''The Ash Lad: In the Hall of the Mountain King'' ( no, Askeladden - I Dovregubbens Hall) is a 2017 Norwegian

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving Magic (supernatural), magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy ...

adventure An adventure is an exciting experience or undertaking that is typically bold, sometimes risky. Adventures may be activities with danger such as traveling, exploring, skydiving, mountain climbing, scuba diving, river rafting, or other extreme spo ...

film directed by Mikkel Brænne Sandemose and starring Vebjørn Enger. It was released on 29 September 2017. It was co-produced by Czech Republic's Sirene Film and Irish Subotica Entertainment.

Plot

Princess Kristin turns 18 and is obliged to be married. According to the legend, the wedding must happen at once, otherwise a gruesome

troll A troll is a being in Nordic folklore, including Norse mythology. In Old Norse sources, beings described as trolls dwell in isolated areas of rocks, mountains, or caves, live together in small family units, and are rarely helpful to human bei ...

will take her away to the mountain. Prince Fredrik arrives to wed Kristin, but she refuses him and runs away. The king promises his daughter's hand and half the kingdom to whomever can save her. Three poor farm boys, Per, Pål, and Espen, head out to find her and slay the Mountain King, in order to claim the reward and save their farm from ruin. The film is based on an eighteenth-century Norwegian fairy tale.

Sequel

The plot is continued in ''Ash Lad 2: In Search of the Golden Castle'' (also directed by Mikkel Brænne Sandemose in 2019), in which Espen Askeladd (Vebjørn Enger) and Princess Kristin (Eili Harboe) star. Per and Pål are imprisoned in a dungeon and sentenced to death, falsely accused of poisoning the King and Queen, by Svein, who aspires to the throne. Espen and Kristin set out to find the water of life (and thus save her parents), in the mythical palace of Soria Moria, under an enchanted Norwegian lake. On the road they encounter robbers and fortune hunters, including a Danish warrioress Ohlmann, who has a sense of humour, but who is also chasing the same prize. Clues lead them to the lake, guarded by monsters. They succeed in their quest, barely avoiding the execution of their friends and the enthronement of the evil Svein. A third film is planned.

Cast

* Vebjørn Enger as Espen Askeladd *

Eili Harboe Eili Harboe (born 16 August 1994) is a Norwegian actress. She was born in Stavanger. She starred in Joachim Trier's 2017 film '' Thelma'' (as the principal character Thelma). ''Thelma'' and Harboe's performance received good reviews in the Norw ...

as Princess Kristin *

Allan Hyde Allan Hyde (born 20 December 1989)"Allan Hyde"
''Danskefilm'', retrieved 14 September 2021 . is a < ...

as Prince Frederick * Mads Sjøgård Pettersen as Per * Elias Holmen Sørensen as Pål *

Gisken Armand Gisken Armand Lillo-Stenberg (born 26 November 1962) is a Norwegian actress. She is the daughter of actor Eilif Armand, and sister of Merete Armand and Frøydis Armand, both actresses. She debuted on stage at the age of fourteen, at Den Nationale ...

as Stubbekjerringa * Gard B. Eidsvold as King Erik * Synnøve Macody Lund as Queen Viktoria *

Thorbjørn Harr Thorbjørn Harr (born 24 May 1974) is a Norwegian actor. Background Harr was discovered in a schoolyard by NRK people who were scouting for actors for youth series. Career He soon became a familiar face on programs like ''Blikkbåx'' and '' ...

as Askeladden's father *Ida Ursin-Holm as

Hulder A hulder (or huldra) is a seductive forest creature found in Scandinavian folklore. Her name derives from a root meaning "covered" or "secret". In Norwegian folklore, she is known as huldra ("the rchetypalhulder", though folklore presupposes ...

*Rune Hagerup as The Messenger *Arthur Berning as Gunnar *Nasrin Khusrawi as Waitress *Antonio de la Cruz as Vesle-Jan

Release

The film was the second highest-grossing film in Norway in 2017, earning $4.23 million.

Critical reception

The CGI features of the film were criticized for being "more or less" by Morten Ståle Nilsen of ''

Verdens Gang ''Verdens Gang'' ("The course of the world"), generally known under the abbreviation ''VG'', is a Norwegian tabloid newspaper. In 2016, circulation numbers stood at 93,883, having declined from a peak circulation of 390,510 in 2002. ''VG'' is n ...

''.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ash Lad: In the Hall of the Mountain King 2017 fantasy films 2017 films Norwegian fantasy films Films about trolls Films based on fairy tales 2010s Norwegian-language films