Jack Chernesky

Overall I really enjoyed this movie. I thought the performances of the actors were generally great and I liked the blend of real world and norse mythology. The best part of it for me though is the soundtrack and depiction of Vikings. I am no historian so I am sure there are some inaccuracies that I did not notice but overall I'd say it is one of the better recent representations of Vikings. My only real gripe woth the movie is that it should have been about 20-30 minutes shorter or drawn out into two movies with more detail. I don't think the 3 stars it has on Google is fair at all. Many lower star ratings mention how there is too much gore which is laughable as it is a viking movie directed by someone known to make gory films. Vikings and particularly the berserker style ones were down right brutal along with their traditions. This is partially why historically the Christians were terrified of them. If you cannot handle gore this is not a film for you. Spoilers Ahead: There is one seen early in the movie that does kind of take me out of the moment and that is the group of dancing berserkers dancing around the fire. It felt extremely choreographed but beyond that I can appreciate how the scene shows you them preparing for battle the way the berserkers would have, riddled with hallucinogenic mushrooms and testosterone. Even though the general plot of a man who seeks revenge on his uncle who has done him wrong is one that has been done. I feel that the twist of his mother being in on it makes it feel fresh enough I don't become bored. I found the ending left me not fulfilled in the sense that it was a happily ever after ending as it is quite the opposite for everyone beside Olga. But in the sense that it came full circle and gave the character's the endings they deserved. Amleth is vikingr and berserker and for it to have ended anyway other than him dieing in battle would have robbed him. And Fjolnir losing everything exactly as his brother predicted is the justice he deserved. Sure Amleth's mother felt slighted in her marriage, and that Fjolnir was more loving to her but there is no redeeming a chracter that kills its own brother and then attempts to kill his nephew. As much as it pained me to see Amleth slay his mother whom up until a few days prior he thought was a captive and victim, she was a snake and equally irredeemable as Fjolnir.