Hammer of the Gods

The main sense that I drew from the film from that start was how forced it all felt. Nothing seemed to really flow together correctly.

This all stems from the fact that, with this time period being underused in films, it never gives an accurate representation of what it was actually like.

The combat was obviously all Hollywood with no correct fighting styles. the clothing that they were are completely impractical with all the sleeveless tops in freezing weather.

The one relieving factor in the whole movie would have to be James Cosmos who I feel is a great actor.

I'm being generous with a 5 here. This is pretty much a movie for a fan of the genre, the actors aren't too bad and actually pop up in the superior Vikings TV show which is superior in not only looks, but acting, storyline and authenticity. If you liked that series then this is a mildly entertaining diversion. The actual movie kind of belies it's silly intro with characters names splashing across the screen like some kind of video game. It actually becomes a lot darker and issues such as religion and power crop up. This is why I ended up giving it a 5 because by the end of the movie I was quite surprised. the movie kind of grew in itself rather than falling flat.

The cover for the movie and previews make it seem as if it will be along the lines of the cinematic view like the 300 and Spartacus but it is far from it. The acting is poor quality, the combat appears cheap and poorly acted out. If you are expecting large epic battles, be prepared for disappointment. It has small skirmishes as if they had a very low budget. Do not waste your time with this movie unless you are looking to throw away time. Graphics have a low quality feel to them as well as the acting. It is a movie that, if done well, would be worth someones time but it wasn't. I had to pause the movie multiple times from boredom. I wish I could get my $1.07 back from Redbox and my time back. Sum this movie up in one word...DISAPPOINTING!!!!

In 870 AD, in Britain, the Vikings under the leadership of King Bagsecg (James Cosmo) are in war against the Saxons. When he is mortally wounded in a battle, he summons his younger son, Prince Steinar (Charlie Bewley), to meet his to other sons Harald (Finlay Robertson) and Vali (Theo Barklem-Biggs) at his death bed. King Bagsecg asks to Stainar to seek out his missing brother Hakan the Ferrocious (Elliot Cowan) to return with the next king of his people. Stainer travels with his friends Hagen (Clive Standen), Grim (Michael Jibson) and Jokul (Guy Flanagan) and his half-brother Vali to search the warrior Ivar (Ivan Kaye) that might know the whereabouts of Hakan. When they meet Ivar, he joins the group with his mate Agnes (Alexandra Dowling) in a brutal journey to hell.

"Hammer of the Gods" is a weird and violent movie about the quest of a young prince to find his older brother that has been expelled from the kingdom by his father. His unexpected discovery of the truth about his family changes his behavior. Unfortunately the movie is too brutal and the choreography of the gore battle scenes is very poor with successive cuts and very few warrior due to the low-budget. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Martelo dos Deuses" ("Hammer of the Gods")

"You don't know what you are, but you will." After refusing to kill an innocent boy, Steinar (Bewley) is passed over for king for his brother. When he turns out to not be a good leader the kingdom begins to lose order. The people of the kingdom look to Steiner to help them. He sets out looking for his brother Hakan who everyone thinks can restore order. Along the way Steinar begins to change and becomes the man his father was hoping for. I have never really been a big fan of the 300 type movies. I'm not sure why but the whole mid-evil genre just doesn't do it for me. That said, this movie wasn't really that bad and is worth seeing but when there is no action going on the movie really begins to slow down and I start to lose interest. There is enough action to keep you watching though, but the movie really starts to feel flat about a half hour in and never really picks itself back up. Fans of this genre may like this but I thought it was just a little too slow to stay fully interested in. Overall, another 300 rip off that feels flat. I give it a C+.