Wow, I really didn't know what I was in for when I sat down to watch this. I'll confess... I didn't know much about 'The Northman' and kind of figured it was a bit of a 'sword and sorcery' tale. It isn't. Or is it?
It's about a young Viking prince who's father is murdered by his jealous uncle who then goes on to enslave his mother and take his father's kingdom. So, as spurned princes need to do, he has to grow up, get totally pumped up and go on a 'Kill Bill-esque' rampage of revenge.
The thing you need to know about this is just how brutal it is. You may have seen 'Game of Thrones' and thought... yeah, that was pretty dark, I think I can guess what 'The Northman' is going to be like. You're probably wrong. 'The Northman' is ten times more bloodthirsty.
And it's long. It's over two hours, but it doesn't drag. It's not just the acting that's great here, but also the scenery and direction that makes it epic. I understand from what I've read online that the film-makers tried to make the look and feel as accurate as possible with costumes etc, but - at the same time - it does kind of play into the supernatural - just a little.
You need to know what you're in for if you choose to watch this and, despite how you'll probably root for the hero and his cause etc, there's not really any - truly - good people during this time period, as the film just tries to depict how savage the world was back then.
If you have a strong stomach and want to see the way - some of us - lived back then, this one is really awesome.
It's about a young Viking prince who's father is murdered by his jealous uncle who then goes on to enslave his mother and take his father's kingdom. So, as spurned princes need to do, he has to grow up, get totally pumped up and go on a 'Kill Bill-esque' rampage of revenge.
The thing you need to know about this is just how brutal it is. You may have seen 'Game of Thrones' and thought... yeah, that was pretty dark, I think I can guess what 'The Northman' is going to be like. You're probably wrong. 'The Northman' is ten times more bloodthirsty.
And it's long. It's over two hours, but it doesn't drag. It's not just the acting that's great here, but also the scenery and direction that makes it epic. I understand from what I've read online that the film-makers tried to make the look and feel as accurate as possible with costumes etc, but - at the same time - it does kind of play into the supernatural - just a little.
You need to know what you're in for if you choose to watch this and, despite how you'll probably root for the hero and his cause etc, there's not really any - truly - good people during this time period, as the film just tries to depict how savage the world was back then.
If you have a strong stomach and want to see the way - some of us - lived back then, this one is really awesome.