The Norseman

I am somewhat forgiving in giving this movie a 3! I highly recommend saving your time by doing other activities such finger painting or recreating THE NORSEMAN. I am sure a high school student with a video camera could do a better job at research and casting. The costumes are out of period, Native Americans do not fight running with tomahawks in their hand screaming. Not sure how they really fought back then, but I am sure that was not it! A black Norseman is not impossible just not probable. If I remember correctly the Norse were beaten by the Romans hence the Roman like uniforms plus the Roman had black slaves (Egypt which is located in Africa) hence the black guy.The work seems rushed and a lot of forethought has not gone into the editing. I feel this is one of the reasons why Farrah and Lee divorced.

A treasure trove of anachronism, continuity errors and baaaaaaaaaad acting. So bad it's wonderful. Who knew there were black vikings, or that vikings wore wristwatches? A genuine treat. You'll laugh your butt off.

Isn't always sad to rediscover a memory from your childhood that you treasured greatly, but then finding it as an adult, and not being able to figure out how in the hell you possibly could have liked it in the first place. That's how I felt upon seeing this movie a while back. I can recall vividly when I went and saw this movie when I was ten, and my friends and I being blown away by it. In fact I saw it three times in one week. (no lie) When I saw it last, I pondered how could I not have seen the FATAL miscasting of Lee Majors. How I overlooked the black(!?) viking. Why did I not conceive that the plot for this was so laughably stupid (Vikings vs. American Indians). Sigh, it's a sad fact of life, the smarter you get, the DUMBER you realize you were.

I tend to cut movies a lot of slack, since I believe that the more sophisticated our movie-making abilities become the less people tend to use their imaginations. I bought a used VHS copy of "The Norseman," and watching it as an adult I actually enjoyed it. Sure, it's not a well-made movie, but it's a sad fact of life that often the smarter we get, the more jaded we get. I suspect the reason one viewer enjoyed the movie at ten and hated it as an adult is that watching it through eyes of childlike wonder he was able to suspend disbelief and see the movie's real meaning.

Besides, what's so "laughably stupid" about the plot, a conflict between Vikings and Native Americans? There is pretty good evidence that the Vikings were in North America; ever hear of Vinland? And as for the "black Viking," that was probably a pandering to '70s social consciousness; but still, could they not have picked up an African man in their travels? Everyone has their tastes, but I found this movie's theme unique and intriguing.

This enjoyable picture with shimmer and glimmering cinematography packs uproaring adventures, thrills , good action scenes, spectacular and evocative musical score and being amusing enough. Film featured a long preamble that read: ''Before Columbus was born, a reckless band of blonde giants sailed to an unknown land we now call America. There a new peril awaited them - the savage warriors of the Iroquois nation. Thus began an epic adventure¨. In the year 1006 A. D., Norseman Thorvald the Bold (Lee Majors a permed Bionic Bjorn of a Prince Viking)leads an expedition to the new land in the west in search of his father, King Eurich (Mel Ferrer) , who disappeared with his men a year earlier on a similar voyage. Thorvald's crew includes Ragnar the Rover (Cornel Wilde) as his second in command, Olif (Jimmy Clem) , his long-time friend, and Death Dreamer (Jack Elam), also known as Wizard and his young brother Eric (Chuck Pierce Jr) . As they sail, Death Dreamer predicts the crew will find a new land but will endure danger.

An entertaining adventure in which a group of Vikings arrive in vinland America, while suffering ambushes, attacks and violent fights. The films contains hilarious dialogue and eccentrically shot battle scenes in slow-moving in the wake of Sam Peckinpah films. Here Lee Majors and his crew have rowed across AD 1006 in search of his father who, it turns out, has been captured and blinded by cartoon Indians who resemble Grateful Dead roadies given the freedom of the make-up department. It packs decent production design, and elaborate scenaries, adding traditional special effects. Fairly adequate but comic-book level costume adventure of Vikings battling Indians for power and glory circa year 1000. Although full of stupid historical errors and unbelievable events , the film results to be pretty entertaining. An indulgent delight in making fantasies come to life, including rousing soundtrack by Jaime Mendoza-Nava, gorgeous exteriors , irreverence, a sense of naif style, brief researched detail as the suddenly discovery : Vinland or land of Wine : North America pre-Christopher Columbus, and a lot of incidental pleasures. The picture is filled with bizarre roles and rare nombres as Thorvald, Ragnar, Eurich, Olif, Thraul, Rauric, among others . Great location footage with sweepingly and handsomely photography by cameraman Robert Bethard from New Port Richey, Tampa, Thonotosassa, Florida, Newbern, North Carolina, USA. There are sympatheric appearances from an agreeable support cast, such as: veteran Jack Elam as a soothsayer, Kathleen Freeman as Old Indian woman, ex-Tarzan Denny Miller as Rauric, Christopher Connelly as Rolf, Cornel Wilde and Mel Ferrer both in beards behind which to hide their embarrassment. And Chuck Pierce Jr, who's son of director Charles B. Pierce and often plays his films.

This is a co-production between actors-executive producers Lee Majors, his then wife Farra Fawcett Majors and writer-producer-director Charles B. Pierce with American International Pictures (AIP) carrying out the distribution. This short-medium budget was professionally written/directed by Charles B Pierce. This artisan directed all kinds of genres and made his own independent films, as Pierce was the star, writer, director and co-producer of ¨The Barbaric Beast of Boggy Creek, Part II¨, (1985), a sequel to "Boggy Creek" that was eventually re-titled ¨Boggy Creek II: And the Legend Continues¨ (1985) . And directing westerns in similar style , usually dealing with Indian issues , Terror movies and even a Viking movie , as he directed the following films : "Hawken's Breed" , "Grayeagle" , " Winterhawk" , "Sacred Ground" , "Town that dreaded Sundown", "The Evictors" , "Legend of Bobby Creek" , "Bobby Creek II" , "Norseman" , among others . The flick will appeal to adventure fans .

This basic costume epic belongs to Viking genre , such as : The classic ¨The Vikings (1958)¨ by Richard Fleischer with Kirk Douglas and Tony Curtis , Janet Leigh; ¨Gli invasori¨(1961) by Mario Bava with Cameron Mitchell , George Ardisson , Andrea Checchi : ¨The long ships (1963)¨ by Jack Cardiff with Sidney Poitier and Richard Widmark ; ¨Erik the Viking¨(1965) by Mario Caiano with Giuliano Gemma, Gordon Mitchell , Eduardo Fajardo; Elisa Montes; ¨The Norseman (1978) ¨ by Charles B Pierce with Cornel Wilde and Mel Ferrer ; ¨The Viking queen(1967)¨ by Don Chaffey with Don Murray and Andrew Keir; ¨The Viking sagas (1995)¨ by Michael Chapman with Ralph Moeller , among others . And in similar issue : ¨EriK the Viking¨ 1989 by Terry Jones with Tim Robbins ,Mickey Rooney, Imogen Stubbs, John Cleese, Tim McInnerny, Freddie Jones. Rating : 5.5/10. Acceptable and passable due to the battle scenes and wonderful cinematography and locations make the movie acceptable enough . This throughly amusing historical epic stands up to teens and adults viewings . Don't miss Vikings subgenre aficionados.