Viking fare with Giuliano Gemma as a brave heroe who sets out with a long ship full of squabbling warriors to discover the New World by navigate towards unknown places . An average Viking movie set in Dark Ages about a Barbaric warrior, Erik : Giuliano Gemma who grows dissastified with his Viking way of life at the era Ragnagok , then he decides to set out to encounter the mythical New World and where Norse Gods inhabit. By the way he joins a misfit and motley crew embarking into an orgy of fighting, destructiveness and battles into the edge of world . But the Norse Warrior discovers not only the New World but traitors subordinates : Gordon Mitchell , Eduardo Fajardo among his crew , calling for drastic measures. When Erik and his warriors arrive in Vinlad , they find a tribe of natives and a young India named Wa-ta-wana (Elisa Montés) . Our heroine attempts to falling for Erik, but then thing go wrong .
This enjoyable picture with shimmer and glimmering cinematography packs strange adventures , thrills , good action scenes , spectacular and evocative musical score and being amusing enough . Giuliano Gemma is fine , he gives a nice performance as leader of a band of Vikings driving his ship sets sail for an unknown land in search of a New World . It contains 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. Great location footage with sweepingly and handsomely photography frpm both , Spain and Italy countries . An indulgent delight in making fantasies come to life, including wonders , irreverence , sense of wonderful style, brief researched detail as the suddenly discovery : Vinland or land of Wine : North America pre-Colon, and a lot of incidental pleasures. The picture is filled with bizarre roles and rare nombres as Olaf , Erlof , Thormann , Eyolf , Thorfinn, Wingar , Angheropoulos , among others . Fashionable camera work by cinematographer Enzo Barboni , appropriately photographed, mainly in Finca Andalucía , Finca La Concepción, La Nueva, Marbella, Málaga, Andalucía, Spain and Lacio , Cinecitta studies , Italy , as well as rousing, epic musical score by Carlo Franci . The movie turns out to be so-so , athough there are a few spectacular action scenes an gory battles. This Giuliano Gemma vehicle proves as ramshackle as a Viking hut, as unwieldly as a Viking sword. Remaining cast is good with plenty of Italian and Spanish players . Being an Italo/Spagnola co-production here appears big-name Italian cast with familar Italians as Lucio De Santis , Erno Crisa ,Eleonora Bianchi, Aldo Bufi Landi, Fortunato Arena , Cala Calo and Spanish actors as Eduardo Fajardo , Elisa Montes , Beni Deus , among others . As acting range from hysterical to exaggerated. The picture was professionally shot by Mario Caiano who directed some scenes with verve and muscle , though resulting in a mediocre film .
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 ; ¨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 siimilar 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 fine battle scenes and wonderful cinematography and locations make the movie a standout . This throughly amusing historical epic stands up to teens and adults viewings . Don't miss Vikings subgenre aficionados.
