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Everyone knows that Vikings didn't really wear helmets with horns on them. Less well known is that everyone else knows it too. At least, anyone who's ever had even the slightest interest in the subject. I think I knew it when I was ten. From now on, when someone takes it upon himself to "inform" me of this fact, I'm going to feign surprise. "I'll be damned," I'll say. "Really?"
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The Vikings was an old movie I used to watch on Saturday afternoons when I was a kid. I screened it again recently, expecting it to be terrible. It's not terrible. It's no Spartacus. It's certainly dated. But it's not terrible. Certain scenes I recalled quite vividly; this would have been one of my very earliest encounters with the concept of Vikings, and it's fair to say it made an impression on me.
May years later, although still a long time ago, I saw The Long Ships, apparently an attempt to capitalize on the success of The Viking. The most memorable thing about it is that it stars Sidney Poiter as a Moorish prince.
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As every indignant fanboy knows --and never ever (ever, ever) gets tired of reminding you-- it was the humble genius Jack Kirby who created the Marvel Universe, and the cheesy hack Stan Lee who stole the credit. That may be. But vis-a-vis the Marvel Comics’ version of Norse mythology, I think the issue, really, is who deserves the blame. For demoting Thor, the great Norse god of thunder, into a clean-shaven, cape and spandex clad superman--who battles evildoers alongside such stalwart allies as Spiderman, Captain America and the Fantastic Four, speaks in ghastly faux-Elizabethan English (why?! ), and, by hurling his magic hammer and hanging on to the wrist strap, can fly—was, in my opinion, a very bad idea. No one, at least, could possibly argue that Marvel Thor was among the better notions from the men (or just one man) who invented Ben Grim, Galactus, the Silver Surfer, the X-Men, the Celestials, Doctor Doom, the Watcher, and dozens upon dozens of far more compelling fantasy characters and concepts.
I am tempted to call Hagar the Horrible the nadir of pop-cultural depictions of Vikings. (I will admit to having been a fan as a stupid kid.)
Jack and Stan definitely put their own spin on things where the God of Thunder was concerned.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, Ben's last name is spelled "Grimm".
I happily defer to your expertise.
ReplyDeleteI've heard that reviews on this movie have been miserable. However, due to my husband's taste in popular films I'm sure I'm going to end up seeing this one at some time in my life...thanks for the warning about the "ghastly faux-Elizabethan English," that could be somewhat of a bright point in the experience. :)
ReplyDeleteBrowsing office supply stores entertains me more than most Hollywood fx movies, but I did take the trouble to catch a matinee of Thor. Partially out of a recent, self-imposed duty to monitor Scandinaviana in pop culture and the news. Partially out of a lingering fondness for the character, who--however bastardized by the comics--was, afer all, when I was about 3 or 4, my quasi-introduction to the gods of my forefathers. While I cannot recommend this film to grownups (not its intended audience anyway), I will say in its favor that they toned down the Elizabethan English aspect from the comics.
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