I recall reading the book before I went to see this as a kid and being a little disappointed. But in hindsight, it's an enjoyable enough action adventure film. The effects aren't too bad (with one exception, see below) and the acting, whilst not Oscar materiel, is competent enough.
The plot is ludicrous, of course, but no worse than "Devil Country" the author of which escapes me now, which had Neanderthals living in the Andes. Plus this movie has Donald Sinden in it. Way back then, I only knew him from a cheap BBC TV sitcom called "Two's Company" where he played a butler. So it was a bit of a shock to see him in the adventurer role.
The only laughable bit in the film are the lava scenes. The heroes have to cross a volcanic region to escape the pursuing vikings. It's all done poorly, bringing a smile as you watch, but then you see Donald Sinden running away from a lava flow. It's so bad, I burst out laughing. His expressions, combined with the back projected lava picture and the slightly overcranked camera-work are hysterical. It's worth seeing the movie just for that scene alone.
As I say, though, an enjoyable enough way to spend a couple of hours.
The plot is ludicrous, of course, but no worse than "Devil Country" the author of which escapes me now, which had Neanderthals living in the Andes. Plus this movie has Donald Sinden in it. Way back then, I only knew him from a cheap BBC TV sitcom called "Two's Company" where he played a butler. So it was a bit of a shock to see him in the adventurer role.
The only laughable bit in the film are the lava scenes. The heroes have to cross a volcanic region to escape the pursuing vikings. It's all done poorly, bringing a smile as you watch, but then you see Donald Sinden running away from a lava flow. It's so bad, I burst out laughing. His expressions, combined with the back projected lava picture and the slightly overcranked camera-work are hysterical. It's worth seeing the movie just for that scene alone.
As I say, though, an enjoyable enough way to spend a couple of hours.