Erik the Viking

From Monty Python team member Terry Jones comes this mildly amusing spoof of Norse mythology, which he wrote and directed. Tim Robbins plays the title character, a young man who's brave enough to want to embark on an epic journey. He actually has the nerve to want to ask the gods to end the days of "Ragnarok" - basically, the end of the world. Several of his peers accompany him, and they have a variety of off the wall encounters as well as dangers to overcome.

It's true that if you only look at this as a comedy, you might have a fairly entertaining time. But there's more going on here than silliness, as Jones explores ideas of belief and denial, and how power can come to those who believe. His serious themes are unexpected, but welcome. In truth, this viewer never found the comedy that funny. He even thought it just felt off at times. The fact that it works to any degree at all is due largely to an eclectic cast, who play their material for everything that it's worth. You've got a remarkably sincere Robbins, Mickey Rooney (as his grandfather) and Eartha Kitt in cameos, and such distinguished British thespians as Jones himself (who plays King Arnulf), John Cleese (who's great as always, playing nasty bad guy Halfdan the Black), Antony Sher, Charles McKeown, Tim McInnerny, Freddie Jones, and Jim Broadbent. You also get the very lovely Imogen Stubbs (as Jones' princess daughter) and Samantha Bond.

Certainly a quality look is created for the movie, with lots of fine location work, atmosphere, and visuals. There's a rousing score by composer Neil Innes, and even an entertainingly shoddy looking "dragon".

The ending is rather abrupt, but up until then Jones does deliver some chuckles and food for thought.

Six out of 10.

'Erik' was quite cute and had some absolutely brilliant moments but overall wasn't as tight and consistently funny as I was hoping. There were quite a few sections that seemed to wander along pointlessly; what a pity!

Tim Robbins was fine in a cutesy, little boy way which is, I guess, what he was supposed to be. I couldn't help wishing he had a tad more substance. Cleese's role seemed generally uninspired with only brief moments of genius. It was fun, however, seeing Tim McInnerny pre-Blackadder-"Captain Darling" days and Antony Sher made an excellent "trickster" Loki.

It's possible that the print I rented from my local video shop was a bit more dingy than the original, but the stunning scenery (filmed in Norway, Malta and England) lost its effect.

Despite these negatives, it's certainly worth watching at least once, if only for those inspired moments of comedy it contains.

Not a great movie but very good & very watchable. I've seen it 3 times now over the last twelve years. Several very funny laughs and amusing throughout. I would recommend it to anyone who likes Tim Robbins or the Pythoner's

An average Monty Pythonesque movie set in Dark Ages about a Barbaric warrior, Erik : Tim Robbins, who grows dissastified with his Viking way of life at the era Ragnagok , then he decides to set out to encounter the mythical Aagsgard kingdom, by blowing three times a supernatural horn, and where Norse Gods inhabit. By the way he joins a misfit and motley crew :Tim McInnerny, Freddie Jones, Anthony Sher. .., embarking into an orgy of fighting, destructiveness and battles . Our hero attempts to execute a prophecy told by a cave-dewelling witch-seer-hag, Freya : Eartha Kitt, to arrive in Hy-Brasil : Atlantis, ruled by a nasty king, Terry Jones, who has a beautiful daughter : Imogen Stubbs falling for Erik, and towards the edge of world by blowing the Horn Resounding in a legendary island, to get awakening the Gods dewelling at a fantastic location and achieving them to release the sun that formerly has been swallowed by Fenrir the Wolf.

This weird movie is a blending of Monty Python farce with Simbad the Sailor but no much laughs and amusement . An indulgent delight in making fantasies come to life, including wonders, irreverence, sense of wonderful style, researched detail, and a lot of incidental pleasures. Here a Viking hero meets villians, Gods as Thor and Odin dwelling at Walhalla and strange adventures. The picture is filled with bizarre roles and rare nombres as Thorfinn, Sven the Bersek, the blacksmith Loki and the very evil indeed Haydon the Black played by John Cleese giving a dry delivery . Fashionable camera work by cinematographer Ian Wilson , splendidly photographed mainly in white and brown , as well as rousing, epic musical score by Neal Innes . This is the scattershot tale of how Erik, a real character, arriving in the edge of world, and he attempts to terminate the age of warfare by besting a dragon on the North Sea. The movie results to be mediocre, athough there are a few laughs and chuckles mainly provided by an invisible sheet who wears Tim Robbins and the dry delivery by villain Halfelam wryly played by the always great John Cleese. Too tall Tim Robbins plays a kind of lovelorn gentle and simple , dismayed by the daily drudgery of rampage, ravage, conquest, pilllage and rape. This Tim Robbins vehicle proves as ramshackle as a Viking hut, as unwieldly as a Viking sword. Support cast is good but frankly wasted. Acting range from hysterical to exaggerated. There intervene notorious secondaries as Mickey Rooney, Imogen Stubbs, John Cleese, Tim McInnerny, Freddie Jones, and brief interpretations from Jim Broadbent , Eartha Kitt, John Sinclair, and Terry Jones himself. And Samantha Bond, subsequetly MoneyPenny in James Bond saga. it contains decent production design and lavish scenaries, adding traditional as well as modern special effects.

The motion picture was middlingly directed by Terry Jones, one of the main members of Monty Phyton. This is a post-Python frolic inspired by his own Norse saga children's book. It is not very fun movie, nor well directed, not exciting but being entertaining enough . Jones wrote and directed various Monty Phytonesque films as The Holy Grail,The meaning of life, Life of Brian, Personal services and Mr Toad's wild ride. Rating 6/10. Passable and acceptable but a so-so film and it is inferior than other Monty Python movies.

In true Python alum fashion, this movie is rewatchable (despite what Maltin says) and a lot of fun each time you watch it. Tim Robbins does his usual good job in a light-hearted but sensitive role; and possibly the best line of the movie is John Cleese's reaction to Robbins when Robbins *believes* himself to be invisible, declaring: "Now you see me, now you don't!" Cleese's reaction has me laughing out loud every time.

Behind all the fun and games, though, Terry Jones has done some pretty darn clever commentary on belief systems and epistemology; the fact that you can only be affected by that particular brand of magic in which you believe is a strong idea which rings nicely throughout the movie. (The addition of the priest character drives the point home nicely.) Interesting ideas, which I'd bet are ignored by most people just out for a good time (which is okay too, since it's a funny movie).