A Knight's Tale | | Cast : | Heath Ledger, Mark Addy | | Director : | Brian Helgeland | | Studio : | Columbia/Tristar Studios | | Format : | Color, Closed-captioned, Widescreen, Dolby | | Released Date : | May 11, 2001 | | DVD Released Date : | March 16, 2004 | | Language : | French (Dubbed), English (Dubbed), French (Subtitled), English (Subtitled), English (Original Language), French (Original Language) | | Audience Rating : | PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | August 03, 2005 | | Summary | The perfect movie ... | Content
 | ... for those who ask little more than sound, motion, and color of a film. The jarringly anachronistic soundtrack will heighten their experience. Viewers possessed of more refined sensibilities beware. |
| Rating | | | Date | June 29, 2005 | | Summary | A tale to treasure | Content
| I have to say, I LOVED this movie. I thought it was brilliant and witty and funny and stirring, even after I watched it for a second, third and fourth time...if anything, it actually got better with each repeat viewing.
As a general rule, I love knights and castles and medieval weapons. In fact, there's a special place in my heart for all things medieval--except for the black plague of course! Sadly, though, I find that most movies about knights and medieval times are actually rather pathetic. Not so in this case, though. This movie really worked!
Yes, as many reviewers have pointed out, this movie has a contemporary soundtrack, not an authentic medieval one. But personally, I liked that. It reminded me that even though this movie is set in olden times, the kids back then were the same as they are today--they wanted to go out dancing to hip tunes and get into fights and fall in love and become heroes and live their dreams and make a better life for themselves. The lifestyle might have been different back then, but the people were basically the same as they are now. Plus, the songs in the soundtrack were classics, and I was glad of any excuse to hear them! I wanted to play the air guitar along with them...although, in the interests of medieval authenticity, I had to make do with an air gittern.
I'm not going to rehash the plot of this movie for you, as every other reviewer here has pretty much done that already. But I will tell you a few things that I think you ought to know.
Firstly, when you watch this movie, do NOT turn it off when you get to the final credits, because after the credits there's a brilliantly funny bonus scene. Unfortunately, many people miss seeing this scene because they switch off too early, and that's a shame. Watch it. You'll cack yourself laughing.
Secondly, here's an interesting historical fact that you won't find out in this movie: the 'fictional' persona that the hero of this story adopts, that of Count Ulrich Von Lichtenstein (I hope I spelt that right!) really did exist. Only, the real Ulrich was actually a bit of a weirdo. You see, back in those days, the jousts were a bit like pro-wrestling is today. Fighters used to dress up and take on 'characters'. As I understand it, Ulrich actually spent an entire tournament season dressed up as a woman. And apparently, that wasn't the strangest outfit he ever wore! Also, Ulrich was so over the top, he once cut off his finger and sent it to a lady to prove his devotion to her. And she wasn't even his lover, but just a wealthy lady whom he wished to represent in the tournaments! None of these historical facts appear in the movie, but I live in the hope that they'll turn up in a sequel one day... |
| Rating | | | Date | June 28, 2005 | | Summary | Emmercisive | Content
| Be ready for a shock, the director inserts two male nude scenes. The nude scenes were unnecessary and they did not add value to the story line.
The story is simple, 12 years prior William give hire as an English squire. The knight he serves is killed in a joust exchange, William takes the knights place and wins the journey, sparing Prince Edward humiliation, as he withdraws in defeat. This act of mercy saves William later once it is discovered that he is not nobility and reenters the Championship tournment in England at the last of the movie.
The director mixes modern music in medival time settings. The scenes seemed to work. The dance, poetry, and whitty humour make the movie very emercisive. The intensity of the sword fights, the collisions of armour and wood explosions are very exciting. One point for a strike to the chest, two points to the head, and victory if the opponent is knocked from his horse. The scenery and interaction with the speculators make you feel like your at the contest.
One of the most memorable lines is "you have been measured and weighted and found wanting".
William reunites with his blind father, who survives in a rain dripping room, by mending fisher man nets. William never backs down from a contest, a characteristic that convince Prince Edward to knight William. William wins the princess heart with poetry and chivalry. |
| Rating | | | Date | April 12, 2005 | | Summary | Knighty Knight Bugs | Content
| William Thatcher (Heath Ledger) is the aide to a well-known knight. On the verge of winning a tournament, the knight dies, leaving William and the knight's other assistants, Roland (Mark Addy) and Wat (Alan Tudyk) desperate. They haven't eaten in three days and need the prize money to fill their stomachs. Will takes the knight's place and wins the tournament. They decide that Will should pose as a knight and compete in other tournaments. Only noblemen are allowed to complete and Will is anything but noble. Along the way, they run across Geoffrey Chaucer (Paul Bettany), who then tags along for the ride. Geoff, as his friends call him, becomes a sort of ringside announcer, revving the crowd up for each of William's appearances.
"A Knight's Tale" is an interesting mess from writer- director Brian Helgeland. The success of just about every movie relies on the ability of the audience to suspend a certain amount of disbelief. In order for that to happen, the film has to have a certain amount of reality. "A Knight's Tale" has little, if any, basis in reality. I didn't buy it.
The first joust is preceded by every one in the audience stamping their fists and singing along to Robbie Williams and Queen singing "We Will Rock You". It was an interesting idea, in the trailers and commercials, but to have 14th century people singing along to a rock song is just stupid. Throughout the rest of the film, the 20th century music is played in the background to little effect.
We have all heard of films based in the past in which their were historical inaccuracies. Cowboys wearing wrist watches, roman soldiers wearing tennis shoes, etc. There have even been modern day reinterpretations of stories set in the past. Baz Luhrman's 'Romeo+Juliet' is a good example. "A Knight's Tale" does neither, falling somewhere in between. Frequently, the characters spout 20th century jargon, yet also continue to speak in a style that most people would buy as 14th century England. Why bother with the antiquated speech at all? If you want to have someone say 'Hello, it's called a lance' in the way that people do, to indicate something should be obvious, or to say 'Yes', in a way to indicate that they are pleased, why bother trying to make the characters seem as though they have walked out of a Shakespeare play. It is inconsistent and dumb.
Geoff Chaucer becomes a sort of ancient WWF ringside announcer. Dumb.
Jocelyn, played by Shannyn Sossamon, seems to be a sort of jousting groupie. Her role at these events is never really explained. Why is she popping up at these events? Will, of course, sets his eyes on her, and she returns the favors.
The jousting scenes are interesting, but the characters lack believability and interest, causing us to find nothing to identify with.
Ultimately, the film plays like a live-action version of the classic Bugs Bunny cartoon 'Knighty Night Bugs'. Bugs is having his ears done and gets hit on the head by an apple, transporting him back to Medieval times. There, he has trouble blending in, using 20th century phrases, until he realizes that he should start using phrases like 'Here sooth'. Ultimately, he jousts the Black Knight (sounds very familiar). After he talks about his friends including the 'Count of Basie'. He is hit on the head again and returns to the present day.
I felt like I was hit on the head by an apple.
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| Rating | | | Date | February 08, 2005 | | Summary | a great comedy... | Content
| I loved a Knight's Tale as it was funny. This is not a movie to be taken seriously. It has lots of humor, love and even some history in it. But the over-all movie is to root for the underdog and come out smiling. This movie is personally one of my favorite Heath Ledger movies.
Heath plays William who is a peasant squire and ends up passing himself off for a knight and ends up jousting his way up! Makes for an amazing story. He has a rival that will do anything to stop him in his tracks...and when it comes to the scene against one another you will be on the edge of you set rooting for one and hating the other. You will be riding along with each one, laughing at all the jokes and so forth if you go in not wanting this movie to be serious! I highly recommend this movie for a great comedy night and if you are a fan of any of the actors and actresses in this movie.
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