Erik the Viking (1989)

Director:

Terry Jones

Writer:

Terry Jones (written by)

Release Date:

22 September 1989 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Adventure | Fantasy

Tagline:

Be there... or beheaded!

Plot:

Erik the Viking gathers warriors from his village and sets out on a dangerous journey to Valhalla, to...

Plot Keywords:

Viking | Gods | Father Son Relationship | Betrayal | Blacksmith

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Tim Robbins	...	Erik
Mickey Rooney	...	Erik's Grandfather
Eartha Kitt	...	Freya
Terry Jones	...	King Arnulf
Imogen Stubbs	...	Princess Aud
John Cleese	...	Halfdan the Black
Tsutomu Sekine	...	Slavemaster
Antony Sher	...	Loki
Gary Cady	...	Keitel Blacksmith
Charles McKeown	...	Sven's Dad
Tim McInnerny	...	Sven the Berserk
John Gordon Sinclair	...	Ivar the Boneless
Richard Ridings	...	Thorfinn Skullsplitter
Freddie Jones	...	Harald the Missionary
Samantha Bond	...	Helga

Also Known As:

Erik viking (Sweden)

Runtime:

107 min | 79 min (director's cut)

Country:

UK | Sweden

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:14 (original rating) | Iceland:16 (video rating) | USA:PG-13 (certificate #29792) | Singapore:PG | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Finland:K-12/9 | Norway:15 | Sweden:15 | West Germany:12 | UK:15 (video rating) | UK:12 (original rating) | Finland:S (cut version) (video release)

Filming Locations:

Lee International Studios, Shepperton, Surrey, England, UK

Company:

KB Erik the Viking

Trivia:

First cinema film of Samantha Bond.

Goofs:

Continuity: Erik runs through waist-deep water to get on shore to get the Cloak Invisible. When he arrives in Aud's bedchamber minutes later, his pants are completely dry.

Quotes:

Snorri the Miserable: Anyone know any good drowning songs?
Erik: Listen! Maybe we won't get to Hy-Brasil! Maybe we won't find the Horn Resounding... but at least we've tried... and at least we shall have died like men.
Snorri the Miserable: Like fish.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Comedy Connections: Ripping Yarns (#6.4)" (2008)

Funny, more elaborate Monty Python film.

I have a hard time figuring out why Leonard Maltin qualified this movie as an "unwatchable satire." I've watched it about 3 or 4 times, so obviously it is watchable. Not only that, it is quite funny, with Terry Jones hilarious as King Arnulf of Hy-Brazil. I also thought Tim Robbins was quite good as the outcast Erik. The story, on the other hand, was pedestrian and not very engrossing, but I was laughing pretty hard most of the time so the story became just a background aspect of this very funny film anyways. John Cleese has a hilarious cameo as Halfdan the Black who runs a torture chamber in his spare time. Also, the Japanese slave driver is one of the highlights. Good entertainment. 8 out of 10 stars.