I don't understand the negative reviews. Must be the same people that discuss the flaws in the Marvel movies. Get a life.
Anyway, this movie was great, actually better than I thought it would be and I am a huge Vikings fan and a huge fan of Alexander Skarsgard. I never watched any of the previous movies by this Director so I wasn't sure what to expect.
Basically, this movie is like an old Norse Saga, and some people obviously had trouble with that, although I'm not sure why. The story is simple and filled with magic and mysticism, (like an old Norse Saga) and it has violence and blood, as you would expect. Great acting, of course, and a more traditional approach based on actual research that the Director did before filming. I personally lolved it and will probably go watch it again in the movies theater, which I rrarely do.
P.S. If you scroll down you'll notice 90% of the negative reviews are from women.