Every once in a while it’s always nice to sit down and watch a period piece film. The majority of period pieces usually consist of stories about the Roman or Greeks. However Pathfinder is one that steps beyond the boundaries of the European empire and into the new world. Pathfinder is a film that pits The Vikings vs. American Indians in a showdown based on a the legend of the Pathfinder, which I’m not really sure is a true legend or not, but according to this film. It is.
Pathfinder is about a Viking boy who’s Viking tribe traveling to the new world was mysteriously killed. (It’s never mentioned how they were killed.) He is found by an Indian women who takes him back to her tribe where he will be raised by them for the next decade or so. The boy (Ghost) becomes a pathfinder and is chosen to go from tribe to tribe finding new trails and places for the tribes to go and seek out new territories. However the Vikings have been coming over from Europe to discover and explore new lands for themselves, and have waged war on all Indian tribes. Ghost is part of this war whether he likes it or not, and is told by the tribe elders that he must fight the demons of his past to become a true pathfinder. Ghost witnesses his tribe’s destruction as the Viking’s attack and murder most of his tribe. He himself also almost becomes a victim until the Viking warriors recognize him as one of their own. The then let him go so they can track him though the forests to other Indian camps. However Ghost is a true warrior and has other plans as he begins his war against the intruding Vikings.
The script for Pathfinder was actually not that bad. about half the film is in the language of the Vikings, which a times can be annoying, as the Indians tribes in the film speak English. The plot is simple and easy to follow, however at times the locations in which the ordeals take place between the Vikings and the Indians is not always fully identified in the script. we know it takes place somewhere in North America but are not really told the location. The script is fine when it comes to developing the main central characters, but lacks development of the Viking Lord.
The acting in the film varies on the performances, Karl Urban whom plays Ghost is really the star of the film, and the rest of the cast is just minor compared to his character. Urban has always played good roles, especially when it comes to the warrior roles. Previously he was in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy and The Chronicles of Riddick as this warrior archetype, so it was a shoe in that he would be cast in the role. Urban however is no stranger to being in a lead role however, and many may think that this is his first lead role. But Urban was actually praised for his acting in an Australian horror flick called The Irrefutable Truth About Demons. While Urtban’s performance in this film is not his best, it is still good and he is the only actor who’s performance stands out among the rest of the cast. Now, I’m not saying the rest of the cast is bad in the film, but the majority of the performances were either alright or just plain mediocre. But nothing special.
what makes Pathfinder a good film is more in it’s production value than anything else. The film is directed by Markus Nispel whom is also the director of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake. Granted what people say about that film, but the overall production value was very good, and Nispel does seem to know how to pick his shots. The set design and locations in which Pathfinder takes place were both stunning, dark and beautiful. The costume design is great as well. The visuals in the film are really good although at times the effects look a bit fake. The film does have a lot of make-up effects mixed in with some CGI. There is a lot of gore and blood in this film to crave the thirst of any gore hound. It just wouldn’t be a good Viking movie if the Viking did not pillage every Indian village they came upon.
Pathfinder is a film that only a select audience is going to enjoy. Some history buff might enjoy it but I don’t think it’s full of any facts that would be of any benefit to how the Indians and Viking invaders fought against one another. The movie is full of violence and does contain a lot of graphic scenes that involve beheading and the likes of such, gore fans and fantasy fans will most likely get a kick out the film as well. The basic fan of horror however might not get a good rise of fear out of the film, as the film does not admit a great deal of suspenseful scenes. My feeling on this film are mixed I enjoyed it more for it’s visuals than for it’s story, and was kind of mixed on the script.
The DVD is actually a pretty solid buy as it comes with a ton of extra features which include the following below.
– Horror Bob
Both the unrated and rated DVD versions include:
– Audio commentary by director Marcus Nispel
– Eight deleted scenes (with optional director commentary)
The Pathfinder Unrated DVD will also feature:
– Five-part behind-the-scenes featurette
– We Shoot Now! Marcus Nispel on the set of Pathfinder featurette
– Clancy Brown: Cult Hero featurette
– Theatrical trailers
- Interview with J.R. Bookwalter - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Andrew J. Rausch - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Rick Popko and Dan West - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Director Stevan Mena (Malevolence) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Screenwriter Jeffery Reddick (Day of the Dead 2007) - January 22, 2015
- Teleconference interview with Mick Garris (Masters of Horror) - January 22, 2015
- A Day at the Morgue with Corri English (Unrest) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Writer/Director Nacho Cerda (The Abandoned, Aftermath) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actress Thora Birch (Dark Corners, The Hole, American Beauty) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actor Jason Behr, Plus Skinwalkers Press Coverage - January 22, 2015
