AshUnow This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Humaira Grant It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

Bluebell Alcock Ok... Let's be honest. It cannot be the best movie but is quite enjoyable. The movie has the potential to develop a great plot for future movies

Murphy Howard I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

Diego Silva This film failed miserably. It couldn't capture the viewer's attention at all. I won't say I'm disappointed, as I have already watched a more hyped Norwegian piece ("The King's Choice") and didn't like it either. But "Birkebeinerne" is certainly a misadventure.Unlike European films in general, it is very formulaic and predictable, expect for a couple of moments. The background real story itself isn't attracting. The Norwegian civil war was pretty much limited to skirmishes, so any film on this topic betting on "axes and blood" would fail, because there isn't really much raw material.So, one'd think the director concentrated his efforts on the palace intrigue, the dynastic feuds. On the contrary. The plot's greatest potentiality was miserably neglected, as the director dedicated 90% of the running time to the baby's journey and the 10-20 men "battles". The major villains only starred briefly, and their dialogues were always flat and cheesy. Princess Christina, the chancellor, the imprisoned brother Inge, the "Norwegian Colonel Tavington", Egil and his sister -all these characters were nothing more than woodsticks designed to fill big plot holes the director didn't care to assess. Even the two loyal fellows who were on screen the whole time weren't convincing enough. It was particularly sad when they presented the young king at the viking-styled party; those bucholic men were persuaded to take part in a highly dangerous task just like they'd be persuaded to go to a summer camp. They weren't offered any incentive or reward or anything. I expected a powerful speech, at least.The final part was severely unrealistic. Mr. Tavington could've killed little Haakon as soon he approached him, but he chose to calmly check it. And then he was grabbed into a fight by our good hero, who seems to be rather invencible (hit by an arrow in the shoulder just some minutes before, Skjervald managed to resist the better equipped Bagler).In general, this film has some cool effects, but that's pretty much all its merit.

Ian (Flash Review)The year is 1206 A. D. in the snowy lands of Norway and there is a hunt for a dead king's infant son. Whether the baby lives or dies determines who will gain the throne of Norway. One group must find the baby and keep it safe while the other group is attempting to hunt him down to spill his blood. There is good character development and gives clear reasons and decisions for the main characters actions. Much of the film is a chase on skis and bobsled which is rather novel and exciting. High quality production value, believable acting and nice cinematography makes for pleasant viewing. Aside from the skiing scenes, the core of the story is fairly typical as well as how the plot points play out yet it was enjoyable nonetheless. Quality entry from Norway.

jimspaid-86934 I always enjoy historical-type movies. This one is no exception. I did stream with English 5.1 instead of subtitles, but it really didn't take away from the movie. The film depicted this era of Norway as quite brutal. I'm sure it was. Kings & heirs, civil war, brutality. It was all here. I don't judge acting so I really didn't notice if it was not perfect. I liked the plot & the movie flowed smoothly enough to follow without questioning what was happening. The scenery, well, when it wasn't overcast or snowing, was great. Lots of ski action too. Some of the scenes caught me off guard but I won't say which ones. There may have been a few hiccups, but overall I found it to be a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

Ingvald Pettersen As I am a huge fan of my country's history, this film was right up my alley. All the historical elements of the film are excellently portrayed. A few historical facts were changed a little, but not so much that it ruins the film. The changes work. The more fictional parts of the film are also very good.The acting is also very nice. Main actors Kristofer Hivju and Jakob Oftebro have a lot of good chemistry and work well off each other. The other actors do a good job too.The cinematography is wonderful. Beautiful shots of the Norwegian wilderness make this a spectacular viewing experience.All in all, this film is excellent!