The Vikings

This is one of these films that I can watch time and time again - it is Hollywood at it's best. Historical shmorical, that doesn't matter - it is a quickly paced action adventure with a strong cast delivering an enjoyable to watch drama. It all starts when some marauding Vikings deprive the English of their King. That leaves their kingdom in the hands of the malevolent King "Aella" (Frank Thring) who cottons on quite quickly that he has traitor in his midst - and that'd be "Egbert" (James Donald) who manages to flee to King "Ragnar" (Ernest Borgnine) and his handsome son "Einar" (Kirk Douglas) for who he promises to draw maps facilitating further raids on the terrified English. It is whilst showing off his hawking skills to their new guest that Douglas encounters the slave "Eric" (Tony Curtis) and after a tussle involving who's got the best bird - he becomes "one-Einar" and but for a timely intervention from Odin, that could have been the end for the young slave... Meantime, the maps have provided their first harvest - the Princess "Morgana" (Janet Leigh) who is betrothed to "Aella" and so is a valuable hostage. Curtis manages to escape with the young woman and her feisty handmaiden "Bridget" (Dandy Nichols) only to be pursued through the treacherous fog by the Norsemen... It's got just about everything. A great cast with plenty going on, a soupçon of lively romance, plenty of rumbustious activity - some poor girl with her head in a wheel having axes lobbed at her head, oh - and don't wear your bodice too tight. The ending is a bit daft, but there is chemistry a-plenty between the stars, Borgnine is having great fun and if you like your movies full to the brim of well photographed escapades with one of the best castle sieges I've seen, then this is for you... It's not cerebral, the writing won't win any prizes - it is just entertaining.