6.3 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
An 11th-century Viking prince sails to America to find his father, who on a previous voyage had been captured by Indians.
Starring: Lee Majors, Cornel Wilde, Mel Ferrer, Jack Elam, Christopher ConnellyAdventure | Insignificant |
Action | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.35:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono (48kHz, 24-bit)
BDInfo
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 1.5 | |
Video | 3.0 | |
Audio | 3.0 | |
Extras | 0.5 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
1978’s “The Norseman” offers a “based on fact” take on the saga of the Vikings, that “lusty horde of blonde giants” who traveled from Norway seeking adventure and treasure, ending up in a place they called “Vineland,” which we know today as America. And when one thinks of a typical Viking, the image of a mid-‘70s Lee Majors comes to mind, seen here wearing a snazzy little disco mustache, sweating under the Tampa sun, refusing to cover his southern accent and brunette hair (blonde giants!). Director Charles B. Pierce (“The Town That Dreaded Sundown,” “The Legend of Boggy Creek”) promises a historical picture at the opening of “The Norseman,” but he doesn’t really bother with any of that, looking to create a pulpy, low-budget actioner for drive-in audiences perhaps too sleepy to care about the fine details of the time period.
The AVC encoded image (2.35:1 aspect ratio) presentation for "The Norseman" is an MGM catalog release, lacking a recent scan for its Blu-ray debut. Filtering is present, along with some softness and obvious age, but basic details are passable with costuming, showcasing metallic armor and horned helmets. Skin particulars are acceptable, highlighting makeup effects on the imprisoned Vikings, and bushy facial hair offers some texture. Oceanic distances and deep forests are reasonably dimensional, along with ship events. Colors are slightly fatigued, largely dealing with Tampa greenery and red and blue clothing. Skintones are natural, also managing body paint on the Native Americans. Delineation is acceptable. Source is in good condition, with some mild speckling and scratches.
The 2.0 DTS-HD MA shows age and production limitations often, as scoring cues aren't crisply defined, emerging with a muddier sound. Music is mostly quieter, but the opening scene of exposition is nearly drowned out by orchestral force, forcing the listener to strain a bit to understand what's being said. Beyond that, dialogue exchanges are acceptable, with decent intelligibility. Sound effects are blunt.
"The Norseman" isn't campy, but there are a lot of unintentional laughs in the picture, which features the strangest pronunciation of the name Bjorn (he's called Bee-john here) I've ever encountered. Pierce isn't exactly going for bigness with the effort, remaining mindful of money spent on the ship and costumes, which leaves little for anything else. His storytelling skills leave much to be desired as well, finding Eurich's road to ruin explored in sudden flashbacks to his initial contact with the Native Americans, which turns ugly in a hurry. While there isn't much pace to begin with, these odd disruptions to the narrative flow add to woes already facing the movie, which doesn't get anything going when it comes to rescue plans or sequences of war. Pierce keeps matters rather sedate in "The Norseman," perhaps trusting the visual of Majors posing proudly on a Viking ship would be enough for viewers. It's not, with Viking life and aggression requiring more passion, better casting, and a script that isn't Florida-bound for an exceptionally long 90-minute run time.
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