Exiled far to the North with a small entourage including (Omar Sharif) he happens upon a camp of Vikings or "Northmen" where he witnesses the ritual burial of a king and the rather swift and violent election of a new leader! A messenger arrives at the camp and 13 warriors are called for to travel back to their homeland to a kingdom besieged by beasts. As one of the warriors must not be a Northman, Ibin is coerced to join this "magnificent 13".
I enjoyed the visual poetry as well as the musical score, I found each to be very rich and whilst there wasn't much time spent on character development I found I could engage with and care for what was on offer.
During the arduous journey (a lengthy passage of time condensed for movieland) Ibin passes the time by watching and listening to his compatriots; we see that these north men are a fairly robust but amiable bunch as they poke fun at each other and talk about their wifes and lives. As an educated fellow, skilled in language and writing, Ibin manages to communicate with his compatriots and at the end of the long journey he learns to speaka de lingo (so to speak).
Upon arrival at the homeland the 13 warriors find that they are up against a bear worshipping tribe which they can only stop by killing the Witch / Mother and the tribal Leader. Whilst achieving their goal we are given a mixture of myth, legend, action, and adventure, all wrapped up in great cinematography and music.
That said, the film undoubtedly has flaws, the unfinished plot line concerning the King's son is unforgivable for a major studio and I echo those comments calling for a directors cut.
Even with its flaws, it beats many other films hands down and is a welcome addition to the genre.
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