pathfinder

THE FLICK: I know that it’s not the popular opinion, but in a side-by-side comparison I prefer the tangible carnage in director Marcus Nispel’s Pathfinder to the fantastical CG renderings of 300. Yes, I understand that Zack Snyder’s film is a groundbreaking piece of filmmaking that will influence cinema for the next 10 years or so. It’s the better movie, no doubt about it. And Pathfinder will most likely fade away into Netflix limbo, rented only by customers who couldn’t get the latest Bourne film added to their queue fast enough. But for kids who grew up on a healthy diet of Heavy Metal magazine and repeats of Conan the Barbarian, this one will strike a nerve. The sole survivor of a failed Viking raid on North American soil, “Ghost” (Karl Urban), as he is billed in the credits, is adopted by a Native American tribe and grows to adulthood under their gentle tuteledge. Although the white warrior never quite fits in, his skills with a sword are put to good use when another band of Nordic raiders land on shore, waging a campaign of genocide against all who stand in their way. For the first 1⁄2 hour, Pathfinder finds a comfortable B-movie groove combining the classic Conan mythos with Rambo-style combat (and bears a striking resemblance to the recent Mel Gibson opus Apocalypto). Ghost finds his knowledge of the Viking methodology indispensible, arranging traps and slinking through the mud to take out as many of his native people as possible. And Nispel frames it all against a primordial forest straight out of the pages of a ‘70s fantasy magazine, half-naked bodies clashing against heavily armored monstrosities all in glorious half-speed slow-motion. The choreography is nowhere near as inspired as 300, but the execution, utilizing real locations and detailed production design, has a tactile sense of wonder that hasn’t graced the screen for years. So it’s too bad the plot essentially circles the wagons once Ghost and his love-interest are captured by the Vikings, forced on a death march to lead them to the next village of victims. Head Norseman Clancy Brown, speaking in a subtitled growl (“Bring me his head!” and “Get the bitch!” are his two favorite expressions), is an intimidating actor but too much screen time robs he and his minions of the early fear factor. The 13th Warrior pulled off the same gag to much better affect by keeping the bad guys slightly mysterious. Here, Nispel tries to hard to (de)humanize the Viking hordes, turning them into overdressed mustache twirling bad guys. Pathfinder functions well as an oiled-up macho fantasy whose only computer trickery conceit is gallons of CG blood (in the unrated version, at least). The story runs out of steam after the first act, but you still get a freeze frame of Frank Frazetta artwork every 10-minutes or so...not to mention picking up some choice Viking swear words to use while raping and pillaging. THE FEATURES: Shrouded in fog, snow and tangled forests, Pathfinder had to be a difficult film to transfer to hi-def. And the Fox’s Blu-ray disc isn’t a drastic upgrade in quality from the standard-def version. The film’s desaturated color scheme steals much of the format’s thunder and misty scenes give the illusion of unusual amounts of grain, a common complaint on the 300 disc as well. But there is a substantial boost in detail and clarity, not to mention the DTS Lossless audio track, if you’re technically capable of hearing it. Most of the extras are ported over from the previous release, including an excellent director’s commentary by Nispel (whose next project is rumored to be the Friday the 13th remake, by the way), deleted scenes, and six featurettes totaling around 30-minutes. Exclusive to the Blu-ray is a Path Revealed trivia track and theatrical trailer presented in 1080p.