Director: Claudio Fah
Starring: Tom Hooper, Ryan Kwanten, Ed Skrein, Johan Hegg, Charlie Murphy
Certificate: 15
Directed by Claudio Fah, NORTHMEN is an entertaining and action-fuelled adventure. From the offset you are absorbed with edge of your seat action, with Fah’s direction perfectly illustrating the tortuous natural landscapes and brutality of human warfare.
The action sequences are detailed and don’t disguise the brutal nature of the scene. Of course if you are nauseated by the sight of blood, then this may not be the film for you. The cast fully embrace the sword play and it’s their dedication that keeps the action engrossing. Ryan Kwanten plays the kind Christian monk who’s a talented swordsman; he’s an action man to watch out for.
Co-starring with Kwanten are Tom Hooper, Ed Skrein, Johan Hegg, and Charlie Murphy. All do well in playing their action roles, however there are some moments you feel the overacting could have been toned down as it is a little hard to watch. For instance, Darrell D’Silva plays Gunnar who is clearly a character built in to add humour. However, the humour is misplaced and does little to the overall atmosphere if the film. Ed Skrein, better known for playing Daario Naharis in Game of Thrones and pulls a surly look that carries him through the whole movie. His lack of emotional range isn’t a necessity for the role of a “wolfpack” member, but a little variety would have been nice to see. Overall, the cast provide the action and that’s all you can really ask for and what you really expect from a movie like this.
The scenery was reminiscent of Peter Jackson’s LORD OF THE RINGS, large open spaces and beautiful sites stretching for miles. The locations were shown off and appreciated; Fah’s direction once again sparks a little magic in creating an enchanting destination fraught with danger. The grand landscape and marathon battles are the attraction and NORTHMEN delivers this in volumes.
Overall, the film is what you expect from an action movie, epic battles and fight scenes with the obvious love story and lacklustre storyline. NORTHMEN is a perfect Sunday afternoon movie, a lot of care and period detail make the film stand out and are appreciated, but it isn’t an artistic masterpiece that’ll win any major awards.
[usr=3] NORTHMEN is available for digital download now, and on DVD from Monday 27th April.
