THE PLOT THUS FAR
Journey to a thrilling ancient world in this epic new series about history’s bravest and most brutally fearsome warriors…VIKINGS. Ragnar, a would-be Viking chieftain, longs to fulfill his destiny as an explorer and conqueror, alongside his ambitious brother Rollo and loyal wife Lagertha. But as Ragnar leads daring raids in distant realms across the ocean, treacherous forces in his Norse homeland conspire against him. Faced with shocking betrayals and the temptations of a mysterious seductress, Ragnar must wage war on the battlefield — and within himself — to protect his freedom, family and life. Includes 9 episodes with extended and alternate scenes.
WHAT WE THOUGHT
“Vikings” is a fairly realistic depiction on what Norse life was probably like at this timeline, the spectacular countryside with its majestic forests and rivers, and the depictions of the Vikings themselves. Savage, eager to loot and plunder, but nevertheless bound by a sort of code of honor. Their acts are savage and the chieftan seems more like a medieval Godfather who uses his power for his own personal gain and who is not above killing somebody on the spot if he is displeased with his actions. The storyline is fairly literate and not the usual mindless adventure that too many of these movies present to us, and the characters are convincingly drawn and likely motivated.
The sets are impressive and believable and the direction and framing of each scene is obviously set by a skilled hand. The characters are all interesting and likable and the acting is top notch. The only negative I could draw on was that there could have been a bit more action in the first episode but what action there was was very well done. My advice to you, just watch and enjoy it for what it is and don’t be out off by the history buffs.
The Blu-Ray comes with deleted scenes, commentary, featurettes and Blu-Ray interactive exclusives. I played around with the Armory featurette and that was fun. I couldn’t quite get the Discovery: Journeys of the Vikings to work for me. The 1080p transfer is superb, but the real winner is the glorious DTS-HD 5.1 master audio track. This might be the best Blu-Ray out there for a History Channel show. In the end, I’d recommend a purchase.
RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW!