WTF Happened to THE 13TH WARRIOR (1999)?

Back in the nineties, John McTiernan was perhaps the most well-regarded action director in Hollywood. He had an unmatched string of hits that included Predator, Die Hard, Die Hard With a Vengeance, The Hunt for Red October and more. At the same time, Michael Crichton was a household name thanks to a little book and film you might have heard of called Jurassic Park. Putting the two of them together to adapt Crichton’s Eaters of the Dead must have seemed like a sure-fire hit to Disney, especially with Antonio Banderas, then hot off The Mask of Zorro to play the swashbuckling lead. Alas, this Viking tale was cursed from the get-go, with bad test screenings resulting in Crichton, who was also a director (Westworld, Runaway), taking over the film and re-shooting/re-working it into what was eventually released as The 13th Warrior. It’s a crazy “only in Hollywood” tale made even more remarkable because even in its compromised form, the movie is pretty damn good. We dig into the story in this week’s WTF Happened to this Movie!

#WTFHappenedToThisMovie #The13thWarrior #JohnMcTiernan

[billyrattlesticks]

I don't care what the critics say, this film is fucking awesome, I've watched it several times and it gets better with each viewing, I've never gotten the hate for it, it's well made, decently paced, has a great cast, brilliant score, is gorgeous to look at and it's quite scary and brutal in parts, especially when they enter the cannibal tribes lair at the end. And hell yeah, I'd pay to watch the McTiernan cut if it came out, it would be awesome to an alternate version of it, see how it compares.

[Graftanker]

I love this movie, I never understood why it flopped. This movie still holds up today.

[mr.graves]

This movie is criminally underrated, it's a brilliant movie that has a great story and cast behind it I can't see how people can't enjoy it.

[Lmaluko]

This film holds a special place in my heart, it was the first film i ever watched on a cinema. I went in knowing nothing about it, hadn't even seen a trailer. It was an experience, finding out the enemy were human was quite the twist for me, the atmosphere of the movie is great, the cave mission is a high, and the death of the king is very impactful.

[Noland]

"The13th Warrior" is a gem of a movie. It should have been longer to develop some of the themes.

[alexsolomon]

Great movie. and that scene where he reveals to the Vikings he's learned thier language is PRICELESS. (and not a bad way to film him learning over several weeks/months of travel)

[nemoexnihilus]

A very underrated movie. No matter what critics said, The 13th Warrior is awesome. One of my all times favorites movies

[TheBS]

What the hell is happening at the 11:30 mark of the video? The voiceover cuts out mid-sentence and loud music starts playing randomly. I've gone back several times and replayed it just to confirm it's not an some ad popping up somewhere on my device, and it's not. It's definitely the video, but I haven't seen any other comments about it.

[cmathis]

"Lo there do I see my father..." chills every time. Nothing like a bad ass last stand movie. This is one of the best. Great characters. Any movie that requires a gathered together group of heroes to face a villainous force is my cup of tea.

[AnimeWins]

I'd genuinely love to see a new generation of cinema lovers watch this movie, I think it's amazing, as many in the comments have said. Did NOT deserve to flop or the hate it got, it's very strange to me, brilliant film.

[timpryde]

Big fan of this movie. Music, action and pacing is on point! Even the character development (for most) is well done across so many characters.

[aaronsomek]

Honestly this is one of my favourite movies. There's so much to love and get lost in. It's a shame it didn't release a year earlier and sit in the spotlight.

[ericmason]

I enjoyed the movie and Antonio Banderas in it. I consider it a totally underrated movie. Although I am sure it is pure fantasy, but it was nice to see two cultures portrayed in a positive way and they ultimately accepted each other.

[TheGosslings]

If you don’t love The 13th Warrior and appreciate what a master class in masculine filmmaking it is, you don’t deserve an audience. It’s a masterpiece. It’s genius. The score alone is worth the price of admission.

[issamissa]

I’ve watched this movie many times, one of my favourites. I don’t care what people think about it, I love everything about it, cast and story, and Vikings, etc.

[Keinish]

I remember renting this movie to watch it with some friends without knowing anything about it. I remember being surprised and getting sucked into its world. Being more grounded than other similar films of the time made me remember a lot of the scenes even today. I have only watched it once, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[jorgejimenez]

Finally! A WTF review on The 13th Warrior! Definitely an underrated movie.

[JessitoBG]

I 've always loved this movie! I was 10 when it came out, and loved it ever since. In fact, I rarely miss it if they show it on tv. I really dont' know why it wasn't a hit. Its a classic for me!

[jimmyb]

Casting Antonio Banderas is not “problematic”. He’s great in the role.

[petekwando]

I count myself among those who love this movie, while acknowledge its flaws. You can definitely see the disjointed bits in the edits. The most head-scratching of these is the way the king's treacherous son simply disappears after his champion is defeated, and as mentioned, the late reveal of the Wendol cavalry leader. I also wish we had seen a little more of the relationship between Ahmad and Buliwyf, since the latter is supposed to be the basis for the mythic Beowulf, yet seems to be a cipher at times. Having said that, the actors - most of whom were completely unknown to international audiences - were wonderful in their roles, and anyone who has every played a fantasy roleplaying game will surely smile at various points as the hard-bitten Vikings defend the village against the almost orcish Wendol.