Valhalla Rising (2010)

I was anticipating this film with a sense of murmuring, low level excitement. Mads Madsen is a curiously intriguing presence, just like his name. He was great a few years ago in that uncomfortable little tale, After the Wedding (2006). Director Nicolas Winding Refn has the explosive Bronson (2008) and the recently released Drive (2011) to his credit. That's another film I'm anticipating with a simmering level of curiosity. Then there was a blood stained trailer that led me to believe this would be some sort of seat-of-the-pants ride. So it is with some bereavement I share the news that Valhalla Rising is mostly a trudging and indulgent test. I love a good slow-burn film, most definitely, no doubt about it, but in this film the drama between action sequences is a chore. The flat characters and shallow story don't add much weight to the scenes of wandering through paddocks. While the camera work makes those paddocks look all lovely the overuse of digital molestation was a distraction and the animated blood sprays comical.

There is still juicy marrow to be extracted though; the violent dispatching of lives doesn't get dull and the scenery is stunning. The bugged-out, nightmare journey that closes the film is a fitting conclusion to a miserable adventure. 
Well even though I pretty much just kicked this film in the guts it has its redeeming features  just likes it's hero and shouldn't be relegated to the steaming dung heap of crap movies.

3/5