Review of Valhalla Rising (2009) by Pete L — 19 Jul 2011

"He's never belonged to anyone for more than 5 years, your time has passed, mine has come.".

A very weird and at times boring film.

Plot: The year is 1000 A.D. A silent viking slave named One Eye escapes his captors. With the help of a boy slave, they meet up with a group of crusaders bound for Jerusalem and join them. After an endless fog surrounds them and they become lost. Now they must journey into the unknown.

This film has absolutely no plot whatsoever, and no character development or depth. The only good thing about this movie is the cinematography which is simply breathtaking. The entire movie was filmed in Scotland and after seeing this, I really want to go there. As an action movie this is awful but if looked at as an experience, then it isn't that bad, but it still could have been so much better. The dialogue is laughably bad and there are long stints where nothing happens. I really hope director Nicolas Winding Refn can do better with the Logan's Run remake. The only reason I'm even giving it two stars is that it doesn't completely fail as an experience, but there's really no need to watch it again. If you are looking for a good viking action film, skip this. If you have any interest in this film, it better be for the visuals. Total Score: 4.2/10.