A Knight's Tale (B- or 2.5/4 stars)
14th century: After his master suddenly dies, a young squire named William (Heath Ledger) hits the road with some pals in 'A Knight's Tale', written & directed by Brian Helgeland. On their journey, they meet an unknown writer, Chaucer. Only a peasant, he's able to convince Chaucer to forge genealogy papers that will pass him off as a knight! Hilarity ensues (or so hopes the producers). 'AKT 'is a silly movie (integrating 20th century pop songs into a 14th century setting). I dug a good part of it. But I didn't care much for Ledger's William. And the movie goes on a bit too long. This is all nit-picking, but it DOES count.
William wants to be a knight so that he can travel around France winning jousting contests (he's inexplicably good at it). He is accompanied on his journey by a small group of friends: Chaucer himself (a great Paul Bettany), a sharp-tongued blacksmith named Kate (Laura Fraser), ever-faithful lug, Roland (Mark Addy), & the temperamental Wat (a funny Alan Tudyk); they all help him hide his true squalor identity. When a real knight dies during the recession of a fight, William disguises himself as his master & enters the next tournament. Not only does he want the glory, but he needs the $$, as well. And what fairy tale story would be complete without a romance? Will's love interest here is a maiden named Jocelyn (Shannyn Sossamon). Unfortunately for them, she is already betrothed to the evil Count Adhemar (Rufus Sewell). Can Will keep winning these tournaments? Will he defeat the Count? Will Jocelyn be waiting for him?
The setting may be medieval Europe, but the film's intentional anachronisms make it stand-out. Instead of presenting a stuffy period piece by using today's lingo & new age pop songs to compliment the narrative, we have quite the 'hip' film on our hands. Songs such as Low Rider, Taking Care of Business, The Boys Are Back in Town, & We Will Rock You show up at various points in the film; they're utilized very well. I liked the jousting sequences. I enjoyed the film's use of sarcasm. For the most part, 'AKT' is light, witty, & unabashedly goofy. It's predictable. But not the kind of predictable that gets under your skin. Overall, 'AKT' is just a dumb summer flick that is not quite as dumb as you'd imagine. Thanks to some unique writing & Ledger's gravitas, the film is mildly enjoyable.
But there are things at work which bring the level of the film down to a marginal passing grade. For one, it's a bit too long for a whimsical, romantic summer movie. At over 130 minutes, there are more than enough dead spots. The writing is good & good-humored enough for a film of this genre, but it's the plot that doesn't quite transcend. I mentioned Ledger in a positive way before. I always like his performances, but his character & the character of Jocelyn don't make for an overly rootable romance. Their characters are not amiable enough for us to care one way or another. But while the movie doesn't particularly have anything to 'say', it's fine as a summer romp. If you want to see what it's like to have gnarly dudes in suits of armor & strong, independent fair maidens rocking out to classic rock tunes, then you should definitely check this movie out. Think ... Robin Hood: Men in Tights; just not quite as good.
William wants to be a knight so that he can travel around France winning jousting contests (he's inexplicably good at it). He is accompanied on his journey by a small group of friends: Chaucer himself (a great Paul Bettany), a sharp-tongued blacksmith named Kate (Laura Fraser), ever-faithful lug, Roland (Mark Addy), & the temperamental Wat (a funny Alan Tudyk); they all help him hide his true squalor identity. When a real knight dies during the recession of a fight, William disguises himself as his master & enters the next tournament. Not only does he want the glory, but he needs the $$, as well. And what fairy tale story would be complete without a romance? Will's love interest here is a maiden named Jocelyn (Shannyn Sossamon). Unfortunately for them, she is already betrothed to the evil Count Adhemar (Rufus Sewell). Can Will keep winning these tournaments? Will he defeat the Count? Will Jocelyn be waiting for him?
The setting may be medieval Europe, but the film's intentional anachronisms make it stand-out. Instead of presenting a stuffy period piece by using today's lingo & new age pop songs to compliment the narrative, we have quite the 'hip' film on our hands. Songs such as Low Rider, Taking Care of Business, The Boys Are Back in Town, & We Will Rock You show up at various points in the film; they're utilized very well. I liked the jousting sequences. I enjoyed the film's use of sarcasm. For the most part, 'AKT' is light, witty, & unabashedly goofy. It's predictable. But not the kind of predictable that gets under your skin. Overall, 'AKT' is just a dumb summer flick that is not quite as dumb as you'd imagine. Thanks to some unique writing & Ledger's gravitas, the film is mildly enjoyable.
But there are things at work which bring the level of the film down to a marginal passing grade. For one, it's a bit too long for a whimsical, romantic summer movie. At over 130 minutes, there are more than enough dead spots. The writing is good & good-humored enough for a film of this genre, but it's the plot that doesn't quite transcend. I mentioned Ledger in a positive way before. I always like his performances, but his character & the character of Jocelyn don't make for an overly rootable romance. Their characters are not amiable enough for us to care one way or another. But while the movie doesn't particularly have anything to 'say', it's fine as a summer romp. If you want to see what it's like to have gnarly dudes in suits of armor & strong, independent fair maidens rocking out to classic rock tunes, then you should definitely check this movie out. Think ... Robin Hood: Men in Tights; just not quite as good.