Wickie the Viking and the Magic Sword – Vic the Viking and the Magic Sword (2019)

Directed by: Eric Cazes | 75 minutes | action, animation | Dutch voice cast: Matheu Hinzen, Sterre Koning

The boy Wickie is the son of the tough Viking warrior Halvar and his wife Ylva. While his father is on his way with his ship to catch fish for the annual party, Wickie has to stay at home. He is still too young and not strong enough to go on board, much to Wickie’s chagrin. His mother helps and protects him, but his father does not take him completely for granted. During a confrontation between Halvar and the villain Terrible Sven, Halvar is thrown into his lap with an ancient sword. When Halvar returns to the village of Flake without the fish, he concocts that it is a magic sword to calm his evil wife Ylva. The next day there is a shooting competition, which Wickie hopes to win, because the winner can go on Halvar’s ship. Wickie is the last to turn. His niece Ylvi before him almost hits the bullseye. Then it’s Wickie’s turn, but before Wickie can shoot himself, a stranger suddenly appears, who hits the bullseye with his arrow. He introduces himself as Leif Eriksson, son of the famous Viking Erik the Red. Halvar walks away with him and immediately adds Leif to his crew. That evening the sword turns out to be a magical sword that can turn everything into gold. Halvar accidentally turns Ylva into a golden statue. Fortunately, Leif knows the history of the sword: it belongs to Odin and his sons Thor and Loki argued about it. The magic of the sword can be undone on a secret island where the Bifrost is, the bridge to get to Asgard. Wickie, Ylvi and their sidekick the squirrel join as a stowaway when Halvar sets sail with his drakar ship to rescue Ylva.

‘Wickie the Viking and the Magic Sword’ is a cheerful animated film with a lot of momentum that stops a lot of action in 45 minutes without it getting chaotic. The animations are generally of good quality and if the history of the sword is shown, even in a different style. The exciting scenes with high waves are beautifully designed. Only in the close-ups of the faces are the details not very sharp and you do see some flatness. Occasionally there are short songs – even in rap – and some funny asides are entertaining for adults too. Director Eric Cazes keeps things exciting, but there are also plenty of moments of rest to catch your breath until the next challenge, be it a storm, Abominable Sven or the meddlesome gods.

This modern version of Wickie the Viking was made by the Belgian Studio 100, also known from K3, Kabouter Plop and Bumba, among others. Wickie the Viking was conceived by the Swedish writer Runer Jonsson and appeared for the first time in book form in seven parts from 1963. Almost ten years later, a first animation series followed, made in Japan, which was very successful internationally – also in the Netherlands. In contrast to the series, there is of course less room for the secondary characters in a film. It is a pity that Halvar’s crew is barely mentioned and is mainly present in the background. The squirrel, on the other hand, is much more prominently featured and that could have been a bit less. Perhaps that is more the view of an adult, because small children probably appreciate the craziness of the squirrel much more. Another irritating point is that everyone is very blatantly raving about the handsome Leif (there is a reason for that in itself, as is revealed in the film). It is a bit too much on top of how fantastic Leif is, to underline the contrast with Wickie. However, ‘Wickie the Viking and the Magic Sword’ does have a clear message: don’t get discouraged and believe in yourself. Wickie, the little Viking who is underestimated by everyone around him and whose helmet keeps falling over his eyes, is ultimately the hero of the day.