A Knight's Tale (2001)

Rating: 3 Stars (out of 4)

Shall We Lance?

By Jeffrey M. Anderson

Buy A Knight's Tale on DVD.

Writer-director Brian Helgeland (L.A. Confidential, Mystic River) delivers a breezy, lightweight romp perfect for a summer afternoon at the movies. Heath Ledger stars as a peasant who longs to joust even though he's not of royal blood. Newcomer Shannyn Sossamon (who looks a lot like Angelina Jolie) co-stars as the lovely princess who captures his fancy. The jousts are beautifully, clearly, excitingly filmed and never seem to repeat themselves. Loaded with 1970's rock anthems, exploding, splintering lances -- not to mention the poetic, Wrestlemania-type introductions by Geoffrey Chaucer (Paul Bettany) -- the film magically targets itself to all audiences and not just teens.

DVD Details: Universal's 2005 "director's cut" DVD reincorporates about 12 minutes back into the film, and it's still a breeze. Hopefully, this new release will give people a chance to catch up with this neglected gem. Extras include a bunch of featurettes, the HBO making-of special, and a music video ("We Are the Champions" by Robbie Williams with Queen). Audio is available in four languages (English, Spanish, French and Portuguese) and there are optional subtitles in the same four languages. Oddly, Helgeland does not provide a commentary track, even on his director's cut.

Starring: Heath Ledger, Rufus Sewell, Shannyn Sossamon, Paul Bettany, Laura Fraser, Mark Addy
Written by: Brian Helgeland
Directed by: Brian Helgeland
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for action violence, some nudity and brief sex-related dialogue
Running Time: 144 minutes
Date: May 11, 2001