O Viking

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.

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.

Plastic/aluminium armour. Knight's armour on Thorvold and a LoneRanger mask, under his knights helm. Black vikings, white Native Americans...of course the largest insult is that this dreck was filmed in Florida, as evidenced by the foliage and the sugar white sand on the beach. I don't remember Vikings ever landing in Tampa, unless it was in a football game.

I won't even address the little mustache worn by Mr. Majors, as compared to the full beards of his 'Viking' co-horts.

This is a film you can't believe you are watching, yet won't turn off, because you can't look away.

Of course the climax of the film has the 'Vikings' running through water on a sandbar...anyone watching, who is familiar with Lee Majors as the "Six Million Dollar Man" will find themselves waiting to hear the music/sound effects that accompanied 'Steve Austin' whenever he was performing his feats of strength, or running to save the day.

All this film needed was BigFoot.

When you get a load of this casting mix and this plot, you're probably already preparing yourself for a dumb, silly and cheese ball period adventure. Much of the acting is less than stellar (yet entertaining in its own way), the accents (or lack thereof) priceless, and the action ridiculous. There's a fair bit of blood here for a PG rated flick, but overall this is a pretty "good" diversion on a crummy, politically incorrect, wholly inaccurate level.

The hilariously cast Lee Majors of 'The Six Million Dollar Man' and 'The Fall Guy' fame plays proud Norse warrior Thorvald, accompanying a group of his men to America (which they dub "Vineland"), where his father, the King (Mel Ferrer), had vanished previously. It turns out that dad had been abducted by the local Indian tribe, so the very slim story ends up turning into a "Norseman vs. Indians" series of battles. Also along for the ride are none other than Jack Elam as an old "wizard", Cornel Wilde as a Norseman named Ragnar, Christopher Connelly as Rolf, Jimmy Clem, a regular in the films of Charles B. Pierce ("The Legend of Boggy Creek", "The Town That Dreaded Sundown"), and the directors' son Chuck Pierce as Majors' younger brother. Sonny Bonos' third wife Susie Coelho plays the young Indian hottie who sympathizes with the Norsemen and betrays her tribe. And is that Kathleen Freeman as an old Indian woman? It sure is.

This is worthy of some hearty chuckles, thanks to the script (by Pierce Sr. himself) and performances. But it's not totally lacking in quality, with sharp Panavision photography by Robert Bethard and stirring, atmospheric music by Jaime Mendoza-Nava.

This may not be one of the directors' finer moments, but it's still fun to a degree.

Executive produced, uncredited, by Majors and his then wife, Farrah Fawcett.

Five out of 10.

I am sitting at home watching THE NORSEMAN on TV, trying to pick my incredulous chin up off the floor. This movie must be seen by film students so they can learn everything NOT to do in making a movie. For example: Lee Majors (THORVALD) and the boy playing his Norse son deliver arch dialog in southern American accents...The Caucasian looking Indians with perfect Herbal Essence hairstyles...and perfect teeth..(that tribe must have a really good dental plan) Lee Majors sports a late 1970's mustache and hair style...He probably was on hiatus from a series and refused to restyle his hair...The Max Factor warpaint on the Indians' faces...and the lack of "Light Egyptian" on their bodies...Irish actress, Kathleen Freeman, as an old Indian woman... The "ultra realistic" Canadian location (NOT!), complete with palm trees and Spanish Moss... How did they get the money to make this thing? Where can I get some for my films??? This film is like a train wreck....painful to watch but absolutely riveting in its awfulness. The only area that deserves praise is the cinematography...the exteriors look pretty good... the cinematographer must have picked up the gig to pay for a fishing expedition or a vacation to Hawaii... In the words of many a great Norseman, .....Oy Vey!!!