Saturday, May 7, 2022

The Northman Movie Review

Alexander Skarsgård stars in The Northman

The Gates of Hell

Rotten Tomatoes Plot: Prince Amleth is on the verge of becoming a man when his father is brutally murdered by his uncle, who kidnaps the boy's mother. Two decades later, Amleth is now a Viking who's on a mission to save his mother, kill his uncle and avenge his father. Directed by Robert Eggers.



Starring: Alexander Skarsgård, Nicole Kidman, Claes Bang, Anya Taylor-Joy, Ethan Hawke, Björk, and Willem Dafoe.

What's Good: Skarsgård trades in his Tarzan threads for... basically the same thing, minus a few bits of humor in The Northman, a riveting tale of betrayal, revenge and an unyielding desire to make things "right." There's plenty of action, but I was more impressed with the creative twists (minor as they are) that make it more believable/satisfying. Jarin Blaschke's cinematography is dazzling, and Eggers deserves credit for keeping a steady pace, despite a 2+ hour runtime. Plenty of familiar faces too (yep, that's Willem Dafoe) and a welcome break from too much chatter.

What's Not: There's drama on display (especially Kidman, towards the end) but this isn't the type of movie you go to for great acting.

Budget: $70-90 million

Runtime: 137 minutes (About 20 minutes too long.)

Target Audience: Apocalypto, Braveheart, The Patriot... basically every Mel Gibson movie ever made.

Bottom Line: Who volunteers to be a slave? Skarsgård's Amleth, of course. And who can blame him for wanting to even the score against the guy who kidnapped his mom, killed his dad and stole his birthright? The Northman overflows with testosterone, but it's smart and packed with (good looking) action. Definitely worth seeing.

GradeB