Rating: 
Summary: a phenomenal film to go see
Review: So I had the chance to see two movies last Friday--the Mummy Returns and A Knight's Tale. I chose the latter because I love watching movies set in that time period along with those set in the Renaissance and Regency periods, too, and lemme tell ya', i did not leave the theater disappointed. It started out a little slow with the scene where William and his two friends are poking at a dead knight, but soon the audience was humorously greeted by the idle and stark naked wanderings of Geoffery Chaucer (suitably portrayed by Paul Bettany), who claims to be a writer. And a few scenes later in the movie, his claims were rightly justified as he spurted out an invigorating, impassioned, and slightly exaggerated speech (exaggerated in content, not quality) when announcing William (Heath Ledger) or rather Sir Ulrich von Liechenstein to the segregated crowd of aristocrats and paupers. They could not have picked a better person to play the part of poet/orator Geoffery Chaucer. He was entertaining and captivating to watch in a way that only the British accent could make possible.
Coming into the theater, I had the expectation that the movie would start out with a young Heath Ledger, as one would automatically assume from previews. But as the first scene open, i saw Heath Ledger with a scraggly beard and long dirty blond hair, almost resembling the image Mel Gibson had presented in the phenomenal film "Braveheart", and i thought perhaps that they were showing an older, aged Heath, who, after years and years of distinguished fighting, was now a legend. Of course my assumption was wrong, for Ledger was only a twenty-something young man with an overgrown beard. And then i thought to myself, well if he's already a grown man at the beginning of the film (not the 8-yr old boy i expected him to be) and if he's already doing a fight scene in the first fifteen minutes of it, then wat kind of intensified episodes will they be able to pull off when building up to the climax of the film (and with 2 more hours to go)? the answer to that question was: as many as they pleased. And they did it all with action-packed, fun-filled, falling-out-of-ur-seats-with-laughter class. The movie was great. The cast was great. (Paul Bettany especially stood out.) The romance was sweet and comical (tho, i was kinda rooting for Heath to fall in love with the spunky female blacksmith--whose beauty was hidden under black ashes and brown shoot). And the touch of adding dynamic 20th century music to the orthodox 14th century medieval period may at first seem way out of place and tacky, but once u see the peasants and the nobles alike grooving to the Queens' tunes u may begin to wonder if the director was trying to make a statement by bringing some subtle hints of class integration into the film, or if he just brought in "We Will Rock You" to attract youthful audiences.
But either way, he appealed to audiences of all genders and of all generations. While A Knight's Tale may not be the greatest medieval movie ever made, it's definitely one worth watching. (and i wouldn't mind a sequel--hint, hint) =P.
Rating: 
Summary: The most annoying heroine in a long time
Review: Since you presumambly read the synopsis and the other reviews you know by now what this movie is about and will not be surprised by the modern music, dancing and occasionally costumes. Together with the story, these add up to form a fairly entertaining movie. The acting and the characters (except for Jocelyn, the heroine) are unexpectedly good and very funny, and you can even forgive the totally forgettable and childish lines like "he's blond, he's tanned, he comes from Gelderland" and the like, which might amuse more a 10-year old. So, everything OK this far. But Jocelyn... I wanted to shoot her during the entire movie. She always has the same expression on her face and is supposed to be smart and witty like the true ladies of the Middle Age, but she talks only charades at our poor hero and toys with him all the time: win this tournament for love, loose it for love etc. She just doesn't fit the role... imagine Helena Bonham Carter for such a role, she has the grace and dignity to do it. If a more likable actress would have been cast in this role, perhaps I could overlook all this, but she totally and completely annoyed me. And the hairstyles... was the director (or whoever decides this) trying to outdo Queen Amidala?! Watch the movie, it's funny, but I kept hoping he'll end up with Kate...
Rating: 
Summary: A quirky look at the days of Knights
Review: Director Brian Helgeland achieves what he set out to do: to create a medieval tale that people of today--particularly young people of today--could relate to. The driving pop music score, the language, the action, the dancing--all constructed to recreate the level of excitement that people must have felt during these tournaments in a way that makes sense to a 21st-century audience. Apart from that, the film is, simply, a knight's tale, filled to overflowing with all that that implies: action, romance, humor, villainy, pathos, tragedy, triumph. It's Helgeland's unique vision that makes this film truly special. The disc is loaded with wonderful extras--a dozen-or-so deleted/alternate scenes, several mini-documentaries on characters and effects and music and more, wonderful commentary tracks, and even a Queen (with Robbie Williams) music video. Leave your prejudices at the door and see the film for what Helgeland intended it to be. Smartly paced, snappy dialogue, fine performances--Paul Bettany as Chaucer and Mark Addy as Roland will have you smiling throughout, and you can't help but hiss at Rufus Sewell's Count Adhemar--a driving soundtrack and so much romance you'll wonder why Meg Ryan's not in it. Worth every penny. Absolutely.
Rating:
Summary: The Middle Ages meet rock and roll in delightful romp
Review: Mixing in a rock and roll soundtrack with a tale about the medieval sport of jousting may sound like a recipe for disaster, but A Knight's Tale manages to beat the odds and provide us with some tasty entertainment. Purists may argue that it grossly distorts history. There's really no argument because it does. The truth is that the movies have always done this. With few exceptions, historical epics have never reflected the values of the times they were set in. They've reflected modern values. As for the music they use, sweeping orchestral scores may feel more appropriate, but for any movie set more than four hundred years ago, these are almost as anachronistic as rock and roll. One could even argue that rock music is more in attuned to the bawdy tavern songs of the 14th Century, when A Knight's Tale takes place, than is classical fare. William, Roland and Wat [Heath Ledger, Mark Addy and Alan Tudyk] are three peasants in service to an old knight who competes in jousts, which were popular games in England and France in the Middle Ages. Two knights in armor would charge each other on horseback and try knock each other to the ground with their lances. This was a dangerous game, but it was not a blood sport. Everyone was welcome to witness these events, but only noblemen could compete. One morning, William and the others discover that their knight has died in his sleep. They can either let William take the knight's place in the game and try to fool the lords or they can starve to death. They chose the deception, and William wins the joust. Heady with victory, they begin to practice in earnest. The problem remains that William is not a knight, but in their travels they meet up with Chaucer [Paul Bettany], who later would become a very famous writer. Chaucer expertly forges papers that say William is royalty and then joins the trio as they travel around to various tournaments. Along the way, William falls for a beautiful noblewoman [Shannyn Sossaman]. He also makes an enemy of the evil Count Adhemer [Rufus Sewell], who vows revenge at any cost The movie is an odd mixture of comedy, adventure, period history and parody, but it works. An early tournament starts out seriously, but then the crowd breaks out into The Wave. We see spectators with their faces painted as if they were pro football fanatics. A lovely female armorer, who wouldn't have existed back then, makes a new metal suit for our hero and engraves it with her trademark, which just happens to be the Nike logo. When William first dances with his lady love, rock music suddenly breaks out, and it looks like these long ago revelers are at a disco. If there is a fault with all this, it is that there isn't quite enough of it. Towards the end, the movie tends to become a more standard adventure, as if its makers were a bit uncertain of their own creation. Heath Ledger is fine as William. This young Australian has a bright future in movies. In some scenes he looks eerily like Errol Flynn. Rufus Sewell is a lot of fun as the pompous villain. It is Paul Bettany's Chaucer, however, who virtually steals the movie. I suspect director Brian Helgeland succeeded partly because he is blithely ignorant of many aspects of history. In an interview he said he thought kids in 14th Century had music that was not their parents' music just like kids today. That simply isn't true. Ironically, much of the rock music used in A Knight's Tale, such as Rock On and Golden Years, is the music of today's kids' parents. Fortunately for Helgeland, his limited view of history is irrelevant because the movie works. It isn't history. It's entertainment.
Rating:
Summary: One of my favorites!!!
Review: When I'd rented this movie, I did it because I'd seen everything else. I was so glad I did! I watched it 3 times before taking it back! Then I recieved it as a gift. It's a great movie that has a midevil theme to it, with modern day music. The story is about how a person can change their destiny. It shows the struggle, determination, and the vengence of life. You'll laugh, hate, cry, and laugh some more. The costumes and colors that are used are great. Some people have a hard time mixing Queens' music with midevil times, but they pull it off very well in this movie. I highly recommend it!
Rating:
Summary: I was absolutely amazed that I loved this flick!
Review: I didn't really know what to expect when my girlfriend practically forced me to sit down and watch this with her. I had seen the previews and wasn't really interested, but I capitulated. Wow, am I glad that I did! There are so many ways a movie like this can go wrong and ruin itself, and so few ways it can hit on all cylinders and be one to enjoy. Well, this one hit just about every note right(to my delighted surprise). I think the plot has been gone over quite well by my fellow reviewers, so I'll just jot down here things I thought stood out in the movie. The cast was absolutely perfect for this movie. The chemistry between all the players is as good as you'll see on screen. The interaction between William and Jocelyn is real and beleivable and the hilarious interaction between Wat, Chaucer, and Roland is comic genius. Others have chosen to highlight Laura Fraser's(Kate) and Paul Bettany's(Chaucer) performances, but I couldn't help but crack a grin every time Wat(Alan Tudyk) opened his mouth. I also thought the use of classic rock would bring the film down, but it actually fits the mood they create perfectly. I couldn't imagine it without the music now. The story is very formulaic and predictable, but you'll be having such a good time, you won't much care.
Rating:
Summary: At its best when making fun of itself
Review: Well, you've got to give it points for originality. And Heath Ledger's very charismatic (but not half so charismatic as Rufus Sewell, who makes the flattest of all recent villain characters into a joy to watch). Mark Addy and Alan Tudyk are amusing as William's best friends, but I especially liked Paul Bettany as Chaucer and Laura Fraser as Kate the blacksmith. And given her limited role, Shannyn Sossamon is quite good. When it sends itself up, the film is incredibly entertaining. When it tries to inject a bit of seriousness, it falls completely flat (what the hell is that scene between William and the Prince of Wales all about)? The pop songs add a lot of energy (the best is the medieval dancing to David Bowie's "Golden Years." But sorry, however you film it, jousting is a pretty ridiculous looking sport.
Rating:
Summary: Not Quite a Bedtime Story
Review: Some nudity and adult themes. Also there are a coupe parts that seem a little corny, like a modern dance scene in medieval Europe does get a bit much, but all in all the story is pretty sound and is well told. If you have a DVD player, get the DVD version, it tells you much more about the production of the movie, that you might not get out of a video.
Rating:
Summary: A nights Tale
Review: A knights tale is a funny, exiting and (unfortunatly) romantic story. Heath Ledger is a perfect William, and Geffrey Chauser's actor (I have forgoten the name)does the "introductions" brilliently. It is a must see if you like, like me, Medevil Jousting!
Rating:
Summary: It Rocks! (literally)
Review: It's fun, it's witty, action, adventure, comedy... And let the credits roll, it's worth the wait.
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