The 13th Warrior is one seriously enjoyable epic of a film.  Based on the novel Eaters of the Dead by Michael Crichton (Jurassic Park), with a screenplay by William Wisher (Terminator 2) & Warren Lewis, helmed by blockbuster director John McTiernan (Predator, Die Hard), and starring Antonio Banderas (The Mask of Zorro) as Ahmad Ibn Fadlan.  Ahmad was an Arabian courtier that fell in love with a beautiful woman who happened to be the sacred love of the most powerful man in the land.  Ahmad was therefore banished from the kingdom to the barbaric north in 922 A.D.  There, Ahmad and his company encounter a band of exploring Vikings, and are soon befriended by them.  Though, a young boy soon arrives at the Viking camp bringing word of an attack on their homeland by the Wendol - the creatures of the mist - that massacre all who they encounter.  The Viking oracle states that a thirteenth warrior must accompany the nordic men, but this must not be a man of the north - that man is Ahmad.  The Arab traveller - who is promptly nicknamed Eban - at first is not at all comfortable with the obligation of being a warrior or being among the company of these barbaric men from the north.  Though, once he discovers the frightening reality of the Wendol, his courage surfaces, and he willingly fights bravely beside these strange yet heroic men in a battle which cannot be won.

This movie is about epic heroes in a mythic time that fight for glory, and to protect their families.  Beyond their barbaric lifestyle, they are men with their own sense of honor, loyalty, and brotherhood.  Ahmed is not of these men, but he becomes one of them.  He sees the value of these men and their way of life.  Theya re relentless in their battles, and they face an enemy that seems inhuman and possibly supernatural.  Its their courage that inspires Ahmed to stand beside them in battle.
It is only too bad we don't get to know more about those heroes in a personal fashion.  In regards to that element, this might be a case of reading the book first, and then seeing the movie for a more visual and visceral experience.  The novel probably is more in-depth about the characters and the story overall.  For what could be achieved on film, this motion picture is greatly enjoyable with intense battles, fine acting, visceral gore, and some good, appropriate humor.  I strongly recommend this wonderful film because it is an entertaining film and the scenery is great.  This is a beautifully shot and visually stimulating film thanks to the cinematography.  It's a definite, satisfying feast for the eyes.  The mythology in this story is great, and the characters (for what we get to know of them) are great, honorable warriors.  This is a greatly fantastic film experience, but it would be just that much greater if these great characters were explored in more depth.

The Thirteenth Warrior is greater than words can really say - you have to experience it to truly appreciate it.  This film is simply wonderfully, richly, and beautifully made with sprawling landscapes and a deeply textured environment that lives and breaths the tenth century.  As always, John McTiernan crafts great action sequences, fantastic cinematography, and such a well-textured film that you really have to see it to understand how great this is.  Although, more time for character development would've been good because I definitely would've loved to have these characters explored to greater degrees.  The cast is so absolutely fantastic that they make you crave more from them, and I'm sure the novel had that extra juice.  But as any novel-to-film adaptation has proven, you don't ever get everything adapted (even The Lord of the Rings trilogy had changes and omissions from Tolkien's works).  Still, despite never reading Crichton's novel Eaters of the Dead, I feel that this film does have a richness that such an adaptation offers.  Plus, John McTiernan is an amazing filmmaker with many proven films to his credit.  He makes awesome action blockbusters, but they have character and emotional depth - that shows here.

Also, I very much enjoyed the cast here.  Beyond Antonio Banderas, there is a lot of great supporting talents here that shine through.  I wish I could properly credit them, but they escape my mind at this moment.  I really need to watch this film again because it's an overlooked but very good film.  This isn't actually a horror film, but it has a lot of dark and spooky elements along with a hefty serving of gore.  I feel it's deserving of praise from horror fans, and was probably ahead of the adventure-fantasy film trend.  If this had been released admist the Lord of the Rings craze, I bet it would've made around $100 million, and possibly been allowed to be a more expanded film.  The fantasy elements in this film aren't that prominent, and certainly aren't magically-based.  But there is mysticism and a sense of fantasy here with the Wendol.

Ultimately, I feel this is a very well made film by competent filmmakers and a great, diverse cast.  It is a truly enjoyable film that's entertaining, and the settings, landscapes, and scenery have a very dense, rich, and genuine tenth century atmosphere.  That's especially impressive since it was shot in British Columbia, Canada!  The nighttime scenes just look so awesome with the fire and smoke all over the place giving the film a wonderful ambiance.  It may not be out to frighten or scare you, but this movie will give you one hell of a dark, epic adventure to remember for a long while.  I'll be adding it to my list of favorites.  I would prefer a special edition DVD because I think this film deserves it.  It underperformed in theatres, but is deserving of vast exposure.  Antonio Banderas and the entire cast deliver fine, textured performances that bring everything to glorious life.  The same can be said for John McTiernan's direction and for the film's director of photography, Peter Menzies, jr.  This is a worthy and honorable film to spend your video rental money on.  It only falls short of the perfect ten rating due to my desire for further character depth and exploration.