At this this film was TRYING to be funny! OK, OK so it isn't a masterpiece of comedic cinematography...but, as an archaeologist, there were some rather chucklicious moments! The warrior-sister's moral conundrum (how can she go back to slaughtering people and chopping off their heads after she's had children?!) was brilliant...especially with the advice from the Pictish couple (complete with tattoos and severed heads around their necks!).
The film actually surpassed the great, lumbering fiasco Gladiator and Troy in its accuracy of the costume, settlements, etc. Heck, they even got the British Iron Age Tribal names right! It helped that most of the Celtic scenes were filmed at Butser Ancient Farm. The only really serious faux pas in that arena were the Roman legionaries' equipment...jeeez, if they really borrowed props from Gladiator, you would have thought they could have scored a few accurate suits of armour! That said, I thought the depiction of the smarmy, effeminate Romans was excellent! You could almost HEAR Eddie Izzard lilting "Helloooo.....we are the Romans! Yes, we are!" Bottom line...don't go into this film expecting to laugh your arse off...but it is worthy of a few grins and snickers.
The film actually surpassed the great, lumbering fiasco Gladiator and Troy in its accuracy of the costume, settlements, etc. Heck, they even got the British Iron Age Tribal names right! It helped that most of the Celtic scenes were filmed at Butser Ancient Farm. The only really serious faux pas in that arena were the Roman legionaries' equipment...jeeez, if they really borrowed props from Gladiator, you would have thought they could have scored a few accurate suits of armour! That said, I thought the depiction of the smarmy, effeminate Romans was excellent! You could almost HEAR Eddie Izzard lilting "Helloooo.....we are the Romans! Yes, we are!" Bottom line...don't go into this film expecting to laugh your arse off...but it is worthy of a few grins and snickers.