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Movies / On DVD / A Knight's Tale
A Knight's Tale

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A Knight's Tale (2001)

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Reviews Counted:136

Fresh:79

Rotten:57

Average Rating:5.8/10

Consensus: Once you get past the anachronism, A Knight's Tale becomes a predictable, if spirited, Rocky on horseback.

Runtime: 2 hrs 24 mins

Genre: Action/Adventure

Synopsis: In the Middle Ages, before television or professional sports, there is only one form of competition to separate the men from the boys: jousting tournaments. William Thatcher (Heath Ledger), a poor... In the Middle Ages, before television or professional sports, there is only one form of competition to separate the men from the boys: jousting tournaments. William Thatcher (Heath Ledger), a poor and humble squire, has always dreamed of proving himself worthy as a knight. When he gets a lucky chance--seeing an opportunity to disguise himself in the identity of a knight--William decides to maintain the illusion for as long as possible. He is aided by his friends Wat, Roland, and Geoffrey Chaucer--a writer with a knack for forging official papers. Under his new title, Sir Ulrich of Liechtenstein, William wins tournaments and receives monetary awards. However, the only way for William to prove himself as truly noble is to beat out all of his enemies, including the arrogant and undefeated Count Adhemar (Rufus Sewell), in a series of jousts. Once he does so, William will reveal his his true identity. Writer-director Brian Helgeland creates a unique blend of rousing adventure, comedy, and modern sensibility in A KNIGHT'S TALE, giving a contemporary make-over to the medieval genre with a soundtrack that includes hit songs from Queen, David Bowie, Sly & The Family Stone, and Thin Lizzy. [More]

Starring: Heath Ledger, Mark Addy, Paul Bettany, Shannyn Sossamon

Starring: Heath Ledger, Mark Addy, Paul Bettany, Shannyn Sossamon, Laura Fraser, Rufus Sewell, Christopher Cazenove, Alan Tudyk

Director: Brian Helgeland

Director: Brian Helgeland
Screenwriter: Curtis Hanson, Brian Helgeland
Composer: Carter Burwell
Studio: Columbia Pictures

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Reviews for A Knight's Tale

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101 - 120 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

A Knight's Tale should be ridiculous, and it is: ridiculously entertaining.

comment Comment
05/11/01
Terry Lawson
Terry Lawson
Detroit Free Press

The material is delivered with such youthful exuberance that it's difficult to dismiss it outright.

Full Review Source: Deseret News, Salt Lake City | comment Comment
05/11/01
Jeff Vice
Jeff Vice
Deseret News, Salt Lake City

Predictable and repetitive.

Full Review Source: Denver Post | comment Comment
05/11/01
Steven Rosen
Steven Rosen
Denver Post

Supremely silly, but also joyfully creative.

Full Review Source: Contra Costa Times | comment Comment
05/11/01
Mary F. Pols
Mary F. Pols
Contra Costa Times

The results at best are highly uneven, but still interesting. At worst they are strained and repetitive. It all depends on your tolerance level towards gimmicks, and your desire level for something -- anything -- different.

Full Review Source: CNN.com | comment Comment
05/11/01
Paul Clinton (CNN.com)
Paul Clinton (CNN.com)
CNN.com
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The movie has an innocence and charm that grow on you.

Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | comment Comment
05/11/01
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

By the time the big grudge match comes around and William and the no-account Count Adhemar (Rufus Sewell) meet in center court, whatever charm and good humor were engendered by this adventure have long since worn off.

comment Comment
05/11/01
Glenn Lovell
Glenn Lovell
San Jose Mercury News

A Knight's Tale is a bouncy pop song of a movie, the snappy/happy kind that puts a grin on your face and a tap to your toe, shifting the heart into high and the mind into neutral.

Full Review Source: Globe and Mail | comment Comment
05/11/01
Rick Groen
Rick Groen
Globe and Mail

Has its bright moments but it never coheres into a viable -- or memorable -- movie.

Full Review Source: Boxoffice Magazine | comment Comment
05/11/01
Shlomo Schwartzberg
Shlomo Schwartzberg
Boxoffice Magazine

This movie is like having a 64-ounce Pepsi at a Medieval Times theme restaurant. It's full of gas, caffeine and sugar; it will make you have to pee before you finish it; and it's virtually nutrition-free.

Full Review Source: IFilm | comment Comment
05/10/01
Dave White
Dave White
IFilm

For every joke that connects, there are three that are obvious and superfluous; for every jousting scene that rouses, there are 10 (20, 30?) that gallop nowhere.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Daily News | comment Comment
05/10/01
Glenn Whipp
Glenn Whipp
Los Angeles Daily News

A 14th-century good time.

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
05/10/01
Desson Thomson
Desson Thomson
Washington Post

Feels like a bunch of boys fooling around.

Full Review Source: St. Paul Pioneer Press | comment Comment
05/10/01
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)
St. Paul Pioneer Press

What was originally a laughable fiasco, then a rousing adventure, becomes just another muddled disappointment.

Full Review Source: Reel.com | comment Comment
05/10/01
Tor Thorsen
Tor Thorsen
Reel.com

Bewildering but never boring.

comment Comment
05/10/01
Carrie Rickey
Carrie Rickey
Philadelphia Inquirer

A Knight's Tale has a lot going for it -- appealing young cast, uptempo treatment, good stunts, winsome sense of humor. But it needed a more judicious editor.

comment Comment
05/10/01
Gary Thompson
Gary Thompson
Philadelphia Daily News

The picture itself is good-humored, but bland and predictable.

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
05/10/01
Elvis Mitchell
Elvis Mitchell
New York Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The film's attempt to vary the pace and provide a noticeable dose of romance as a plot alternative turns out to be more tedious than even the jousting.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times | comment Comment
05/10/01
Kenneth Turan
Kenneth Turan
Los Angeles Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Once you get past the central conceit, Helgeland's plotting slips into a rut.

Full Review Source: Kansas City Star | comment Comment
05/10/01
Robert W. Butler
Robert W. Butler
Kansas City Star

Will A Knight's Tale have a long shelf-life? Hell, no. But will it do for this Friday, preferably with a date? Hell, yes.

comment Comment
05/10/01
Gemma Files
Gemma Files
Film.com
 
 
101 - 120 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 >> >|
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