Linbeymusol Wonderful character development!

ShangLuda Admirable film.

Taha Avalos The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

Hattie I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.

lindfilm-1 I am confused by the magnanimous praise for this film. First of all, let me respect it for its unsensational style. It expressed the everyday unromantic experience of what it must have been like then. In this way, it avoided Hollywoodism, but when I consider how the film-makers could have incorporated vast vistas as a cinematic expression of the isolation of these communities I was dismayed. These people lived in immense isolation, but all we were given 90 percent of the time were tight shots, and landscapes were generally presented as one section of the pebbly beach with some stark rocky islands off shore. And let us consider the opening (of the version I saw). There was no attempt at establishing the historical context. Instead, we got close shots that could have been anywhere, and certainly shot in the style for 'straight to video". Come on! The script was clever, with the potential for a great dramatic experience, but the director must have been limited by a highly restrictive budget, because it ended up looking like 'made for TV'. The synthesized music was occasionally effective but surely deeper chords would have created an ominous atmosphere. The hero did not really have any tense challenges. He seemed to cruise through it all. While I sort of liked him, I never had a sense of his jeopardy. In short, there was no dramatic tension. In this sense, there was an echo of some of Clint Eastwood's movies, but without the stylishness. There was an assumption that we were on the protagonist's side, but why deprive us of his human vulnerability as he seeks revenge? I feel that the writers deserve a bigger budget to prove to us that they can create a truly cinematic experience rather than a small dimension TV drama. I have not seen the subsequent 2 parts of the trilogy.

Tony Gest goes to Iceland in 894 to avenge the killers of his parents. There are some memorable moments in this film. The opening credits scene revealing the Icelandic coast with the powerful music lets us know we're in for something different. Gest is heavily influenced by The Man with no Name in Leone's westerns and Einarsson does a good job portraying such a figure.The opening scenes are the best, especially the 'Tungur Knivur' scene. The film goes on too long and I didn't like the sanctimonious message in the end especially when the director's commentary on the DVD confirmed that he was trying to show the futility of violence. If somebody walks all over you you gotta stand up for yourself. It was also unrealistic. Gest would really have held on to those knives considering it was ninth century Iceland and how the hell was he going to get home.

latsblaster 'Hrafninn flýgur' had no problem getting status and good reviews in Sweden, here where we don't have any good action-flicks at all. Perhaps this is better than most of the action-movies made here, but it is not realistic at all.'Hrafninn flýgur' is mostly a combination of 'Conan the Barbarian', 'Yojimbo' and 'C'era una volta il west' (but mostly a silly remake of 'Yojimbo').The worst part in 'Hrafninn flýgur' is the unoriginal and poor music, which at times reminds about 'Yojimbo', but it is not as good.The direction didn't impress me at all either, it tried to create a rough mood, with weak result.Rating: 5 of 10.

SamRag Being Icelandic I'm of course proud of most films made in Iceland, and they do get better every year. The only thing I sometimes criticise is that we, Icelanders, try to be TOO clever. We don't allow ourselves to just make pure action or pure comedy, but it seems we have to try to add some artistic flair to all our films. Hrafninn flygur is a viking-action film, which keeps your interest from beginning to end. The costumes and surroundings are beautiful, and the story is a good old revenge-your-parents tale, but with enough twists and side stories to keep ones interest fully. I have many friends around the globe, and Hrafninn flygur is one of the few films that I would recommend to anyone for pure entertainment value. Sadly, this film is not available any more, so we will just have to hope that one of these days they will re-release it.