Review of Valhalla Rising (2009) by Will H — 07 Oct 2011
Valhalla Rising is visually striking, has a few breathless bursts of action, and a strong moral undercurrent that keeps the film at least somewhat grounded. The problem is, director Nicolas Winding Refn goes too heavy-handed, and decides on style over substance, resulting in a visually stunning film with virtually no plot at all.
For a film that is so beautiful to look at, it's so oddly shapeless and confusing. The best aspects of the film are Morten Sørberg's breathtaking cinematography, as well as Refn's solid direction.
His script, on the other hand, could use some work. It almost feels like it was shot all improvised, as I can see virtually no sign of a screenplay here. I won't even discuss the performances, because there are none.
The film is so pretentious and vague, that the only performance I can describe at all is that of Mads Mikkelsen, because he's really good at standing around and looking tough. It gets above 1 star because of the amazing visuals on display, but Valhalla Rising, above all, lacks a story and worthwhile characters, and that drag it into the realm of the absurd.
This review of Valhalla Rising (2009) was written by Will H on 07 Oct 2011.
Valhalla Rising has generally received mixed reviews.
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