Erik the Viking

An endearingly silly slice of Pythonesque fun that doesn't quite live up to the sum of its parts. Shame but not bad all the same

Remember how Red said that he wished he could tell us that Andy Dufresne fought the good fight and the Sisters left him alone? How they kept at him and sometimes he was able to fight them off and sometimes not? I like to imagine that Andy tried to escape reality in order to cope with this situation during his first few years at Shawshank. He didn't have to be a prisoner - he could be a Viking who disliked rape and pillaging, but mostly the raping.

Winsome, low-key Viking spoof has Jones’ distinct brand of Pythonesque sensibility, though it’s a lighter, less bold flavour than the boys’ group efforts; suffice to say your tolerance for this will depend on your affection for a very British, twee strain of pun-based humour - the odd stabs at more bleak and sardonic observations feel tonally out of place, even if some are guffaw worthy. Robbins is surprisingly effective as the Brian-like lead helping the film to emerge as an amusing diversion.

Erik the Viking is a few Pythons short of a full Monty. There are a few decent gags, but ultimately the film is let down by a sluggish pace and scenes that run too long. Apparently there is a Director's Son's Cut which takes the runtime from near 110 minutes down to 75. It won't make it a great film, but it would probably make it much more entertaining. The impressive cast is alright, neither disappointing nor truly shining; Robbins just doesn't seem to be in his element here.

It's fun, and cheesy and just misses being something better. It's still worth watching for a good time.

My wife said this reminds her of Princess Bride, and from her, that's an underhanded compliment. Despite its many flaws (underusing Cleese's villain, cheesy SFX), there is still an undeniable charm here - with great moments both funny and not-so-funny. My only major qualm is Robbins doing a Graham Chapman impression throughout: no one can be Chapman except Chapman.

Tim Robbins horribly miscast in a Python film and just ruins every scene.

Extra minus points for the disappointment of having so many great actors and comedians and so few laughs. I barely cracked a smile, and by the end was downright irritated at this film's ineptitude.

It's funny and amusing.

now you see me, now you don't!

From the first, it's clear how lame ERIK THE VIKING is--even when there are good lines or bits of business, the timing is off, or the film can't help but have an extra line which ruins the rhythm of the humor (it's telling that later cuts are a third shorter than the original). And the good moments aren't all that plentiful; the story and characters are alike thin, and the cast can and does little with the material. A shame, because great care was obviously taken with the production design.

Rather blah, like all too many Python splinter projects

A few laughs.

takes all the good elements from the monty python show and puts it into a good story, and who can say no to tim robbins?

Not a must-see. Two or three laughs were noted.

Great childhood movie. If you have already seen it, don't watch it again. You'll destroy a great memory.

Oddbal, not quite-Monty-Python-esque humour, but the bizarre story will probably keep you watching.

This movie is not very funny. There are a few amusing moments but not enough to make it a good movie.

In my distant memory, this was generally dull with only two or three laughs. Rewatching it over 20 years later, with more perspective, changed my mind. Though comedies rarely elicit my laughter, I chuckled quite a lot through most of this. It is good nonsense humor for adults, with some slapstick but mostly avoiding vulgarity, and I truly must declare it a credit to Terry Jones' Monty Python legacy.

[Long cut] Terry Jones brings 60's fantasy film aesthetics with a dark twist. There are way too much adult themes to show it to the kids, too infantile for adults. Entertaining throughout, but nothing sticks, and I hardly remember most of the plot a few days after seeing it. I really liked Tim Robbins in this.

Classic. The bit with Terry Jones et al singing and sinking into the ocean was kinda lame, but otherwise this is a pretty funny and enjoyable fantasy.

Too many dramatic scenes to be a true comedy, too many silly scenes to be a fantastic adventure drama. The funny parts are truly Pythonesque, but it would have been better to stick to one side of the medal: either comedy or drama. Besides, special effects are really bad at times. Only advisable for Python fans.

Em honra do grande Terry Jones (1942 - 2020). Escolhi As Aventuras de Erik, o Viking para passar por esse luto porque é o filme que Jones dirigiu que não vejo há mais tempo e uma revisão se fazia necessária. E depois de ter assistido aquelas bostas de filmes do Thor oriundos da Marvel esse filme fica ainda melhor, quando se tem o fato "wit" a seu lado, nada fracassa. O toque do personagem cristão é inteligentemente engraçado. BlurayRip RARBG.