Film

The Vikings

Name: The Vikings
Genre: Adventure, History, Action
Released: 1958
Cast: Kirk Douglas, Tony Curtis, Ernest Borgnine, Janet Leigh, James Donald

A 1958 Viking epic where two men—one born to raid, one born to serve—clash over love, loyalty, and survival. Kirk Douglas and Tony Curtis carry the film through bloody raids and political intrigue with genuine charisma. It's a sweeping adventure that treats its Norse setting seriously, full of action and surprisingly intimate character work beneath the spectacle.

TMDb rating

3.5

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you love old-fashioned widescreen adventure where the sets, the sword fights and the big rivalry between two charismatic leads carry the whole thing, the way Hollywood epics of the late fifties used to.

Skip it if you want a grounded, historically careful picture, since this one is loud, broad and romantic about its Vikings, and its dialogue often plays more like pageant than realism.

What it asks of you: It runs a little over an hour and fifty minutes at a steady, unhurried clip, asking you to settle in for big set pieces and bold, theatrical performances rather than subtle character work.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Spartacus1960

Kirk Douglas again, this time leading a slave revolt against Rome with the same intensity he brings to The Vikings. It's the same director (Stanley Kubrick) refining the epic formula he was learning here—bigger budget, sharper focus, unforgettable.

But Nearly four hours long and occasionally stagey in its dialogue. The pacing slows in the middle stretch, and some of the theatrical choices feel dated.

Ben-Hur1959

The gold standard of historical epics from this era. A man wronged, a journey of revenge and redemption, enormous set pieces, and genuine emotional stakes. If you loved the scale and ambition of The Vikings, this is the film that defined the form.

But The romantic subplot feels obligatory and drags the second half. At over three and a half hours, patience is required in stretches.

The 7th Voyage of Sinbad1958

Released the same year, same adventure DNA—exotic locations, practical magic, a hero navigating impossible odds. Ray Harryhausen's stop-motion monsters are pure invention. It's lighter in tone but equally committed to spectacle and wonder.

But The acting is functional at best, and some of the effects, even for the time, feel stiff. It prioritizes technical achievement over character depth.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from The Vikings

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Beowulf & Grendel2005

Both feature Norse heroes, but Beowulf interrogates the mythology where The Vikings celebrates it. One asks 'why is this man this way?' the other asks 'isn't it magnificent?'

Gerard Butler as Beowulf in a film that deconstructs the Norse hero myth. Gritty, morally complicated, interested in what violence actually costs. It strips away the glory to show the scars beneath—the anti-Vikings, asking why these men do what they do.

But Bleak and slow-burn. Avoids spectacle for character study, which means long stretches without action. Some find it pretentious in its revisionism.

The Black Pirate1926

Douglas Fairbanks doing what Kirk Douglas learned from: swashbuckling adventure with real athleticism, wit, and style. A silent film that moves like electricity and proves these stories work on pure physicality and charm.

But It's silent, which requires adjustment. The plot is straightforward to the point of simplicity, and some scenes feel padded.

Ivanhoe1952

Robert Taylor in a medieval adventure with similar DNA—honor, love, duty, spectacle. Solid historical adventure that knows exactly what it is and executes confidently. Tournament sequences rival anything in The Vikings.

But Prim in places and the romantic elements overshadow the action. Feels more like costume drama than adventure film in stretches.

The Mark of Zorro1940

Tyrone Power as a hero living a double life, rapier-sharp action, genuine swashbuckling grace. The template for every adventure hero that came after. Lean, witty, expertly paced—everything The Vikings attempts at larger scale.

But Black-and-white and from 1940—it requires patience with older filmmaking rhythms. The plot is simple and moves briskly, which some find slight.

The Sea Hawk1940

Errol Flynn at his most charming, fighting Spaniards on the high seas. Gorgeous Technicolor, elaborate action, and a lead actor born for this kind of role. Pure adventure without pretense.

But Quite silly in places and aggressively romantic. The political subplot feels tacked on and the tone is uneven.

Rob Roy1995

Liam Neeson as a Scottish outlaw fighting the English. Brutal, grounded action sequences, real emotional weight, and an understanding of how honor works when law fails you. Modern but brutal in a way The Vikings respects.

But Darker and more violent in tone. Takes itself very seriously, which can feel heavy-handed, and the pacing stumbles in the third act.

The Last of the Mohicans1992

Adventure filmmaking at a high level—gorgeous cinematography, kinetic action, and genuine stakes. The relationship between the hero and heroine carries emotional weight while the film never stops moving.

But Historically dubious and the romantic elements dominate. Some viewers find it overwrought and the plot predictable.

A Man Apart2003

The same emotional engine—a man born into one world confronting a man from another, neither able to fully escape their origins. Einar and Eric beneath the surface of a different story entirely.

Vin Diesel as an undercover DEA agent navigating loyalty, betrayal, and identity while trapped between two worlds. Sounds like a drug thriller, but structurally it's The Vikings transplanted to modern Los Angeles—two men from different castes, one love, one man forced to choose between blood and survival.

But Critics dismissed it as standard action fare. The drug trade backdrop is functional rather than explored, and some scenes feel padded.

The Duel2016

Both reduce to a single relationship that cannot be resolved—two men whose natures make compromise impossible, honor the only currency that matters between them.

A 19th-century Western built around two men circling each other—honor, rivalry, the impossibility of compromise. Beautifully shot in black-and-white, intimate and slow, but devastating. It's what The Vikings becomes when stripped down to pure conflict between two men and their code.

But Sparse and meditative where The Vikings is lusty and full. Very slow. The plot is essentially two men waiting, which will lose anyone wanting action.