UnowPriceless hyped garbage

AnhartLinkin This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

Nayan Gough A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

Philippa All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

Ian Based on true events or not, as a movie it doesn't quite hit the mark.There's the good guys and the bad guys and lots of fighting - it's a sort of action flick on skis - but there's far too much 'they nearly get them, they escape, they nearly get them, they escape' going on. Far, too much.I really like foreign movies, particularly Scandinavian, and it's well made and well acted with great scenery and costumes but the story drags on and out.Ok for a rainy - or snowy! afternoon - but, alas, not a great movie.

Mark Turner Foreign films can be hit or miss, more often than not depending on how they translate to the viewing sensibilities of the group watching the film. For example there have been movies that were well made by the French and Italians that were great films but didn't quite transfer to the viewing styles of American audiences. It didn't lessen their qualities it just didn't translate into box office gold.Then there are others that translate well but still don't achieve that pinnacle of success, box office dynamite. The good news is that these films often make their way stateside on disc format. That allows those who enjoy films from other countries the opportunity to see some great movie making going on other than what's made here. THE LAST KING is a solid offering that tells a story, does it well and holds your interest from start to finish.Based on a true story it tells the tale of early Norway, 1206 to be exact, when the king was overthrown. His son, Håkon Håkonsson, is an infant and those who still support their king send away the young child to be raised with the intent of him taking back the crown one day. Two members of the Birkebeiner, an elite skiing soldiers still loyal to the king, take the child away while the Church attempts to find him, kill him and take control of the country.Eventually word leaks out that the child has survived and it becomes the goal of these two men to protect the child at all costs. As various foes are sent to retrieve that child they face off against each threat, making their way to a safe haven. If they fail they not only lose their lives but the future of Norway as well.The film is filled with enough action sequences to hold the interest of the most jaded viewer. These work well since the odds of that "losing something in translation" problem doesn't apply to them. Expert skiing is on view that displays a fantastic set of skills for all of the stuntmen used to make this picture. The cinematography that captures these exciting sequences as well as the gorgeous views of snow covered Norway only add to the pleasure this film brings.While the names of those involved will not be recognizable to US audiences all involved do a great job offering emotions that pour forth from body movement and visual cues that aren't fully brought to life by the dialogue which is subtitled. These characters are true heroes of the highest regard and the actors bring them to life.Certainly not everyone will enjoy the film, especially those who tend to hate anything with sub titles. But for those willing to take a chance you'll find a movie that provides enough court intrigue combined with plenty of action sequences that will keep you watching from start to finish.

peefyn As a Norwegian, I appreciate that we are starting to make movies that on a technical level are as good as this. The costumes, locations, music, special effects and acting were all on a professional level, just as something you would expect from any other European movie.The setting was also good. Norway should take advantage of its history, and make the kind of movies that it would not make sense for other countries to make. Speaking as a Norwegian, there are too few good cross-country skiing action sequences out there.The story that this is based on is interesting, but the movie's flaw is that it never quite managed to capture the drama inherit in the story it tells. I found myself not caring much about the scenes with the scheming and plotting, the villain and his people. All of that. In fact, that most interesting part of the movie was probably the "Two men and a baby"-aspect of it, which at times were very enjoyable.

niutta-enrico I watched it out of curiosity because I never heard the term 'Birkerbeiner' before (the beautiful tale of Håkon Håkonsson hasn't reached the bulk of ignorant Mediterranean men yet) and I am more than happy to have done it.It wasn't really a memorable film, however: many scenes lacked realism and the plot was oversimplified, on my humble opinion. Which was something I didn't expect given the huge talent of Scandinavian screenwriters (e.g. Anders Thomas Jensen or Kim Fupz Aakeson, just to quote two of my favorites...).In any case it was instructive and I'm sure that many people from all around the world will enjoy the story and recognize many actors such as Kristofer Hivju (from 'Game of Thrones'), Nikolaj Lie Kaas (from 'Child 44'), Thorbjørn Harr (from 'Vikings') or Pål Sverre Hagen, (from 'Kon Tiki') who I'm sure are by now familiar faces to international audiences.