In 1492, Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean blue and
discovered the new world, namely North and South America (although I’m sure
that, for the native peoples who lived there for many centuries, it must have
been interesting to be told that they had been "discovered"). But it’s generally
accepted that Columbus actually wasn’t the first European to have visited the
shores of the new world. There are indications that the Vikings have reached as
far West as Canada, yet they’ve never established a foothold in the new world.
Pathfinder uses this historical tidbit as the crux of its storyline, imagining a
clash between Vikings and Native American tribes some six hundred years before
Columbus was even a gleam in his parents’ eyes.
When a native American woman comes across a crashed Viking ship, she discovers a
youthful survivor amidst the wreckage: a young Viking boy, armed with his own
sword. She takes the boy--known as Ghost because of his fair appearance--and
raises him as her own within the tribe. Karl Urban plays Ghost as a young man,
who is respected by his peers, but only to a certain extent. He’s not trusted
enough to be allowed to become a brave. When the Vikings return, Ghost becomes a
hero mentioned in a prophecy who leads the fight against the invaders--and he
also invents the first extreme sports tournament when he slides down a snowy
mountainside on a shield. Dude, you rock so hard!
Despite some good performances by Urban, Moon Bloodgood (as Starfire, Ghost’s
ladylove) and Clancy Brown (who channels his Kurgan character from Highlander
as the leader of the Vikings), Pathfinder quickly loses it’s own way. I was
looking forward to seeing a massive confrontation between the Vikings and the
aboriginal braves, who were fierce warriors in their own right. Yet what we get
instead is a remake of Rambo: First Blood Part Two, with Ghost running around
and fighting the Vikings single-handedly. The situation is further hindered by
the lighting design that was chosen for the film--or the lack thereof. Taking
place mostly in the deep woods, the scenery is done up in shades of black,
making it hard to see what’s going on half the time.
The DVD has plenty of special features, including a commentary by the director,
and deleted scenes. I reviewed the Unrated version, which shows more blood and
gore…that is, when you can actually SEE anything. Fans of 300 who are looking
for another historical warrior epic may want to check out Pathfinder, and while
the basic idea is fascinating, it gets watered down into a lame adventure movie
that short-sells the ingenuity and prowess of the Native Americans in favor of a
banal story with a predictable climax.
--SF
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