Lovesusti The Worst Film Ever

FeistyUpper If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

ShangLuda Admirable film.

Invaderbank The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

SnoopyStyle It's 1187 in the Holy Lands. Arn Magnusson is known as the honorable Al Ghouti to the Muslims. He rescues Saladin from bandits on his way to Egypt. Saladin is in debt to him. In flashbacks, Arn is the son of Magnus Folkesson (Michael Nyqvist) and defeats his foe in a duel. He falls for Cecilia. Her sister tries to bed him. It turns into a scandal and he's excommunicated. A pregnant Cecilia is forced into a nunnery and Arn is sent on the Crusade.The story flow is disrupted with the constant back and forth. It's not that necessary to keep going back to Cecilia. There is also a disjointed feel. Joakim Nätterqvist is a rather bland leading man. He's a nice Viking-like look but lacks a bigger charisma. This is probably something for the fans of the books but it doesn't hold up as a cinematic movie.

joebelleza I do recommend this film - there are some great references to medieval life and a very good transition from one language to the next...not a typical Hollywood film where even Saladin will know Swedish or for some odd reason nuns in a convent would be speaking in very strong American accents...but that being said... Contains a bundle of trailer worthy moments, however, does not build on any proper story line. Cuts in and out of the story to include so many other and it sometimes leads to a failure in a good flow and leaves the viewer wondering. But that being said, wasn't bad...good acting...some decent action...but an advice to the screenwriters and directors for any future endeavors: the writer wrote three books for a reason Watch it...it won't kill you

Catharina_Sweden I think it is such a pity that the producers put so much work and money into this - news from the production and all its troubles was a serial story in the Swedish newspapers for several years. And then they chose so bad actors! Especially the main actor - Joakim Nätterqvist - is a disaster! A movie like this is totally dependent on its main actor being handsome, shining, interesting, admirable, lovable... and Nätterqvist is none of it. I cannot understand why he was chosen in the first place! Sofia Helin, as his love interest, is beautiful enough - but that is _all_ she is...The dialog is stultified, and the attempts to make the language more medieval are simply ridiculous. Almost all the actors are stiff and take themselves very seriously, and nothing feels natural. It is not possible to forget that it is actors one is watching, and to lose oneself in the story...Or maybe there simply were no better actors to chose from, either..? Although I am Swedish myself, I must admit that our actors at present are _very_ bad. The really great ones - those who had great beauty and that mystical star quality - for example Greta Garbo, Ingrid Bergman, Gösta Ekman senior, Georg Rydeberg, and Lars Hanson - are all dead long ago. And those who were fairly good - such as Anita Ekberg, Emy Storm, Jan Malmsjö, and Thommy Berggren - are old people now.The only movies that today's Swedish actors can act in, are comedies in which they simply play themselves. Such as the movies by Måns Herngren and Hannes Holm, that make fun of contemporary Swedish society, and also a few TV movies for children.With all this said, I must admit I was never over-impressed by the original Arn novels by Guillou, either. They are good enough as light entertainment, but they do not even come close to many other novels that take place in medieval times, for example "Kristin Lavransdottir". So even with the best of actors, it would have been impossible to make a great movie or TV series out of the books.Still, I think the Arn movies are good enough for watching on TV or on your computer, as simple entertainment, if you can get them for free. There is some epic scenery, elaborate clothes and armor, etc., that are beautiful to look at. A cinema ticket would be money wasted, though.

dragosRO I must admit I am pleasantly surprised by this project. The scope of the story and the cinematic achievement were quite good. It's true, the story had some holes, big holes in it, but considering the time of the story it covered and the multitude of sub-plots I think they made quite a good job at it. Take into account that the story starts somewhere in rural Gothland, a kingdom before the formation of Sweden, then stretches for many years.. and distance, all the way to the Holy Land and the fall of Jerusalem. It is a story about the coming of age of a true knight, his unfortunate love story, sibling betrayal and it's consequences, military rivalry among those who should be united and an unexpected friendship with an honorable enemy. I was also pleased with some of the acting (good on the part of Joakim Nätterqvist, good enough for Sofia Helin) although I cannot understand the choice of an actress that looks much older than her characters' love interest. But the fight scenes where decent enough, the battles were made to look quite realistic, even though you can tell there probably weren't enough money for lots of extras to have. What I did not like at all was how much religion was added, but, I guess it all adds to the flavor of the times, supposedly. All in all, a movie I would recommend for anyone who likes historical films and.. Swedish cinema.