Review #7 - GROUCHO (2 septembre 1998)
Source : Ain't It Cool News
http://www.aintitcool.com/display.cgi?id=2031

"Hey there Harry. I write to you from sunny San Fernando Valley, the porn capital of California. I just stepped out of the theater where I saw a preview screening of THE 13TH WARRIOR, based on Michael Crichton's "Eaters of the Dead". I urge your readers to save their pennies and wait for this to appear on video.
The movie starts out with enough potential but quickly diminishes into yet another Crichton film flop. I have read every book Crichton has written, except "Eaters of the Dead", and each one has somehow managed to be a huge film disappointment. Except for JURASSIC PARK of course because Mr. Spielberg can take my grocery list and turn it into a tear jerker. But I digress.
THE 13TH WARRIOR is a poor example of filmmaking. The plot is thin as a Kate Moss and the characters are as interesting as wet cardboard. Antonio Banderas plays Ahmad Ibn Fadlan, an Arab (with a Spanish accent) who is chosen by Vikings to be The 13th Warrior in a fight against an invisible enemy who eats away flesh and may not be human. Well, it turns out that there is not a lot of flesh eating and the invisible enemy turns out to be mountain men who think they are bears. The battle scenes are cutting room floor rejects from BRAVEHEART that have been darkened just enough so you can't get a feel for the action. Boys and girls, stay away from this one. Still, if you are starving for Norse men fighting a supernatural enemy, read "Beowulf".
I remain, Groucho."