A couple of
knights have to transport a witch.
A
stunningly unoriginal story, all the characters are stereotypes and cliché, the
setting is so familiar that at first sight you’ll think you have already seen
this movie while the effects are so classical that probably some of those where
rejected from an old episode of Xena Warrior Princess.
It’s
baffling, but certainly good for the writer, that the original script, made in
2000 by Bragi F. Schut according to Wikipedia, was won by MGM after a bidding
war and that it was made only now, one year after the very similar, Sean Bean
starring, Black Death, only because of the financial woes of that studio.
Yet another
of those “Movies that Nic Cage is doing because his accountant stole a lot of
money” it stars the aforementioned Nic Cage and Ron Perlman, of Hellboy and a
thousand B movies fame. Maybe it’s up to their personal charm but this movie
that notionally shouldn’t work somehow clicks and becomes even engaging.
The much
maligned Nic Cage is a great actor but as other movie demonstrated he can’t
elevate terrible properties all by himself. Here luckily with the help of Ron
Perlman he constitutes a terrific couple. Their easy chemistry and their jovial
banter keep afloat a movie all by itself.
Don’t
expect any surprise or any detounement, just a somewhat old western style
medieval fantasy. Exactly like those old John Wayne movies it’s all clear cut,
black and white, and old cowboys, templars here, ride along trying to right a
very wrong world.
Conclusion:
A surprisingly enjoyable fantasy, still not very recommended if you can’t bear
some chainmail and sword fighting.
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