Movie Review: Ragnarok (aka Gåten Ragnarok)

Directed by: Mikkel Brænne Sandemose (2013)

IMDb listing  

Pros: excellent special effects, interesting characters, neat premise, no gore

Cons: not much action, small cast lessened tension

Sigurt Svendsen is a Norwegian archaeologist with some unconventional ideas.  When his partner makes an astounding discovery they assemble a small group to check out an ancient Viking site of power. 

I give kudos to this film for having two tag along kids I actually liked.  Yes, Ragnhild is moody and pissed at her dad, but the film establishes good reasons for this that felt realistic and pitiable.  Sigurt makes mistakes but is trying to be a good father even as he feeds his obsession with Vikings.  Elisabeth was simply awesome.

While the special effects were few, they were really well done.  The creature, when you finally see it, looks great and moves realistically.

Given the small cast, there wasn’t as much tension with regards to who would survive the journey, but I thought they solved a few problems creatively.  I also liked the explanation of what the creature is.  It was one of those ideas that sounds obvious after it’s stated, but doesn’t occur to you before hand.

I enjoyed this.  It’s a fun gore free time waster horror flick.