While Ibn and his people are intelligent and well-mannered, the Vikings are a rowdy and sometimes unpleasant lot, with an unquenchable appetite for food, alcohol, and women. However, in time he develops an understanding and respect for the Viking warriors and is welcomed into their society by their leader, Buliwyf. However, Ibn must now join them as they return to their homeland once they receive word of an invasion by a huge pack of bloodthirsty invaders who will destroy and eat anything in their path -- including the flesh of the men they have killed. The 13th Warrior was based on the book Eaters of the Dead by Michael Crichton, which was in turn adapted from tales of Viking folklore. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

DVD FEATURES:

• Region: 1
• Number of Discs: 1
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 (Cinemascope)
• Audio: 5.1, PCM Stereo
• Screen: Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV
• Subtitle: English
• Features:
  • • Theatrical trailer
    • French-language track
    • 5.1 Surround
    • Widescreen (2.35:1), enhanced for 16x9 televisions

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Director:

  John McTiernan

• Producer:

  Michael Crichton, Ned Dowd, John McTiernan

• Book Author:

  Michael Crichton

• Screenwriter:

  Warren Lewis, William Wisher

• Cinematographer:

  David Gribble, Peter Menzies, Jr., John Clothier

• Composer (Music Score):

  Jerry Goldsmith

• Editor:

  John Wright

• Production Designer:

  Wolf Kroeger

• Art Director:

  Willie Heslup, Richard St. John Harrison, Helen Veronica Jarvis

• Co-producer:

  Lou Arkoff

• Associate Producer:

  Casey Grant

• Executive Producer:

  Andrew G. Vajna, Ethan Dubrow

• Set Designer:

  Rose Marie McSherry, Annmarie Corbett

• Costume Designer:

  Kate Harrington

• Sound/Sound Designer:

  Robert Eber, Christopher Boyes

• Special Effects:

  Thomas Fisher

• First Assistant Director:

  Bruce G. Moriarty

• Casting:

  Pat McCorkle

• Stunts Coordinator:

  Brent Woolsey

• Sound Editor:

  Alan Robert Murray

• Second Unit Director:

  John E. Sullivan

• Visual Effects Supervisor:

  John E. Sullivan

REVIEW:

• With the director of Die Hard and a star of Antonio Banderas' drawing power, it's hard to understand why The 13th Warrior never found an audience, other than being overlooked by critics. Maybe it should have kept the cooler original title Eaters of the Dead, the name of Michael Crichton's novel-as-historical-document about an Arab courtier (Banderas) who joins the 10th century Vikings in fighting an army of cannibalistic mist creatures. While not as exciting as Braveheart (1995), and without the thematic import of The Seven Samurai (1954), The 13th Warrior earns favorable comparisons to both films. It's a subtle historical epic -- if there is such a thing -- though its first half-hour belongs solely to Banderas adjusting to the gruff Vikings. Yet the passages are riveting, and the film earns kudos for a variety of smart details that set the scene, notably how it deals with communication difficulties. First up is Omar Sharif as Banderas' translator, who has a Viking translator of his own; events are related in duplicate or triplicate, as would have really happened. The film gets everyone speaking the same language in a captivating montage in which English words steadily blend with Norse, as Banderas absorbs their fireside bragging over weeks of travel. Among its other attributes are the most darkly lit and confusing battle scenes caught on film -- beautiful shots of the Viking vessel at sea, Banderas humorously displaying his increased battle finesse once given an appropriate-sized weapon, and a dozen Vikings painted with vivid individuality, even though their names are unknown. Don't let this overlooked gem slip through the cracks. ~ Derek Armstrong, Rovi