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u guys should react to new viking series vikings valhalla it´s pretty good and i know u love vikings it´s 100 years after the original.Ragnar lothbrock Steven(=
@@aquilaxxi7953 I think you mean that it's not historically accurate, which can also be said for the first "Vikings" series. I also think people throw around the term "post-modern" without knowing what it really means.
It is it's beautiful but it's not what people expect from Viking movies or shows nowadays so I think that's why it didn't do well. People don't realize how absolutely unhinged viking culture was at times and so its hard to watch sometimes
@@flickchick710 yup viking film has been overly dramatized by hollywood since few decades ago. Most viking film didn't even mention about how rampant and important slavery was in viking society and incest is something that very common for them lmao. That is why so many white supremacist love viking movies that was made in the past decades because its a kosher version of it. But in reality THIS movie is the closest that we can watch about how the viking really was and their culture. Most of the plot were taken directly from historical writings.
@@wewenang5167 where do you get your information from??? More Specifically white supremacists love Viking movies??? Do you realize one of the only reason this movie didn’t do so well with the ratings is because the Director did away with the diversity quotas and the whole treating women as equals to make a good movie that’s historically accurate. Say what you want but the only complaint you could find about it on the Internet was that it was racist And didn’t have a female leave because that’s become a complaint with every movie released nowadays
Good call on the Lion King vibes! LK was based on Hamlet and Shakespeare based Hamlet on the 12th century Norse historical legend Prince Amleth, that this movie is based on! Good stories are forever I suppose.
@@dingleberryman1498 from what i understand that's very exaggerated based on superficial similarities (Simba sounds like Kimba, but thats not his Japanese name for example) and the two have nearly nothing in common other than being about a Lion whose name ends in -imba
Robert Eggers is a phenomenal director and writer. He really takes his craft seriously and you can tell because if you miss a single scene, you miss crucial information. Such talent.
As a die-hard Shakespeare fan and MASSIVE viking nut, I was stoked for this movie! I'm so glad to say that I was NOT disappointed at all! I walked out of the theater with a massive grin that would have made Ragnar Lothbrok proud!
@@ForgottenHonor0 From a Icelandic poem if I remember right detailing this story but if I remember that story it does not quite match up liberties taken of coarse. I loved the movie to and all the good history info and THE GODS showing up :D :D
@Mr. Penguin yea have MA in History and was going for PHD when I was in my accident so sometimes I just can not get the info forward but it was in Icelandic stories
@@Mama-Dee1969 There is no preserved Icelandic poem of this sort as far as I know. The oldest versions we have are two Danish retellings written in Latin from the 12th century.
Original version of Hamlet. Shakespeare took inspiration from this Norse myth. And then everybody else took inspiration from his play. Including The Lion King creators.
Well, the movie is partly based on Amleth, but the movie doesn't retell the original story. There are Shakespearian influences and a lot of the rituals and events in the movie are taken from all kinds of other mythological und historical viking sources.
This was incredible to watch in the theater. The sound design was particularly amazing to experience there. I've watched this a few times now and it's one of those films where you can interpret so many things due to the layers of story being told. This was a great reaction!
Movie was great. Yall never brought back up the Draugr thing (undead Viking he fought). So, just in case, I wanted to tell you, the fight DID happen. Just not physically. He fought its spirit. It was a mind battle, basically. Thought that was so awesome.
The ravens freeing him from the rope is very symbolic in our culture. He has the eye of Odin upon him. Each morning, Odin's two ravens, Hugin and Mugin, fly out into the world and see all and hear all. They return to Asgaard, sit on his shoulders and whisper to their master what transpires in Midgaard, the world of men. Amleth's place in Valhalla is assured even before his last breath. Incidentally, we had our first summer thunder storm here in Denmark :-) Hail Tor !
Even if Amleth wasn't injured from the start, he was always in for a tough fight against Fjolnir: -Fjolnir was acknowledged by his brother as a great warrior and they likely went on many raids together. -Fjolnir encouraged his young son (Gunnar) to do hard labor in case they ever became slaves. -Fjolnir had just lost his sons and wife, so his thirst for vengeance was fresh and hot. Hence why he was the aggressor during most of the final fight
Well not just that but the protagonist was already badly injured by his own scumbag mother and his half brother I suppose. He was bleeding out. Made him weakened. So he was far from being 100% during his fight with his uncle regardless of how aggressive his uncle was. If it was a fight where Amleth was 100% he would have killed his uncle in a one on one fight to the death. Amleth had youth on his side while his uncle was already past his prime years. Not to mention Amleth had been staying active in battles and raids keeping his fighting skills sharp and honing his skills in combat.
The fascinating part of the revenge plot is, they both commited acts that made them the villains to each other & they both each have an arc that makes them the hero of their story. This is why The Northman is a masterclass of s film & far superior than any other historically accurate films or shows out there. Vikings does not even hold a candle to this film. The Northman makes Vikings look like a child's bed time story.
I love that after Amleth kills his mother and half-brother, he has this brief moment of regret, and then when Fjolnir enters you see this look of acceptance. It doesn't matter that he killed them in self-defense or by accident. They were always on a collision course and now they are at the point of no return.
But that’s just it, they WERENT on a collision course, that is just the path that Amleth chose. It gets him killed and he loses everything. That’s the point of the film.
@@mileshill7196 He hasn't lost everything. Olga and his future children survive and Amleth is granted entrance into Valhalla. The movie definitely intends for you to question the price for revenge, but I don't think it necessarily provides a definitive answer.
@@mileshill7196 I think the point is how you can’t escape “destiny” which is in itself the entanglement of cause and effect. Amleth wanted vengeance, as his culture demanded. By the time he was clear headed enough to step away, he was right in that Fjolnir would do just as he did - hunt him and his family to the ends of the Earth. He chose to end the cycle by accepting his death. This was a story whose end was written before it began.
The special blade only could be used at nighttime. That's why he couldn't use it during the scene where he wanted to trade the heart for the girl. At the end before he goes in the vulcano mountain was the only time he could use it during daytime.
27:10 It's well documented that Vikings had severe PTSD from raids. Games like this often turned deadly because of it. It was not considered murder if you kill someone in sport because the other player could've stopped at any time. Of course, pride makes them continue and blood baths ensued.
To me this movie is a true masterpiece and honors the ancient beliefs, rituals and ways of life more authentically than anything before. And I love the music, no modern heavy metal over fighting scenes. Don't get me wrong, I love metal but original music makes the scenes hauntingly beautiful. Congrats on the sponsorship!
I agree with you! I am also a metalhead but preferred the orchestral stuff in this case. I’ve heard the soundtrack many times at this point and I never get sick of hearing it!
Robert Eggers is a genius of a director, haven't disappointed me yet. The Witch is still his greatest masterpiece tho and The Lighthouse is an unique experience
Gustaf skarsgard (his brother who played floki): my show will be the most accurate portrayal of my native people. Alexander Skarsgard: hold my mead bro.
As a Norwegian who's had great interest in norse mythology i can say that the costumes, armour, weaponry and buildings are on point. The story and dialog is up for discussion, but still not bad.
Being familiar with the source material (both the Saga and Shakespeare's interpretation) I was so worried this would come out as another generic Hollywood revenge story. It didn't disappoint, though. Sure, a few things were off from the saga, but creative license is expected.
The raid in the beginning or after he caught the spear and threw it back. Those men that climbed the wall first with no shirts on and no pants for most of them. They were the Berserkers and the Ulhednar. Bear shirts & Wolf Warriors. They stayed up the night previous drinking and taking hallucinogens to become almost indestructible or invincible. They never feared death. They never feared anything. The beginning, with Ethan Hawk and his son when they’re drinking that mead potion and barking. Ethan Hawks line were berserkers. He was teaching his son the ways of the berserk and what he must become in battle. It was a transfer of right and knowledge. However the next day he was killed and his son fled.
We actually don't know that much about berserker rituals and beliefs in the viking era. The thing with the hallucinogens is heavily debated. And the ritual was inspired by depictions that are older than the viking age.
@@Kuhmuhnistische_Partei I know. I was pointing out what the king did with his son the night before his murder, when they drank that hallucinogen drink. Also to what the men were doing besides the bonfire the night before the raid. Many of these things are just theories as you pointed out. Yet they alluded to them in the film.
@@heathen3550 I kinda assumed you added the thing with the hallucinogens because I don't remember it from the movie, but maybe I missed it. There are so many small details everywhere, it's hard to see everything. I just assumed they drank a lot of mead and danced. I mean, you can get in a "drugged"-like state by just dancing long enough to the same rythm.
Your Vikings reactions made me fall in love with you guys. I still have my BALL TEA mug I bought! (legendary comment by Nikki). I was diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder and anxiety in 2008 as well! Which is crazy to know you Nikki did as well. One would never know it. If there was a way to communicate with you I would be curious as to what worked for you (if anything has) although I am aware its a personal thing many dont want to share which is understandable. Medications etc. are horrible on the body and I have been on them my entire life and they always stop working as they are known to do often, but recently this past year I did something called TMS (Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation) its non-invasive treatment for treatment resistant depressed people. I have to say that for a non-drug option it worked! I am motivated again, I have 0 depression, anxiety is not as bad and my creativeness came back. I recommend TMS if your insurance will cover it! 36 session of sitting in a chair with a small magnet over your head that stimulates all your feel good chemicals etc. I cant recommend it enough for anybody who cant find a medication that works. Thank you both for the great content!
thank you very much for Super Thanks and thank you for sharing... I will pass this along to Nikki and see what she can offer. Glad to hear things have gotten better for you.
Thank you so much for sharing your struggle as well. I have no problem sharing my experiences with anyone that I can potentially help. After first being diagnosed, I did the whole run through of different meds to find one that would work with the least amount of side effects, started with Prozac, then zoloft, celexa, and I think the final one I tried was Lexapro. I was on medication for years while also speaking to a therapist. It was really hard for me. I ended up losing my job because of my depression in 2011. And just for any one else reading this... there is no shame in getting help via medications. It's a chemical imbalance that needs to find balance. Not everyone needs medication, but for some people it can help. If you have any more questions, I would love to chat. Come hang out in our discord if you'd like. I'm sure Steven put the link in the description box. I'm def not a professional, but I'm a good listener. - Nikki
@@NikkiStevenReact Thanks so much for sharing your experience Nikki and glad you were able to find something that helps even though we all know it's an ongoing struggle. I appreciate what you both do and have gotten me through tough days. Thanks again!
Can you guys react to The Last Dual? It’s got Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Jodie Comer, and Adam Driver. It’s so good and will leave you hanging on the edge of your seat.
To what you said about it reminding of the lion king, this movie is actually based on the real life story that was the inspiration for Shakespeare to write Hamlet.
I love the scene just after the raid where the older guy has a short heart to heart with the main character, meanwhile hundreds of people are screaming and crying in the background, I felt like that was sort of a nod to how vikings are portrayed in modern media, I feel like it was Eggers way of saying ''dont romanticize these vikings'' not necessarily a diss to other shows or movies but more of a way to make you realize what they just did was awful, setting that hut on fire kinda sealed the deal if you didnt catch the subtlety. Well, subtle spelled in bold capital letters but still.
I took it less as “Don’t romanticize Vikings” and more “This is what Vikings are. Good and Bad.” It’s not a warning about how fucked up they are and how we shouldn’t like them, but just an attempt to be objective and show how cruel even “good” guys were in history. This was their culture, for good or for ill, this was how they were. And yet we still come to care for and respect Amleth.
@@LuxLoser im no good with words so thank you for bringing my comment to life, thats exactly what I was trying to say, you took the words right out of my comment (mouth) thank you sir.
This movie is a modern masterpiece in my opinion. The sound design, impeccable. The action, visceral and brutal. The story, classical and brilliant. Pure excellence across the board.
"Lion King Vibes" Well... based on the play that's based on the story this movie is based on; so... still interesting how much more reactors tend to go to LK instead of - you know - Hamlet...
@@mrjdgibbs Yes because everyone regarding modern audiences knows the story of Lion King. So when people see the trope of evil uncle, murdered father, lost prince, Prince vs Uncle regaining kingdom, etc they always go to Lion King. Even for Gods of Egypt people were referring it to as Egyptian Lion King even though the story of Horus vs Set came over a thousand years ago. Same case for Hamlet I’m afraid 🤷🏻♂️.
10:24 this is the story of amnet, a Danish (northman) prince, Shakespeare used this for the story of Hamlet, this is the story used for the lion King. So yes you are correct !
The hardest part of solving a problem is first realizing that you have a problem. I've been broken for 7 years, but kept fighting because I'm Celtic. "You want to know true pain, look at yourself in the mirror. Crying and all you can say, is "just keep strong and keep hanging on.", that is pain."
It’s a shame general audiences didn’t get/like this…so many walked out, and it’s sucks because while Eggers will always get projects, he will probably never get a big budget project again because of this. But I commend Eggers for not betraying his art for what the studio wanted him to do and make the movie for ‘mainstream’.
He was a beserker; they were scary individuals; they worked themselves into a frenzy before battle; there were reports they used to bite chunks out of their shields to strike fear into their opponents. At the battle of Stamford Bridge in 1066, in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles, there is a story of one Viking beserker who held off the English army on the bridge, killing over 40 men before he was killed.
10:30 Amleth was the inspiration of Hamlet, which is what Lion King is based on. I can't imagine how many times in history this story has probably played out.
Alexander Skarsgård: 6'4 Hafþór Björnsson (aka "Thor," aka, The Mountain from Game of Thrones): 6'9 They probably cheated the camera angle and/or actor position so Alex would look closer to the same size as Thor.
I feel like ya'll would love The Last Kingdom if you haven't watched already and want ya'lls "Viking" fix for a TV series. It's fantastic and probably one of my personal favorite TV shows ever.
Lion King is based on Hamlet. Hamlet is based on Prince Amleth's legend, which dates from at least the 10th century. It was actually Shakespeare's inspiration.
Behind the Scenes Story Time: You guys mentioned the black beach. There is a beautiful black beach in Iceland where the sand is black because it's made from volcanic magma that hardened into rock and then ground into sand over time. They couldn't shoot the movie scene there, so they shot it in Ireland and used CGI to make the beach black instead. They also used a rock quarry in Ireland for the volcano fight - but they tried to use practical effects for almost everything, including shooting documentary style footage of the erupting volcano Helka in Iceland for the background to the shots and then enhancing things with some CGI later.
Alexander Skarsgård is 194cm. The Mountain aka Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson is 205 cm. But Thor is "only" 145kg (319lbs) compared to his earlier 206+kg (460lbs) because of health reasons and for his fight with Eddie Hall (which he won).
You cut out the Valkyrie scene?? That was one of the most spectacular scenes I've seen on film. Saw this in the theatres 3 times. i cannot imagine watching in the bright light on a laptop.
I've actually heard that the vikings believed that in order to ward off the undead, if you couldn't burn the corpse, was to cut off their head and shove their face against their ass.
As someone who’s been proud of his Northman heritage in the past, this movie shines a true light on what really went on during these raids. Some things our people should be proud of, but some of them we should not.
Since you guys liked Vikings and that time period, I'm sure you guys would like The Last Kingdom on Netflix!! I LOVE that show to pieces and my Mom and I are constantly rewatching it, because we both love it soooo much!!!
good movie, just so many things left unexplained. for one, his mother was clearly in distress when being kidnapped, but says she was weeping with joy when asked about it later. little bits and pieces that left me wondering
I love this movie! Probably my favorite so far of this year. Robert Eggers is a damn good director, you should check out his other movies, the lighthouse and the witch. They are a lot smaller in scale but both are fantastic horror!
A funny thing is, that there are a lot of details in the Weapons and Outfits, way of live, thats more Viking Age, then Movies like Vikings. But the Theme of the Movie is Fantasy after a Legend. But more "real" then a lot of historic counterparts.
If you want to continue Vikings things, the show The Last Kingdom just aired it's final season and it's better than Vikings and actually ended on a high note.
When I saw this in theatres I honestly thought it would be more of a Spartacus or Braveheart storyline, where he would have a group of people not a solo mission. But I loved the soundtrack and visuals on the big screen. Good story
@@JazzMJFAN Unlike Vikings, Last Kingdom ended on a high note, didn't drag for seasons, had way better plots on a way lower budget, and is based in stories from one of the best historical fiction writers we got. Sit down
This depiction of vikings is pretty accurate, as the Norwegian vikings were known throughout europe as being the most fierce and ruthless of all vikings in Scandinavia. I don't think it's coincidence that they were also the longest surviving vikings who preserved transitions, while most other vikings conformed to christianity. The Northman is one of my favourite film of 2022 so far. Robert Eggers is an absolute genius filmmaker.
16:47-16:55 I'm pretty sure that's the guard that Amleth guts at 41:38 Not sure if Amleth was thinking of that moment when he killed him, but it would be kinda funny if he was.
Draugr appear regularly in Sagas and were something people very much believed in in reality. There were various methods to protect against and deal with the undead. Such as physical evidence in graves with bodies that were treated in special ways to prevent the dead from returning. Sometimes bodies were nailed down or weighed down. Decapitation and placing of the head under or up the ass was one common way that's been observed
Thank you for spreading the word about mental health assistance. You guys seem like super nice people and I love your tastes in art. I have anxiety and depression and it feels good to see other artists to help others out. What you said about the long wait for getting mental health help is too true and I hope that we see a day where mental health is more accessible like physical health.
29:22 The Northman is a classic. A vengeful Viking warrior prince masquerades as a slave so he can get his revenge on his evil uncle who murdered his father when he was a boy.
Exquisite movie. As a history fan there's just so much realistic stuff in it - even the trippy magic is very "authentic". Close to the material culture that's archaeologically discovered or preserved in writing.
i mostly agree, but some things were out of place - like they were included just because 'viking'. like the funeral for fjolnirs son, was straight out of ibn fadlans account but it was for a eastern european slavic viking chieftain (somewhere along the volga river in modern hungary iirc)... it was out of place in iceland and even would have been in mainland scandinavia / northern europe. not only that but a funeral that grand would never have been given to a farmers son. its nitpicky and thats only one example, but there were several things in the movie like that, that just didn't really fit other than falling in the general broad category of "viking" edit: just felt i should clarify i did really enjoy this all in all, and there is FAR more to like for history buffs than to not like
@@googlename3859 True. It's actually kinda funny. The berserker ritual they do in the land of the Rus is actually from Swedish pre-viking depictions (although you could argue that the Kievan Rus vikings were mostly of Swedish origin, so it's not unbelievable) and the ship burial in Iceland is something we only know from the Rus vikings. But there are also certain things in it I criticized in the first moment, but then realized how certain things are actually quite smart. For example the lamellar armor of Fjölnir in the beginning. We know of such armor in the hands of vikings, but there is no evidence it was every used in actual battles and it is a bit of a cliche. So some think those were just fancy, exotic wallhangers. But Fjölnir only wears it during the murder of the king, he doesn't expext much of a fight and only wears it to look fancy in his big moment. And that's actually a very good use of this particular piece of history.
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Drop a ⚔ if you made it this far into the pinned comment
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u guys should react to new viking series vikings valhalla it´s pretty good and i know u love vikings it´s 100 years after the original.Ragnar lothbrock Steven(=
⚔️
@@jimmya1465 Fake and post-modern vikings. The two series went to something more realistic to a politically correct characters and situations.
@@aquilaxxi7953 I think you mean that it's not historically accurate, which can also be said for the first "Vikings" series. I also think people throw around the term "post-modern" without knowing what it really means.
Alot of the historians say this movie is the most accurate Viking movie we're going to get.
Check out outlagin-ghost of flea
It is it's beautiful but it's not what people expect from Viking movies or shows nowadays so I think that's why it didn't do well. People don't realize how absolutely unhinged viking culture was at times and so its hard to watch sometimes
@@flickchick710 yup viking film has been overly dramatized by hollywood since few decades ago. Most viking film didn't even mention about how rampant and important slavery was in viking society and incest is something that very common for them lmao. That is why so many white supremacist love viking movies that was made in the past decades because its a kosher version of it. But in reality THIS movie is the closest that we can watch about how the viking really was and their culture. Most of the plot were taken directly from historical writings.
and they also say that bareback wolf skin wearing berserkers are nothing but horsesh!t
@@wewenang5167 where do you get your information from??? More Specifically white supremacists love Viking movies??? Do you realize one of the only reason this movie didn’t do so well with the ratings is because the Director did away with the diversity quotas and the whole treating women as equals to make a good movie that’s historically accurate. Say what you want but the only complaint you could find about it on the Internet was that it was racist And didn’t have a female leave because that’s become a complaint with every movie released nowadays
If you guys didn’t know, the lead actor named Alexander Skarsgård who plays Amleth is the big brother of Gustaf Skarsgård who plays Floki in Vikings 😊
Their dad is Bill Skarsgard, who plays the Baron in Dune and a lot of other fims. And their younger brother plays Pennywise from IT
The Skarsgards are all designed to be eerily sexy. Except Alexander who's just plain sexy.
@@Ashbrash1998 No the brother who plays Pennywise is Bill. Their father who plays the Baron in Dune is named Stellan.
Good call on the Lion King vibes! LK was based on Hamlet and Shakespeare based Hamlet on the 12th century Norse historical legend Prince Amleth, that this movie is based on! Good stories are forever I suppose.
This movie has a lot more in common with Lion King, than the original legend…
@@EmilReiko Yeah I haven't read it but a friend of mine who loves reading ancient literature said the OG is really kinda wild.
Lion King is also heavily based on anime and manga Kimba the white lion.
@@dingleberryman1498 from what i understand that's very exaggerated based on superficial similarities (Simba sounds like Kimba, but thats not his Japanese name for example) and the two have nearly nothing in common other than being about a Lion whose name ends in -imba
@@ayanleman there is a 2 hour video on youtube proving otherwise, for you consideration
Robert Eggers is a phenomenal director and writer. He really takes his craft seriously and you can tell because if you miss a single scene, you miss crucial information. Such talent.
As a die-hard Shakespeare fan and MASSIVE viking nut, I was stoked for this movie! I'm so glad to say that I was NOT disappointed at all! I walked out of the theater with a massive grin that would have made Ragnar Lothbrok proud!
pure Hamlet but Viking :D
@@Mama-Dee1969 Where do you think Shakespeare got the inspiration?
@@ForgottenHonor0 From a Icelandic poem if I remember right detailing this story but if I remember that story it does not quite match up liberties taken of coarse.
I loved the movie to and all the good history info and THE GODS showing up :D :D
@Mr. Penguin yea have MA in History and was going for PHD when I was in my accident so sometimes I just can not get the info forward but it was in Icelandic stories
@@Mama-Dee1969 There is no preserved Icelandic poem of this sort as far as I know. The oldest versions we have are two Danish retellings written in Latin from the 12th century.
Original version of Hamlet. Shakespeare took inspiration from this Norse myth. And then everybody else took inspiration from his play. Including The Lion King creators.
Well, the movie is partly based on Amleth, but the movie doesn't retell the original story. There are Shakespearian influences and a lot of the rituals and events in the movie are taken from all kinds of other mythological und historical viking sources.
This was incredible to watch in the theater. The sound design was particularly amazing to experience there. I've watched this a few times now and it's one of those films where you can interpret so many things due to the layers of story being told. This was a great reaction!
I got lucky and I saw it in a completely empty theater on the last day it was showing. Absolutely incredible experience.
I have created two Viking short inspired films! Voluspa and Valravn! Check it out on my Channel!
Movie was great. Yall never brought back up the Draugr thing (undead Viking he fought). So, just in case, I wanted to tell you, the fight DID happen. Just not physically. He fought its spirit. It was a mind battle, basically. Thought that was so awesome.
And he places the Head of the Draugr between his Ass because, in the sagas, thats how you free an undead Spirit.
Just love the Details 👌
The ravens freeing him from the rope is very symbolic in our culture. He has the eye of Odin upon him. Each morning, Odin's two ravens, Hugin and Mugin, fly out into the world and see all and hear all. They return to Asgaard, sit on his shoulders and whisper to their master what transpires in Midgaard, the world of men. Amleth's place in Valhalla is assured even before his last breath.
Incidentally, we had our first summer thunder storm here in Denmark :-)
Hail Tor !
*Hugin and Munin (”håg” och ”minne”, or ”thought” and ”memory” are the names of the ravens)
@@underthefigtree9524
Typo on the Mugin 😊. As you correctly say, it's Munin.
@@dritzzdarkwood4727 😁👍
His father was also called War-Raven, so I took it as something like a sign that his father's spirit came back to help him complete his vengeance.
Even if Amleth wasn't injured from the start, he was always in for a tough fight against Fjolnir:
-Fjolnir was acknowledged by his brother as a great warrior and they likely went on many raids together.
-Fjolnir encouraged his young son (Gunnar) to do hard labor in case they ever became slaves.
-Fjolnir had just lost his sons and wife, so his thirst for vengeance was fresh and hot. Hence why he was the aggressor during most of the final fight
Well not just that but the protagonist was already badly injured by his own scumbag mother and his half brother I suppose. He was bleeding out. Made him weakened. So he was far from being 100% during his fight with his uncle regardless of how aggressive his uncle was. If it was a fight where Amleth was 100% he would have killed his uncle in a one on one fight to the death. Amleth had youth on his side while his uncle was already past his prime years. Not to mention Amleth had been staying active in battles and raids keeping his fighting skills sharp and honing his skills in combat.
The fascinating part of the revenge plot is, they both commited acts that made them the villains to each other & they both each have an arc that makes them the hero of their story. This is why The Northman is a masterclass of s film & far superior than any other historically accurate films or shows out there. Vikings does not even hold a candle to this film. The Northman makes Vikings look like a child's bed time story.
I love that after Amleth kills his mother and half-brother, he has this brief moment of regret, and then when Fjolnir enters you see this look of acceptance. It doesn't matter that he killed them in self-defense or by accident. They were always on a collision course and now they are at the point of no return.
But that’s just it, they WERENT on a collision course, that is just the path that Amleth chose. It gets him killed and he loses everything. That’s the point of the film.
@@mileshill7196 He hasn't lost everything. Olga and his future children survive and Amleth is granted entrance into Valhalla. The movie definitely intends for you to question the price for revenge, but I don't think it necessarily provides a definitive answer.
@@mileshill7196 I think the point is how you can’t escape “destiny” which is in itself the entanglement of cause and effect. Amleth wanted vengeance, as his culture demanded. By the time he was clear headed enough to step away, he was right in that Fjolnir would do just as he did - hunt him and his family to the ends of the Earth. He chose to end the cycle by accepting his death. This was a story whose end was written before it began.
The special blade only could be used at nighttime.
That's why he couldn't use it during the scene where he wanted to trade the heart for the girl.
At the end before he goes in the vulcano mountain was the only time he could use it during daytime.
Congrats on the sponsorship, guys! You deserve the best!
27:10 It's well documented that Vikings had severe PTSD from raids. Games like this often turned deadly because of it. It was not considered murder if you kill someone in sport because the other player could've stopped at any time. Of course, pride makes them continue and blood baths ensued.
Documented? How?
Documented where? There pure nonsense, stop using google for facts and tv shows made by historians with 0.1% facts.
To me this movie is a true masterpiece and honors the ancient beliefs, rituals and ways of life more authentically than anything before. And I love the music, no modern heavy metal over fighting scenes. Don't get me wrong, I love metal but original music makes the scenes hauntingly beautiful.
Congrats on the sponsorship!
I agree with you! I am also a metalhead but preferred the orchestral stuff in this case. I’ve heard the soundtrack many times at this point and I never get sick of hearing it!
If Robert Eggers is involved you know it's gonna be at minimum great directing and historical accuracy
Robert Eggers is a genius of a director, haven't disappointed me yet. The Witch is still his greatest masterpiece tho and The Lighthouse is an unique experience
Gustaf skarsgard (his brother who played floki): my show will be the most accurate portrayal of my native people.
Alexander Skarsgard: hold my mead bro.
13th Warrior for any Viking fans. Would love to see you react to that film.
That's shit is underrated man!! Great film
The legend of Amleth inspired Shakespeare to write Hamlet which The Lion King is inspired on. So that is why the story feels like The Lion King.
As a Norwegian who's had great interest in norse mythology i can say that the costumes, armour, weaponry and buildings are on point. The story and dialog is up for discussion, but still not bad.
The "big guy" during the "viking quidditch match" is played by Hafthor Bjornsson, aka The Mountain from Game of Thrones!
Being familiar with the source material (both the Saga and Shakespeare's interpretation) I was so worried this would come out as another generic Hollywood revenge story. It didn't disappoint, though. Sure, a few things were off from the saga, but creative license is expected.
Sounds good. I had only heard it flopped at the box office.
@@patinho5589 still too artsy for common movie goers unfortunately 😔
@@alwaysbreezy37 I’ll have to watch it. Won’t spoil myself on this reaction.
It wasnt "off from saga", they literally wrote slightly different story from saga
@@alwaysbreezy37 They should've hired more star power
The raid in the beginning or after he caught the spear and threw it back. Those men that climbed the wall first with no shirts on and no pants for most of them. They were the Berserkers and the Ulhednar. Bear shirts & Wolf Warriors.
They stayed up the night previous drinking and taking hallucinogens to become almost indestructible or invincible. They never feared death. They never feared anything. The beginning, with Ethan Hawk and his son when they’re drinking that mead potion and barking. Ethan Hawks line were berserkers. He was teaching his son the ways of the berserk and what he must become in battle. It was a transfer of right and knowledge. However the next day he was killed and his son fled.
We actually don't know that much about berserker rituals and beliefs in the viking era. The thing with the hallucinogens is heavily debated. And the ritual was inspired by depictions that are older than the viking age.
@@Kuhmuhnistische_Partei I know. I was pointing out what the king did with his son the night before his murder, when they drank that hallucinogen drink. Also to what the men were doing besides the bonfire the night before the raid. Many of these things are just theories as you pointed out. Yet they alluded to them in the film.
@@heathen3550 I kinda assumed you added the thing with the hallucinogens because I don't remember it from the movie, but maybe I missed it. There are so many small details everywhere, it's hard to see everything. I just assumed they drank a lot of mead and danced. I mean, you can get in a "drugged"-like state by just dancing long enough to the same rythm.
@@Kuhmuhnistische_Partei Lol, very true.
@16:03 "I dunno how they got around then"
Their gigantic balls doubled as flotation devices.
Your Vikings reactions made me fall in love with you guys. I still have my BALL TEA mug I bought! (legendary comment by Nikki). I was diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder and anxiety in 2008 as well! Which is crazy to know you Nikki did as well. One would never know it. If there was a way to communicate with you I would be curious as to what worked for you (if anything has) although I am aware its a personal thing many dont want to share which is understandable. Medications etc. are horrible on the body and I have been on them my entire life and they always stop working as they are known to do often, but recently this past year I did something called TMS (Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation) its non-invasive treatment for treatment resistant depressed people. I have to say that for a non-drug option it worked! I am motivated again, I have 0 depression, anxiety is not as bad and my creativeness came back. I recommend TMS if your insurance will cover it! 36 session of sitting in a chair with a small magnet over your head that stimulates all your feel good chemicals etc. I cant recommend it enough for anybody who cant find a medication that works. Thank you both for the great content!
thank you very much for Super Thanks and thank you for sharing... I will pass this along to Nikki and see what she can offer. Glad to hear things have gotten better for you.
Thank you so much for sharing your struggle as well. I have no problem sharing my experiences with anyone that I can potentially help. After first being diagnosed, I did the whole run through of different meds to find one that would work with the least amount of side effects, started with Prozac, then zoloft, celexa, and I think the final one I tried was Lexapro. I was on medication for years while also speaking to a therapist. It was really hard for me. I ended up losing my job because of my depression in 2011. And just for any one else reading this... there is no shame in getting help via medications. It's a chemical imbalance that needs to find balance. Not everyone needs medication, but for some people it can help. If you have any more questions, I would love to chat. Come hang out in our discord if you'd like. I'm sure Steven put the link in the description box. I'm def not a professional, but I'm a good listener. - Nikki
@@NikkiStevenReact Thanks so much for sharing your experience Nikki and glad you were able to find something that helps even though we all know it's an ongoing struggle. I appreciate what you both do and have gotten me through tough days. Thanks again!
Can you guys react to The Last Dual? It’s got Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Jodie Comer, and Adam Driver. It’s so good and will leave you hanging on the edge of your seat.
Underrated movie, one of my favourites from last year
I LOVE that movie!
Yes
Yes absolutely, they need to watch and react to The Last Duel
Godly movie.
Fun fact, Alexander Skargaard is the brother of the actor who played Floki in Vikings, Gustaf Skarsgaard.
needed to make sure this fun fact was here.
Their younger brother Bill was originally cast in this movie as well but eventually had to drop out.
To what you said about it reminding of the lion king, this movie is actually based on the real life story that was the inspiration for Shakespeare to write Hamlet.
I love the scene just after the raid where the older guy has a short heart to heart with the main character, meanwhile hundreds of people are screaming and crying in the background, I felt like that was sort of a nod to how vikings are portrayed in modern media, I feel like it was Eggers way of saying ''dont romanticize these vikings'' not necessarily a diss to other shows or movies but more of a way to make you realize what they just did was awful, setting that hut on fire kinda sealed the deal if you didnt catch the subtlety. Well, subtle spelled in bold capital letters but still.
I feel like a lot of people took the exact wrong messages from this movie.
"Don't romanticize these vikings". 🤓
I took it less as “Don’t romanticize Vikings” and more “This is what Vikings are. Good and Bad.” It’s not a warning about how fucked up they are and how we shouldn’t like them, but just an attempt to be objective and show how cruel even “good” guys were in history. This was their culture, for good or for ill, this was how they were. And yet we still come to care for and respect Amleth.
@@LuxLoser im no good with words so thank you for bringing my comment to life, thats exactly what I was trying to say, you took the words right out of my comment (mouth) thank you sir.
Btw Alexander Skarsgard (Amleth) is brother of Gustav Skarsgard (Floki in Vikings ;) )
Shakespeare adapted his play, Hamlet, off of the legend of Prince Amleth. So, you're not wrong about being reminded of The Lion King.
This movie is a modern masterpiece in my opinion. The sound design, impeccable. The action, visceral and brutal. The story, classical and brilliant. Pure excellence across the board.
"Lion King Vibes"
Well... based on the play that's based on the story this movie is based on; so... still interesting how much more reactors tend to go to LK instead of - you know - Hamlet...
Well because Lion King popularised the story that’s why it’s the go to for everyone.
@@mijanhoque1740 Did you just say that the Lion King popularized Hamlet? The one by Shakespeare?
@@mrjdgibbs Yes because everyone regarding modern audiences knows the story of Lion King. So when people see the trope of evil uncle, murdered father, lost prince, Prince vs Uncle regaining kingdom, etc they always go to Lion King. Even for Gods of Egypt people were referring it to as Egyptian Lion King even though the story of Horus vs Set came over a thousand years ago. Same case for Hamlet I’m afraid 🤷🏻♂️.
21:08 Draugr
29:50 house decorations
43:18 The battle of Mustafar
10:24 this is the story of amnet, a Danish (northman) prince, Shakespeare used this for the story of Hamlet, this is the story used for the lion King. So yes you are correct !
The hardest part of solving a problem is first realizing that you have a problem. I've been broken for 7 years, but kept fighting because I'm Celtic. "You want to know true pain, look at yourself in the mirror. Crying and all you can say, is "just keep strong and keep hanging on.", that is pain."
It’s a shame general audiences didn’t get/like this…so many walked out, and it’s sucks because while Eggers will always get projects, he will probably never get a big budget project again because of this. But I commend Eggers for not betraying his art for what the studio wanted him to do and make the movie for ‘mainstream’.
I wanted to see this movie the INSTANT I caught sight of the poster.
After watching it, I felt the need to drink a barrel of mead and go on a raid
This is so hamlet…right down to the jester’s skull lol
it isnt often that I buy soundtracks on vinyl, but this one I have
He was a beserker; they were scary individuals; they worked themselves into a frenzy before battle; there were reports they used to bite chunks out of their shields to strike fear into their opponents. At the battle of Stamford Bridge in 1066, in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles, there is a story of one Viking beserker who held off the English army on the bridge, killing over 40 men before he was killed.
10:30 Amleth was the inspiration of Hamlet, which is what Lion King is based on. I can't imagine how many times in history this story has probably played out.
Lion king is Hamlet , Hamlet is Amleth.
My Scandinavian blood was up watching this movie & your reaction N&S. Enjoyed Steve's reaction to the ceremonies & Nicky's everything. Skol!
Alexander Skarsgård: 6'4
Hafþór Björnsson (aka "Thor," aka, The Mountain from Game of Thrones): 6'9
They probably cheated the camera angle and/or actor position so Alex would look closer to the same size as Thor.
Fun fact: _Amleth_ is _Techno Viking's_ ancestor. 😜
35:22
Amleth: I'm pissed off!!! I need to kill something... (sees Thorir sleeping) FUCK YOU, COUSIN!!!!!
I feel like ya'll would love The Last Kingdom if you haven't watched already and want ya'lls "Viking" fix for a TV series. It's fantastic and probably one of my personal favorite TV shows ever.
Lion King is based on Hamlet. Hamlet is based on Prince Amleth's legend, which dates from at least the 10th century. It was actually Shakespeare's inspiration.
Behind the Scenes Story Time: You guys mentioned the black beach. There is a beautiful black beach in Iceland where the sand is black because it's made from volcanic magma that hardened into rock and then ground into sand over time. They couldn't shoot the movie scene there, so they shot it in Ireland and used CGI to make the beach black instead. They also used a rock quarry in Ireland for the volcano fight - but they tried to use practical effects for almost everything, including shooting documentary style footage of the erupting volcano Helka in Iceland for the background to the shots and then enhancing things with some CGI later.
Alexander Skarsgård is 194cm.
The Mountain aka Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson is 205 cm.
But Thor is "only" 145kg (319lbs) compared to his earlier 206+kg (460lbs) because of health reasons and for his fight with Eddie Hall (which he won).
You cut out the Valkyrie scene?? That was one of the most spectacular scenes I've seen on film.
Saw this in the theatres 3 times. i cannot imagine watching in the bright light on a laptop.
Both the Valkyrie scenes are some of my day in all of cinema now.
Fun fact: once your head is severed your mind is awake for 7mins after the head has been detached
This is the actor who played Eric Northman in True Blood and the whole movie I was thinking this is probably how he fought.
In an interview, he said that if they had filmed Eric Northman's backstory it would have been a lot like this but with some Hamlet thrown in.
I've actually heard that the vikings believed that in order to ward off the undead, if you couldn't burn the corpse, was to cut off their head and shove their face against their ass.
Yes, this is true.
I think you mean it gives Shakespear vibes the play Hamlet
This movie wasn't for me, but I can respect it has a lot of masterful components
As someone who’s been proud of his Northman heritage in the past, this movie shines a true light on what really went on during these raids. Some things our people should be proud of, but some of them we should not.
Since you guys liked Vikings and that time period, I'm sure you guys would like The Last Kingdom on Netflix!! I LOVE that show to pieces and my Mom and I are constantly rewatching it, because we both love it soooo much!!!
Really like this movie and glad yall did too, Anya Taylor Joy is a great actress
This movie was brutal but I loved it. And loved your reaction! Thanks guys !
The first war scene when he's half naked. You called him a beast. He's a Berserkr.
I hope you watch this director's other movies as they are also fantastic, especially The Lighthouse
Funny how the main person in this movie is played by Flokis real brother ( Alexander)
Damnit, Nikki being open brings a tear to an old dudes eye.
good movie, just so many things left unexplained. for one, his mother was clearly in distress when being kidnapped, but says she was weeping with joy when asked about it later. little bits and pieces that left me wondering
Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson (The Mountain) is 6'9", and Alexander Skarsgård is 6'5"
I love this movie! Probably my favorite so far of this year. Robert Eggers is a damn good director, you should check out his other movies, the lighthouse and the witch. They are a lot smaller in scale but both are fantastic horror!
37:30 he can't use the sword during daylight but it unlocked at the finale fight
It could be unsheated at the gates of Hel. Its a metaphor
The berserker scene is pretty realistic. It was a ritual to go through the berserker ritual for a raid.
A funny thing is, that there are a lot of details in the Weapons and Outfits, way of live, thats more Viking Age, then Movies like Vikings. But the Theme of the Movie is Fantasy after a Legend. But more "real" then a lot of historic counterparts.
If you want to continue Vikings things, the show The Last Kingdom just aired it's final season and it's better than Vikings and actually ended on a high note.
When I saw this in theatres I honestly thought it would be more of a Spartacus or Braveheart storyline, where he would have a group of people not a solo mission. But I loved the soundtrack and visuals on the big screen. Good story
From Eric Northman on True Blood to THE Northman.
37:00 He can't unsheathe the sword in the daylight, as the old witch man said, it can only be drawn at night!
Also, this film is the MOST HISTORICALLY ACCURATE DEPICTION OF VIKING LIFE!!!
13th Warrior has entered the chat
@@ProHero86 No. It didn't. >:D
@@RyanRyzzo it’s a literal true retelling story from someone who traveled with Vikings
@@ProHero86 thought it was a work of fiction written by Michael Crichton. I guess not
@@madmammoth9022 based on the real story’s of an Arabian merchant
Omg! Loved this movie! I haven't seen any reactions whatsoever to it. You two are the best
The actor is Floki's brother and the movie is the story of Hamlet I loved photography It reminds me of 1917
I saw this in the movie theatre when it came out. I went with my mom. We had a great time. Loved your reaction.
What a great review.
I missed this in the cinema, and the DvD isn't due for release until the 17th july.. Have just pre-ordered my copy
Also - unrelated but related - I’m super excited for you guys to eventually start “The Last Kingdom” 😁⚔️🤘🏻
Yep, it's far better than Vikings
@@awesomness36 I love both.
@@awesomness36 not even close 😂 Vikings is far better
@@JazzMJFAN Unlike Vikings, Last Kingdom ended on a high note, didn't drag for seasons, had way better plots on a way lower budget, and is based in stories from one of the best historical fiction writers we got. Sit down
@@awesomness36 Disagree big time. Vikings was amazing all the way to the end. Last Kingdom didn’t come close with story/acting imo 🤷🏻♀️ “sit down” 💀😭
You guys could react to “Everything Everywhere All The Time”, such an amazing movie.
This depiction of vikings is pretty accurate, as the Norwegian vikings were known throughout europe as being the most fierce and ruthless of all vikings in Scandinavia. I don't think it's coincidence that they were also the longest surviving vikings who preserved transitions, while most other vikings conformed to christianity.
The Northman is one of my favourite film of 2022 so far. Robert Eggers is an absolute genius filmmaker.
The danes had a worse reputation
But these are Rus Vikings. The second chapter is itself called "Land of the Rus".
The Bjork cameo at 14:15 was quite clever.
Watched this and got the rest of what you were saying from your story on IG. Good to knowinfo.
I know you almost said "Arselings" at the beginning! Love you two, just watched this movie and it was epic, so stoked for your reaction now!
16:47-16:55
I'm pretty sure that's the guard that Amleth guts at 41:38
Not sure if Amleth was thinking of that moment when he killed him, but it would be kinda funny if he was.
I hope you guys get to The Last Kingdom at some point. I think you'll enjoy it
Edit: gotta listen to Heilung, Skáld, Wardruna, and Danheim
Draugr appear regularly in Sagas and were something people very much believed in in reality. There were various methods to protect against and deal with the undead.
Such as physical evidence in graves with bodies that were treated in special ways to prevent the dead from returning. Sometimes bodies were nailed down or weighed down. Decapitation and placing of the head under or up the ass was one common way that's been observed
Thank you for spreading the word about mental health assistance. You guys seem like super nice people and I love your tastes in art. I have anxiety and depression and it feels good to see other artists to help others out. What you said about the long wait for getting mental health help is too true and I hope that we see a day where mental health is more accessible like physical health.
Gonna watch this after school
(13/9/2022 11:10 am home Tuesday)
Luv u Nikki glad you're doing better and continue to be better
Shakespeare took elements from these Viking stories and made Hamlet. In turn Lion King takes great inspiration from both.
Lion king seems to be a 1 to 1 copy of another animation though. Like when you compare it, its just unreal.
The evil brother in this movie really does look like Scar from "The Lion King," if he was a human
Crazy part…the dude playing Amleth is the actor who played Floki’s brother!
Wow, I love to see when my subscriptions get sponsors! Congrats guys!
29:22 The Northman is a classic.
A vengeful Viking warrior prince masquerades as a slave so he can get his revenge on his evil uncle who murdered his father when he was a boy.
Exquisite movie. As a history fan there's just so much realistic stuff in it - even the trippy magic is very "authentic".
Close to the material culture that's archaeologically discovered or preserved in writing.
i mostly agree, but some things were out of place - like they were included just because 'viking'. like the funeral for fjolnirs son, was straight out of ibn fadlans account but it was for a eastern european slavic viking chieftain (somewhere along the volga river in modern hungary iirc)... it was out of place in iceland and even would have been in mainland scandinavia / northern europe. not only that but a funeral that grand would never have been given to a farmers son.
its nitpicky and thats only one example, but there were several things in the movie like that, that just didn't really fit other than falling in the general broad category of "viking"
edit: just felt i should clarify i did really enjoy this all in all, and there is FAR more to like for history buffs than to not like
@@googlename3859 True. It's actually kinda funny. The berserker ritual they do in the land of the Rus is actually from Swedish pre-viking depictions (although you could argue that the Kievan Rus vikings were mostly of Swedish origin, so it's not unbelievable) and the ship burial in Iceland is something we only know from the Rus vikings. But there are also certain things in it I criticized in the first moment, but then realized how certain things are actually quite smart. For example the lamellar armor of Fjölnir in the beginning. We know of such armor in the hands of vikings, but there is no evidence it was every used in actual battles and it is a bit of a cliche. So some think those were just fancy, exotic wallhangers. But Fjölnir only wears it during the murder of the king, he doesn't expext much of a fight and only wears it to look fancy in his big moment. And that's actually a very good use of this particular piece of history.