I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

OK, so i'm not a movie reviewer, but someone's gotta set the record straight here. This is a solid movie, bordering on very good.I watched two times and enjoyed it both times. A lot of reviewers and raters apparently came in with a very narrow, shallow and pre- conditioned view of what this movie is supposed to be. No. Valhalla doesn't fit easily into any particular genre bucket. It's not a pure comedy, it's not "Darker Modern Family", it's not drama, etc. It is, however, a great piece of writing with fantastic, tight, highly committed crew of actors. And that's, what i think, makes this such a pleasurable experience. It is pure joy to watch every single actor here. There is tremendous depth and substance to every character. They play sincerely, with no holding back or emotional hedging. They embrace the characters and the story and go all out. I know I said earlier that it wasn't comedy, but I did find it absolutely hilarious at times. Sometimes it was funny but the kind of funny when everything is so wrong that any additional wrong just becomes funny because of being so comedically and narratively predictable.Here is my advice, let go of any preconceived notions of story and especially actors and just enjoy it. This movie is a labour of love with a lot of effort put in by everyone - give it a chance.

a good film, very well depicting the family dynamics, when things suddenly aren't as simple as you thought any more, and you can't tamp it all down using the rules of courtesy. I liked the viking reference, as I also, like a previous reviewer, have Scandinavian roots. I believe that was done well. I found it frustrating, though, to try afterwards to find the book which we were shown repeatedly, 'remember the viking', supposedly by an author named Stevenson Abernathy, and not be able to find such a thing. If the book is fictitious, I would say that is very poor, since there are countless good reference books the movie creator could have chosen to place there.I believe a very difficult role to 'get right' was that of the nurse/life coach for Daddy. It would have been easy to fall into a trap of coming across as either a bit of a bimbo or a too-serious zealot, but the actress avoided both of those pitfalls and came across as a woman who has seen hard times, but preserved an inherent sense of dignity

Perfect word to describe this pointless movie.So we have a family that is never really explained why they are in so much conflict. The main girl we follow was knocked up in high school OK...that happens to a fair amount of people. One of them was in the closet....OK? Again frequent occurrence. Another brother that knocked up his high school girl friend. What happened to the mother? She died. But why? And what is with the father? Also never explained.Seems like more of an exercise in drama class than a movie. "Ok class create a situation with lots of conflict." But we NEVER get any back story or explanation as to why these characters are the way they are. And worst of all they DRAG and DRAG out the movie. Within 5 minutes you ALREADY can tell how it's going to go.It's so unoriginal. Probably the most unoriginal movie I have ever seen. Even when they re-do/reboot etc. movies like King Kong and Spider-Man for the billionth time AT LEAST they put a new twist or interpretation on it. But this movie is cliché after cliché. Let's count them all! 1. douche bag guy from hs wants to get back with the girl he knocked up saying 'we could have made it work' 2. all gay men are sex crazed and have no morals 3. all the crazy people are really right in the end 4. never question the relationship you are in 5. yell at a sick parent they will IMMEDIATELY have a heart attack and your whole family will somehow magically bond. etc...Even the characters themselves were stereotypes. None of these people exist, at least not to the extreme that they are in this movie. This movie looks like first draft stuff. Do these writers even do a re- read of their stuff? Even once!? I mean none of these characters seem to exist for more than a couple years. So the brother that killed himself that caused this family reunion...WHY was he a 'viking'? oh right there is no back story in this movie...first draft writing only. Also if he was so crazy and on drugs, wasn't his death not if but when? So why have a family reunion if they all hate each other so much and this brother was insane....oh never mind you can't makes sense of a movie where the conflict is all fake.Avoid this movie, it's just pointless. It starts no where and it goes no where.

As soon as I finished the movie, I went in here to see what people was saying about it. The reason for this, was that I really liked this movie and I don't know why. As I read on metacritic, I would agree it has all been seen and done before, but for some reason, this just felt right and believable. Especially one scene which seems to re-live childhood brotherly shenanigans (totally saw my brother and me back then - and some time we still do it ;) )The viking angle was something I found enjoyable, perhaps because I'm a dane - I don't know. But what he said, could have been said by friend of mine who practice Asa-faith (The believe of the vikings).To sum it up; Good movie. Been done before but somehow, this one is different.