King Asmund of Volsung (Andrew Whipp) finds his kingdom under attack just as his daughter is about to be born. Despite the superstitious warning that “it is a curse for a child to be born with an absentee father”, he leaves his wife’s bed and heads to the battlefield. While he is victorious in battle, he returns to discover that his beloved Queen Alva (Victoria Broom) has died during childbirth. Distraught and grieving, Asmund allows himself to be manipulated by his brother, Half Prince Bard. Bard convinces his half-brother that the kingdom needs a male heir, and that they should swap children, and raise each other’s child as his own.

It is 21 years later, and it is obvious that Prince Hakon (Taylor Frost) is not fit to be a king. He is clumsy and can’t even wield a sword. Meanwhile, Princess Helle (Anna Demetriou), the true heir to the throne, has become quite the warrior. She has been secretly taking lessons from master swordsman Lord Soini (Will Mellor). Even Hakon thinks she would make a better Queen than he a King. Asmund is regretting his decision to swap the children and is planning to tell his daughter the truth. Bard, with encouragement from trickster god Loki (Murray McArthur) whispering into his ear, decides its time to make his move for the throne, and plots to have Helle and her father killed. Helle is forced to flee her home and hide out in the forest. Odin (Terence Stamp), the Viking god of war, serves as her mentor as she plots her revenge, and builds an army to help her take back her rightful throne.

According to the writer/director, Viking Destiny is meant to be a more adult version of Disney Princess tale. A girl grows up wanting to be a warrior, only to discover that she is a Viking princess and an heir to the throne. Instead of an evil stepmother, Helle has an evil stepfather/uncle, and instead of a fairy godmother, she has Odin helping her out. However, I didn’t find the story all that compelling—the idea that the ambitious Bard planned to slow-play his takeover of the throne for 21 years made no sense. I wasn’t a fan of the Loki/Odin devil/god on the shoulder mechanism, which got a bit repetitive, as well as the constant “for Valhalla this” and “for Valhalla that” from the characters…just in case you had forgotten they are Vikings. Later in the film, Helle teams up with a band of pacifist travelers, and yet when it comes time to do battle, this group seems to have suddenly become quite adept at fighting and warfare. On a positive note, the film does have some beautiful sets, and some pretty cool fight/battle scenes, which are creatively shot from both overhead as well as in the thick of the battle.

Lionsgate’s Blu-ray release provides a solid video and audio presentation, with a clean, detailed picture in both brighter and darker scenes. The audio track provides clear dialogue and nicely surrounds the viewer in the sounds of battle. The disc includes about 26 minutes of entertaining behind-the-scenes interviews and featurettes with the cast and crew. The Blu-ray comes packed in a standard HD keepcase with a cardboard slipcover, and includes a code for a Digital HD copy of the film (this digital copy is not compatible with either Movies Anywhere or Ultraviolet).

What’s Included:

Film: (1:31:22)

Blu-ray:

• 1080p / Widescreen 2.39:1
• Audio: English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio
• Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish

Digital HD (may not be valid after 2020):

• Digital HD copy redeemable via Google Play, Vudu or FandangoNow (Not Compatible with Movies Anywhere or Ultraviolet)

Extras:

• One True Heir: A Warrior’s Destiny (8:34)
  Writer/director/producer David L.G. Hughes opens this behind-the-scenes featurette by explaining how he wanted to write his own bload-soaked revenge on the Disney princess movies he had been watching over and over with his young daughter. This Disney inspiration is also reiterated by some of the other cast and crew members—star Anna Demetriou (“Helle”), costume designer Hazel Webb Crozier, production designer John Leslie, producer Andee Ryder, and director of photography Sara Deane. Other topics include focusing on a strong female lead, filming in Northern Ireland, and more.
• Of Gods, Women & Men: The Cast (9:53)
  The writer/director and cast discuss the characters. Includes interviews with writer/director/producer David L.G. Hughes, and stars Anna Demetriou, Victoria Broom (“Queen Alva of Volsung”), Andrew Whipp (“King Asmund”), Taylor Frost (“Hakon”), Terence Stamp (“Odin”), Murray McArthur (“Loki”), Timo Nieminen (“Bard”), Ian Beattie (“Kirkwood”), Martyn Ford (“Torstein & Steiner”), Will Mellor (“Lord Soini”), Martin Eklof (“Togrimm”), Lockhart Ogilvie (“Ulf”), Paul Freeman (“Tarburn”), Kajsa Mohammar (“Tait”), and Laurence O’Fuarain (“Vern”).
• Strength from Within: Staging the Battles (7:47)
  A look at the film’s action sequences. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with action director Jude Poyer, director of photography Sara Deane, writer/director/producer David L.G. Hughes and stars Lockhart Ogilvie, Martyn Ford, Ian Beattie, Will Mellor., Kajsa Mohammar, and Timo Nieminen.
• Also From Lionsgate (6:24)
  Trailers for Black Sails, Final Score, and I Am Vengeance.

Final Thoughts:

Viking Destiny is a bloodier, more adult version of a Disney Princess tale. While the film features some beautiful locales and some great fight sequences, I unfortunately found the overall story to be a bit thin and weak at times. For fans of the film, this Blu-ray release does provide a solid audio/video presentation, and includes some interesting/entertaining behind-the-scenes material. For those who haven’t seen the film yet, a rental (or just skipping it) would be a better option than a blind buy.