The 13th Warrior: McTiernan's Hidden Viking Gem (Or Is It?)

Okay, so I finally got around to watching The 13th Warrior. I know, I know, I'm super late to the party on this one. The director is uncredited, which makes this a weird watch. I'm trying to complete McTiernan's filmography (big Die Hard fan over here), and I knew this flick had a troubled production, basically taken away from him and reshot, which is never a good sign. But I'd heard murmurs it was still worth a look – and I have to say, I kinda dug it. Banderas is surprisingly good as Ahmed Ibn Fahdlan, the refined Arab scholar thrown into this brutal Viking world. The gradual development of respect between him and the Norsemen is really the heart of the film. There's this one scene, I think when they're all around the campfire after a battle, and he starts reciting poetry, and you can see the Vikings are captivated even though they don't understand a word. The translation of the old Norse to english is very poetic. I also have to give it credit for presenting the Viking culture with some level of historical reality, which is refreshing compared to all the over-the-top fantasy stuff we usually get. The whole 'Wendol' mystery is definitely the weakest link, though. The villains, though menacing in their look, are kind of poorly explained. I wasn't always sure what they were, or why they were doing what they were doing and frankly, i thought the idea that they are Neanderthals is dumb. Did they rewrite the script and just make it what it is? If that's the case that's a shame! Overall, I'd say The 13th Warrior is a flawed but fascinating watch. It's not McTiernan's best, by a long shot (if it even is his, officially), but it’s enough for any director-focused viewer to check out. And it's a shame we never got McTiernan's version! But Banderas rules.