Erik the Viking (1989) Terry Jones   One would think that a Viking adventure/comedy written and directed by Terry Jones (an ex-Monty Python member and medieval scholar) has all the ingredients of a classic. But when a comedy begins with the hero making a botched attempt to rape a woman-and the victim browbeats her assailant for not knowing what he is doing-you know you are in for a less-than-invigorating two hours. So begins Erik The Viking, a visually attractive but unfunny satire of the Nordic sagas. The story follows Erik (Tim Robbins) a Viking raider who, having failed in his attempt to rape a woman (an act which is actually treated as humorous), starts to question his people's violent way of life. Erik consults the wise-woman Freya, and learns that he must set sail to find the island of Hy-Brasil, where lies the "Horn Resounding," whose sound will awaken the gods of Valhalla and bring an end to Ragnarok and this age of violent strife. After overcoming a few nautical scrapes, Erik and his band make landfall on Hy-Brasil, a peaceful haven of frivolous nice people. To their shock, the vikings learn that weapons of any kind are banned on Hy-Brasil, for it is believed that the island will sink beneath the sea if ever blood is spilled upon it. Erik the Viking offers a good story line overall (and reportedly began life as a bedtime story Jones told to his son), but the plot is continuously stalled by the script's comedic attempts, few of which prompt any laughter. The promise of seeing John Cleese in the role of the villain Halfdan the Black sparks some hope that the laughs might get rolling, but Cleese is not given any funny material from which to work. The casting overall is inspired, including Mickey Rooney as Erik's grandfather and Eartha Kitt as a Freya, but they, too, ultimately seem wasted on an uninspired screenplay full of stillborn jokes. Still, Erik the Viking is a good-looking movie, with some impressive sequences, such as the sea monster with a big glowing nose which attacks the vikings as they cross the ocean. Fabulous costumes are on display, too, from the ragged furs of Erik and his minions to the gauzy Greek chitons of Hy-Brasil's denizens. The sets, too, are impressive, from the Mediterranean setting of Hy-Brasil to the cold, dark columns which line the Halls of Asgard. Ultimately, however, Erik The Viking just does not work. The adventure and fantasy elements of the film prove superior to the attempts at humor, but the comedy aspect is so overemphasized that the film is just an unending frustration to watch. –Paul Andrew MacLean

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