The Norseman (1978)

Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

Highly Overrated But Still Good

everything you have heard about this movie is true.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

I saw this movie for the first time today, and my expectations were soon thrown into disillusion. The acting was good, some lines amusingly uttered by Majors not come off, showing up for a fool, some of it stilted. Ferrer was the best, playing Major's Dad I think, disguised like a Zeus god. His performance really impressed on me, first not noticing this great actor. The thing that really makes this movie suffer is the shoddy photography, which tells me there was a desperate budget, behind this medi-evil misfire. We have a lot of scenes, with two separate shots, as if dismally failing to make us think, it's one location, battle scenes, with vikings coming out of the rough seas to fight the Indians charging out of the woods. Again, more shoddiness, I was left incredulous, thinking "You gotta be kidding"? Someone not kidding about making this movie, shouldn't be declared sane. The film, void of a lot of life, unimpresses on many fronts, I for one, was on a comedown, it's antidote, comic Majors, and that blind guy. Hardly any blood is shed, where it's implied instead.This movie's so bad, another indicator of cheapness, the end credits still playing over exchanging dialogue, where to me that's a plus, in light of what I've watched.You even have a romantic comedown, with Majors and that village Indian girl, where you really think, earlier something may evolve. This could be one film, you'll be glad to see the back off, or may'be have just one more watch, thanks to it's amusing factors. A historical medi evil film that will gone down in the history, as one of the worst of it's kind. The music is one of a few better things in this droning turkey.

A band of courageous Vikings led by mighty warrior Thorvald (woodenly played with hopelessly stiff earnestness by Lee Majors) go to America to rescue their beloved Norse king Eurich (Mel Ferrer sporting laughable flowing blonde hair and beard) from the evil clutches of a savage tribe of Iroquois Indians.Writer/director Charles B. Pierce really fumbles the ball with often uproarious results: The dodgy accents, highly questionable historical accuracy, glaring anachronisms, some seriously egregious casting (Jerry Lewis movie regular Kathleen Freeman as an irate old Indian woman and Jack Elam as a sinister wizard complete with cowl, falcon, and hunchback win the grand booby prizes), clumsy use of strenuous slow motion, the ridiculously solemn narration, and a few ineptly staged battle set pieces all give this gloriously atrocious gut-buster a certain irresistible kitschy allure. Cornel Wilde fares well as the noble Ragnar, the luscious Susie Coelho cuts a mighty fetching figure in revealing animal skins as helpful fair maiden Winetta, and Jimmy Clem manages to be both credible and endearing as lionhearted mute hulk Olif. Jamie Mendoza-Nava's thunderous score hits the stirring spot. Robert Bethard's sumptuous widescreen cinematography provides a handsome sweeping look. An absolute hoot and a half.

I am sitting at home watching THE NORSEMAN on TV, trying to pick my incredulous chin up off the floor. This movie must be seen by film students so they can learn everything NOT to do in making a movie. For example: Lee Majors (THORVALD) and the boy playing his Norse son deliver arch dialog in southern American accents...The Caucasian looking Indians with perfect Herbal Essence hairstyles...and perfect teeth..(that tribe must have a really good dental plan) Lee Majors sports a late 1970's mustache and hair style...He probably was on hiatus from a series and refused to restyle his hair...The Max Factor warpaint on the Indians' faces...and the lack of "Light Egyptian" on their bodies...Irish actress, Kathleen Freeman, as an old Indian woman... The "ultra realistic" Canadian location (NOT!), complete with palm trees and Spanish Moss... How did they get the money to make this thing? Where can I get some for my films??? This film is like a train wreck....painful to watch but absolutely riveting in its awfulness. The only area that deserves praise is the cinematography...the exteriors look pretty good... the cinematographer must have picked up the gig to pay for a fishing expedition or a vacation to Hawaii... In the words of many a great Norseman, .....Oy Vey!!!

Plastic/aluminium armour. Knight's armour on Thorvold and a LoneRanger mask, under his knights helm. Black vikings, white Native Americans...of course the largest insult is that this dreck was filmed in Florida, as evidenced by the foliage and the sugar white sand on the beach. I don't remember Vikings ever landing in Tampa, unless it was in a football game.I won't even address the little mustache worn by Mr. Majors, as compared to the full beards of his 'Viking' co-horts.This is a film you can't believe you are watching, yet won't turn off, because you can't look away.Of course the climax of the film has the 'Vikings' running through water on a sandbar...anyone watching, who is familiar with Lee Majors as the "Six Million Dollar Man" will find themselves waiting to hear the music/sound effects that accompanied 'Steve Austin' whenever he was performing his feats of strength, or running to save the day.All this film needed was BigFoot.