Great Film overall

Absolutely Fantastic

It's an amazing and heartbreaking story.

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

Poor Heath. Gone too soon. I would much rather remember him as the high spirited "William Thatcher" who impersonates Sir Ector, than as the sick "Joker" in Batman. A swashbuckling comedy-drama with jousting being the popular "sport in fashion" of the 14th century. I hadn't seen this film in years, and it almost made it into the "reject pile" as I am thinning out my Disc Collection. This film should be a "bomb" but it is just too much fun. Beautifully photographed in Prague, but with everything wrong: modern songs, inaccurate dress, mannerisms, and dialogue. Tons of very intentional anachronisms. Note both The London Eye and The Eiffel Tower! It's like they are "daring you" to find all the "goofs" in the movie! Worst-fitting modern song is "Taking Care of Business" by BTO, but both "Queen" songs ("Rock You" and "Champions") fit nicely, as does David Bowie's "Golden Years". "Chaucer wears only a smile" and does a "Rear Monty" twice. He champions Will's fame and writes his "Knight's Tale". Some rough slapstick, but very little gore for a film of this type. (Like Richard Lester's "Musketeer" movies). Even the villain (Rufus Sevell as Count Adhemar) is almost likable, until he strips William of his fake Royalty parentage, puts him in stocks, and beats the daylights out of him. Then, Prince Edward "princes by" and proclaims him to be "Sir William". An impossible ending, as William wins his "fatal" jousting match against The Count without his armor and with the heavy lance strapped to his badly damaged arm! Of course he wins "the Beautiful Princess", and it all "goes down" like a fairy tale. A great Saturday Afternoon popcorn movie, just don't take it too seriously. Slight nudity (men and women) so a bit too "bawdy" for little kids.

This is a wonderful movie. The mixing of 1970s music with a story set in the middle ages works. It is also a clever cinematic device. The story is excellent. The characters are interesting and their interactions interesting and dramatic. Heath Ledger is excellent as the peasant who wants to be a knight. Paul Bethany is the show stealer however. His rendition of Chaucer is the best performance in the movie. The rest of the cast is engaging as well. There are heroes and villains. The movie also dramatizes a martial art that in its day was one of the major sources of public entertainment. The movie suggests that the concept of the sports hero is neither new or unique to present times. In this respect the story has plausibility. For there was a time that games like baseball, football, etc. did not exist. So the concept of sports competition took other forms, in contests that today would be condemned as cruel, but then were considered acceptable. Then again, is two men charging at each other at full speed with lances any different then two groups of men going into each other to gain control of a ball?

A Knight's Tale (2001): Dir: Brian Helgeland / Cast: Heath Ledger, Rufus Sewell, Mark Addy, Paul Bettany, Shannyn Sossamon: Good natured yet light weight comedy set in the early century of knights. Title humorously refers to a knight telling a very large tale. Heath Ledger stars as a civilian who wants to be a knight but he is a nobleman, which apparently complicates things. This doesn't discourage him from training. He makes a name for himself in the tournaments but nobody knows who he is, plus there is another knight whose ambition is to expose him. He wishes to impress the Princess but first he must dispose of another knight whose ambition is, again, to expose him and use her as a trophy. Well directed by Brian Helgeland who previously made the action thriller Payback. with repetitious storytelling and an ending that has no real flair. The knights singing a song by Queen also makes no sense when thinking of the time line. Ledger makes a great impression but he is virtually going in circles in rapid repetition. Rufus Sewell is the stereotypical bully knight with the personality of an empty soup can. Mark Addy and Paul Bettany are also at a loss here playing Ledger's empty headed friends. And Shannyn Sossamon has the thankless role the woman whom Ledger is competing for, as if it matters. Fine production is at best otherwise the biggest tale is told by the screenwriter. Score: 3 / 10

"A Knights Tale", directed confusingly by Brian Hedgeland is one of those movies that leaves you disappointed for what it could've been. It's very difficult for a movie to straddle comedy, drama, and action together and this movie ends falling flat trying to do so. Chiefly, what the heck was Hedgeland thinking throwing in anachronistic music cuts haphazardly. They litter the movie like foul garbage stinking up scene after scene, out of place and non- sensical. The cast does their best to bring in some heart and charisma, but the script is a mess, sometimes straight as an arrow, and other times pandering and sitcomish. The costuming, armor, and jousting steps in to remind us of the promise the movie has though, lead actress, apparently new-comer Sharynn Sossaman proves her lack of experience in a flat performance to counterbalance. Then there's Heath Ledger, kinetic and full of energy mostly keeping the movie afloat though his hair is out of control. I wanted to like this movie, but the music single-handedly sunk it for me - you have the credits not even rolling and AC/DC playing!? Common - it's supposed to be medieval, stick to the page or in this case period. 5.5/10 Cannot Recommend due to schizophrenia; needed to stick with one genre.