Like Troll Hunter, Ragnarok brings a distinctly Norwegian slant to the monster movie genre. The story itself ties into Norse mythology, which I admittedly know next to nothing about -- Thor, Odin, and that's about it. Ragnarok, it turns out, basically refers to a series of disasters that will destroy the world, result in the deaths of a slew of Norse gods, and ultimately leave just two human survivors to basically start over again. Ragnarok is also said to be the place where Thor and the Midland Serpent will engage in their final battle.

Since this is all an ancient myth, it's not the type of subject that academics or those who fund academic research take seriously. Archaeologist Sigurd Svendsen finds that out firsthand, but he remains convinced that evidence from the recent discovery of a Viking ship at Oseberg points a compelling finger at Ragnarok's beginning. When his colleague fishes up a related runestone in northern Norway, he quickly follows the clues where they lead.

Having lost his wife several years earlier, Sigurd takes his two children -- a young teenaged girl and little boy -- with him on the expedition, which doesn't seem like a very good idea to me. The trek goes into forest depths virtually untouched since Russian soldiers abandoned the area at the end of the Cold War, and their only companions are Sigurd's colleague, his more than capable female assistant and a surly guide. Sigurd does in fact find the answers he was seeking, but in doing so he learns that his interpretation of the clues was something less than complete.

There's a decent amount of tension and suspense, especially with the two kids thrown into the mix, but there are no real surprises along the way. Special effects are also pretty good, with one particularly memorable moment. Overall, though, the film just seems to lack that certain something that would make it truly memorable. It's definitely worth a watch, though; it's not every day you get to see elements of Norse mythology (the real thing, not some comic book adaptation of Thor) played out on the big screen.