This story about an Arab emissary enlisted by a group of Vikings to confront an unnamed evil, based on Michael Crichton's book "Eaters of the Dead," is essentially entirely free from the usual subversive tropes found in modern films. Not only that, the story is also definitely Based, with the premise that the enemies are a race of human-eaters who are not human (in Crichton's book, possibly Neanderthals). The presentation of the Other as an unambiguous and irredeemable evil, for whom the only solution is a final one, is a far cry from the usual treatment of such a concept. The heroes are all male, and their warrior prowess is never undermined. Nor is the valor and strength of the Nords subverted by the presence of an Arab character (who is played by the Spaniard Antonio Banderas). There is a minimal arc in which a Nordic woman falls in love with the Arab, which is unfortunate but not significant. The biggest issue with the film is a technical/artistic one, in that the story would have benefited from more development in some areas, and there is an implied treachery arc which simply goes nowhere. However, these are ultimately asides to an otherwise very positive experience. Big N recommends!