Pathfinder is an action movie with little historic accuracy. Those looking for such relevancy in a movie that promises the Vikings meeting with American natives before the arrival of Columbus, will be sorely disappointed. And while you're at it -- check your brain at the door. This movie is not about stimulating the cerebral cortex -- it's about gratifying base needs for entertainment. Yet again, Hollywood delivers mind-numbing fodder for simple-minded audiences.
The movie starts with a Viking landing that leaves behind a young boy that grows up as, Ghost, played by Karl Urban, a member of a native tribe. The grown Viking boy has to face his destiny when 15-years later, another Viking ship lands and the marauding Vikings, called dragon men, kill everyone in his village. He's left to seek vengeance and prevent the Vikings from slaughtering the next village, where his love interest, Starfire, played by Moon Bloodgood, lives. That is the plot. What follows is a lot of grunting; dialogue stolen from other movies of this ilk; a lot of running; sword play; bad acting; and natives speaking perfect English. Total rubbish.
The Vikings are portrayed as armed brutes that arrive with armies on North American shores to rape, pillage and murder -- in any order. They're armored, heavily bearded, grunt a lot and hit things. The native Americans are peaceful by comparison, and can hardly withstand the slaughter that comes with the Vikings. The elders speak in vague, cryptic messages, aiming to deliver wisdom, but mostly just sounding silly.
The only thing redeemable about this film was the cinematography. The wide angle landscape shots of snowy mountains, swamps and geography is stunning. The landscape is bleak and beautiful, shrouded in blues and greys. If the film had better acting and no dialogue, it would actually have been a pretty good flick.
The movie starts with a Viking landing that leaves behind a young boy that grows up as, Ghost, played by Karl Urban, a member of a native tribe. The grown Viking boy has to face his destiny when 15-years later, another Viking ship lands and the marauding Vikings, called dragon men, kill everyone in his village. He's left to seek vengeance and prevent the Vikings from slaughtering the next village, where his love interest, Starfire, played by Moon Bloodgood, lives. That is the plot. What follows is a lot of grunting; dialogue stolen from other movies of this ilk; a lot of running; sword play; bad acting; and natives speaking perfect English. Total rubbish.
The Vikings are portrayed as armed brutes that arrive with armies on North American shores to rape, pillage and murder -- in any order. They're armored, heavily bearded, grunt a lot and hit things. The native Americans are peaceful by comparison, and can hardly withstand the slaughter that comes with the Vikings. The elders speak in vague, cryptic messages, aiming to deliver wisdom, but mostly just sounding silly.
The only thing redeemable about this film was the cinematography. The wide angle landscape shots of snowy mountains, swamps and geography is stunning. The landscape is bleak and beautiful, shrouded in blues and greys. If the film had better acting and no dialogue, it would actually have been a pretty good flick.
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