Monty Python At 50 - Erik The Viking

Another post-Python solo effort, this time from Terry Jones. Given he’s always been a keen historian and that one of his pre-Python efforts was the previously discussed The Complete And Utter History Of Britain, it should come as no surprise that one of his solo efforts would be a historical saga (in the very true sense of the word “saga”).

Erik The Viking (The Director’s Son’s Cut)
Dir. Terry Jones / Dur. 75 mins

It’s a film with a troubled history. Released in the States as a 100 minute cut, it was cut back to 90 minutes for the UK release. Reception to both versions was decidedly lukewarm and so, for release on DVD some years back, Jones enlisted the help of his son Bill to trim another 15 minutes out, brining it in at a crisp 75 minutes. 

Tragically, due to Terry Jones’s current advanced state of dementia, he’s no longer capable of any public appearances so instead Bill Jones filled ion for his absent father - fitting given that it’s his cut of the film that was being shown. Jones recounted a few tales from the filming (he visited the Maltese locations while on school holidays and appears briefly in the closing scenes - although wasn’t given a speaking role while his friend was!)

The film itself is a mixed bag. Even at 75 minutes, the pacing still isn’t brilliant and veers between being a bit slow in places to feeling a little choppy in others. On the other hand, it does have some nicely silly moments - John Cleese’s urbane villain Halfbad (an evil counterpart to his Robin Hood in Time Bandits) is good fun, the subtitled Japanese galleymaster is a classic Python-style gag and Terry Jones cheerful but tuneless Hi-Brazilian leader is good fun. The cast in general are on good form and their overall level of likeability, particularly with strong performances from Tim McInnerny, Charles McKeown* and Freddie Jones,  keeps your interest going. Plus, to keep the whole “people who keep cropping up in Python stuff” vibe, there’s a brief cameo from Neil Innes too.

Erik The Viking is one of those curious films - it’s not quite as funny as it should be but you can't help finding yourself liking it anyway. In many ways, while not a massive success, it does to some extent achieve what Graham Chapman’s film Yellowbeard sets out to do but very much misses.


* Another frequent Python collaborator - appearing in Ripping Yarns, Fawlty Towers, Life Of Brian and Time Bandits amongst others as well as co-writing Brazil,  The Adventures Of Baron Munchausen and The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus with Terry Gilliam.