«Ragnarok» – The Movie

By ThorNews on October 8, 2013 • ( 0 )

The ancient and modern worlds collide when The Norwegian archaeologist Sigurd Svendsen finds the true meaning of the secret runes found in the Oseberg ship.

Genre: Action-Adventure

Original title: “Gåten Ragnarok” (The Riddle Ragarok)

Director: Mikkel Brænne Sandemose

Writer: John Kåre Raake

Stars: Pål Sverre Hagen, Nicolai Cleve Broch, Bjørn Sundquist

Review by Filmmagasinet (the Film Magazine, Norway)

When archaeologist Sigurd finds evidence that a rare Viking discovery is hiding on an island between Norway and Russia, he travels to Finnmark to find answer to the riddle. He brings his two children, two colleagues and a guide to show the way in the hostile terrain, but soon discovers that the mystery is far bigger and more dangerous than any of them imagined.

In a year where a surprising number of children’s films from Norway have suffered from uninspired directing, «Ragnarok» is a real wake up call. There is excitement and momentum in every scene, and the filmmakers have clearly enjoyed themselves while they play with familiar fairy tale conventions. Thoughts repeatedly go back to Jurassic Park and Indiana Jones but set within a framework of stunning scenery images only Norwegian mountain ranges can provide.

Director Mikkel B. Sandemose is obviously a child of Spielberg and manages to transfer the American entertainment master’s touch to Norwegian forests. There are few, or perhaps no Norwegian action films that work just as well for the whole family. «Ragnarok» will entertain adults and enchant children, and it does not matter that the characters might be a little «too distinctive» and the music at times becomes insistent -but there are too many things to enjoy about the movie to ruin the overall experience. Bring the whole family to the movie theatre!