Tim Robbins stars as Erik the Viking, a thoughtful man in a violent time who does not enjoy killing and raping like the rest of his people. When he accidentally kills a woman while defending her, he reevaluates his life and goes off in search of the Horn Resounding, which has the power to bring him to his true home--and end the Age of Ragnarok, bringing peace to the kingdom. To get there he has to lead a pathetic group of seasick sailors through the Gates of the World and into sunlight, on their way to Valhalla. But all threatens to come undone when the local blacksmith plots to sabotage the journey to protect his lucrative weapons business. The film includes wonderfully unexpected turns from Mickey Rooney and Eartha Kitt and an especially funny performance by John Cleese as a torturing warlord who enjoys having men killed in myriad creative ways. The film is more similar in tone to Terry Gilliam's JABBERWOCKY than to any of the Monty Python farces.