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Better a silly girl with a flower than a silly boy with a horse and a stick.

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When a knight dies just before the final joust in a tournament he is winning, his common-born squire, William (Heath Ledger ) Thatcher, dons his armor and takes his place. The plot that follows is entirely and completely predictable – not that it matters.

This is a very silly movie. It raises historical inaccuracy to an art form. The horses are wrong, the armor is wrong, the setting is wrong… Of course, it is all in joust… er… I mean jest. Why else would detailed period models of Paris and London have the Eiffel Tower and the London Eye in them, and why does the hero’s armor sport the Nike chevron. It’s a spoof of course.

The cast are adequate in their roles. (Paul Bettany as Geoffrey Chaucer is more adequate than most.) With the convincing style of a daytime soap, the actors read their lines and wink at the camera. The heroes are handsome, the damsels are pretty, and so what if they are not likely to win many Oscars. At least they all seem to be having a good time. From the opening bars of Queen’s "We are the Champions", the rock score is as rollicking as it is anachronistic. It’s fun, it’s funny and, for the most part, it works.

While the characters are likeable, the action exciting and the inevitable rousing finale is as rousing as ordered, the film has one major problem - its pacing. At 132 minutes, it is far too long for this type of movie. Brian Helgeland the director is too condescending to Brian Helgeland the writer. He really needs to give himself a good talking too. Time and again the movie is allowed to wander off-plot in search of yet another cheap joke. There came a time when I found myself yelling, enough already, get on with it. Yes, this is the kind of movie you talk to the screen in, folks.

Also, Shannyn Sossamon as William’s love interest, Lady Jocelyn, needs to learn that simply looking like Angelina Jolie is not enough. If she had done just enough acting to make the love affair believable, it would have helped the plot along tremendously.

There is an old saying among writers: less is more. This movie is funny and fun, with a great score, but is too long and slow in parts, and I can only give it three stars. A director’s cut with no new material, but about 30 minutes less meandering, may well have received an extra star.

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Rating: No bad language. Minor (male) nudity and only comic book violence. Let the kids watch it.

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A Knight's Tale (2001)
Written and Directed by Brian Helgeland

Cast:

Heath Ledger .... Sir William Thatcher/Sir Ulrich von Lichtenstein of Gelderland
Rufus Sewell .... Count Adhemar of Anjou
Shannyn Sossamon .... Lady Jocelyn
Paul Bettany .... Geoffrey Chaucer
Laura Fraser .... Kate the Farrier
Mark Addy .... Roland
Alan Tudyk .... Wat Falhurst
Bérénice Bejo .... Christiana
Scott Handy .... Germaine
James Purefoy .... Sir Thomas Colville/Edward, the Black Prince of Wales


Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 9 - 12