A Muslim ambassador exiled from his homeland, Ahmad ibn Fadlan finds himself in the company of Vikings. While the behavior of the Norsemen initially offends ibn Fadlan, the more cultured outsider grows to respect the tough, if uncouth, warriors. During their travels together, ibn Fadlan and the Vikings get word of an evil presence closing in, and they must fight the frightening and formidable force, which was previously thought to exist only in legend.
With a budget said to be more than $100 million, it displays a lot of cash on the screen, but little thought.
– Roger Ebert,
Chicago Sun-Times,
1 Jan 2000
fresh:
A big cathartic blast.
– Liam Lacey,
Globe and Mail,
22 Mar 2002
rotten:
The film is fascinating to watch, but I can hardly say what it's about, other than people killing each other.
– Jeff Millar,
Houston Chronicle,
21 Jul 2005
rotten:
At its best, this achieves the beauty and grandeur of a Kurosawa epic -- at its worst, however, it feels like a Python remake of The Vikings.
– Geoff Andrew,
Time Out,
9 Feb 2006
rotten:
Michael Crichton's story is underdeveloped and narrow in range, resulting in a tale more curious for its odd confluence of elements than for their edifying deployment.