Hammer of the Gods

If it's gratuitous Saxon violence you're after then you've come to the right place. This low-budget Game of Thrones-meets-Centurion saga sees dying Viking king James Cosmo send out his son Charlie Bewley to find his half-brother whom he believes is the only warrior who can take on the gathering Saxon armies and cement Norse rule in central Britain. There are lots of visceral imagery and silly names like Ivar the Boneless, along with damsels in distress, creepy Christians and back-stabbing power grabs before the incest-heavy denouement comes into bloody focus. Doctor Who director Farren Blackburn serves up an old-fashioned high adventure romp - just like another Hammer used to make in the 1960s (Viking Queen, The Brigand of Kandahar) - with the addition of a bit of Lock, Stock finessing and a welcome return to the big screen for Glynis Barber. It's a bit of fun popcorn action, but at its basest level.