Norway does Spielberg in good-natured creature feature Ragnarok.

When Norwegian archaeologist Sigurd Svendsen (Pål Sverre Hagen) comes under pressure from his museum employers to show some results for his expensive explorations of a remote northern area of the Norwegian/ Russian border, he decides to mount one final expedition with two colleagues and his children to chase down a theory he has about the runes on a recently discovered tablet. The expedition takes them north to Finnmark and an abandoned no-man’s land along the border. There, Svendsen and his group discover that some legends are based on some very real truths and Ragnarok approaches.

There’s been a steadily increasing stream of interesting movies coming out of Scandinavia in recent years. No longer the sole province of bleak, existential drama, a new generation of filmmakers have been mining the region’s rich cultural history and heritage for spectacular sci-fi and fantasy adventures, packed with charm, wit and fascinating folklore, such as Trollhunter, Rare Exports and Dead Snow.

Ragnarok takes as its inspiration the Viking legend of the ending of the world, and despite being rooted firmly in Norwegian cultural myth, director Mikkel Brænne Sandemose and wirter John Kåre Raake resolutely follow the Spielberg playbook. From the widowed, obsessed parent which a loving but dysfunctional relationship with his children living in slightly ramshackle domesticity to the sceptical authorities and the small group venturing into the wilds for proof, this is early eighties Spielberg translated to a Northern European setting.

It’s not just the set-up which pays homage, there are direct lifts from Jurassic Park, Jurassic Park III and Jaws while the whole archaeology angle brings the swashbuckling adventurousness of Indiana Jones to mind. But it’s not a complete rip-off and has a decent story to tell, with some memorable set pieces (one of which owes a little to Renny Harlin’s 1993 thriller Cliffhanger) and the cast are likeable and engaging. Yes, even the kids!

In the end, it can’t quite deliver on its ambition or the set up and despite tacitly promising the end of the world, it really is more of a creature feature than an apocalyptic action adventure. But the effects work is good and the locations, while maybe not as exotic as Isla Nublar or Tanis are still beautiful to look at and used well in the film and it’s a fun, old-fashioned adventure with a great deal more heart and dignity than most of the dross that SyFy Originals come out with.

ragnarok review
Score 6/10


Hi there! If you enjoyed this post, why not sign up to get new posts sent straight to your inbox?

Sign up to receive a weekly digest of The Craggus' latest posts.

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

logo

Related posts

In The Earth (2021) Review

In The Earth (2021) Review

I'd rather encounter a bear in the woods than any of the characters from In The Earth If you’ve ever thought the woods were creepy, In the Earth will confirm your fears—and then some. This film plunges you into a world where nature's mysteries are not just spooky but downright...

Thanksgiving (2023) Review

Thanksgiving (2023) Review

I don't mean to sound ungrateful, but... Director Eli Roth sharpens his cinematic vision to the point where it's ready to carve up the holiday turkey, slicing into the most quintessentially American holiday outside of the 4th of July with a gleeful brutality that only he can deliver. In...

A Series Of Unfortunate Events – Season One Review

A Series Of Unfortunate Events - Season One Review

Mr X admits to a sneaking admiration for Count Olaf in his review of season one of A Series Of Unfortunate Events. The three Baudelaire children (Malina, Louis and baby Sunny) become orphaned when their parents perish in a mysterious fire. Too young to take care of themselves, the bank...

Spider-Man: Into The Spider-verse (2018) Review

Spider-Man: Into The Spider-verse (2018) Review

Oh what a spangled web Sony weave with Spider-Man: Into The Spider-verse Bringing the multiverse to your friendly neighbourhood multiplex, Sony have finally captured lightning in a bottle for the second time and created a great Spider-Man movie. With (literally) dazzling animation...

Don’t Look Up (2021) Review

Don't Look Up (2021) Review

A satire that hits harder than an extinction level event. As a satire, Don't Look Up is a subtle as a gigantic space rock colliding with the Earth. But what it lacks in subtlety it makes up for in star power, and a savage social commentary that hits harder than any asteroid. Its comet...

Spirited (2022) Review

Spirited (2022) Review

The haunted becomes the haunter. Finding new spins on Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol is a tradition as old and as played out as the novelty Christmas tie or a satsuma at the bottom of the stocking, often as welcome as that awful jumper from your great auntie who has knitted her way...

The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) Review

The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) Review

It's in the singing of a street corner choir, it's going home and getting warm by the fire, it's true, wherever you find The Muppet Christmas Carol it feels like Christmas So here we are. The advent calendar has just one day left, and it’s time for the final film of Craggus’ Christmas...

Presence (2024) Review

Presence (2024) Review

Steven Soderbergh crafts a metatextually haunting experience. At a time when cinema is under constant criticism for being too formulaic, Steven Soderbergh's Presence sets out to challenge expectations and conventions with its bold experiment in form and storytelling. A family move...