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Good concept, poorly executed.

It's hard to see any effort in the film. There's no comedy to speak of, no real drama and, worst of all.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

When I first rented a copy of the film, I thought it would just be another Medieval oater, but was pleasantly surprised to discover it had classic roots. It's a retelling of the Song of Roland. As Excalibur was the best incarnation of Le Morte d'Arthur, and Dark Kingdom was an incarnation of the Nordic Nibelungen Ring Cycle, the roots of this go back to the legends of Charlemagne, most specifically, Ariosto's Orlando Furioso.Naturally, the story is abbreviated from the original, and there are a few changes, possibly for simplicity.Probably because of its Italian origins, the film features some really artistically designed armor.

The movie reviewed here was ostensibly edited down into it's present form from a much longer TV mini series.In fact after viewing the movie, it is very easy and indeed very tempting for one to imagine the source material contained within as a far more expansive, stirring epic of forbidden love and chivalry.Sadly however, it has to be said, that due to the aforementioned editing/condensing, much of the stories coherence appears to have been inevitably lost, rendering the movie with a distinctly rushed and overall muddled feel.This is a particular shame in fact, as aside from this, the film really does shine.Take for instance the look of the film: It boasts some truly stunning location shooting ranging from beautiful Autumn woodland to desolate tide swept beaches. The costumes here are also a particular standout with some truly innovative armour designs that rival even those found in John Boorman's far higher budgeted Excaliber. The fight choreography to, is particularly well executed here with some truly ferocious clashes between knights (and a healthy splattering of gore!)I would love to view this in its original series format, which I have a suspicion would have been rather better than what we are in fact left with here.However, having said this, what is indeed left is still very much worthy of viewing if you, as I am, happen to be a fan of films such as the aforementioned Excaliber and sword and sorcery genre movies in general.

Most likely this film was thrown together to ride the coat tails of John Boorman's "Excalibur." There's much in the way of imitation or homage paid to Boorman in terms of feel, and of course the knights.The problems with this film are various. One of the things that leaps out is the mediocre cinematography. Again, there's a whole hearted attempt to "pay homage" to Boorman, but the long shots are either misplaced or not set far enough away. There're some interesting scenes of bleak forests and wastelands, again like Boorman's work, but the shots are ill conceived with little in the way of thoughtful composition. I'll also add that there's an excessive number of slow motion shots.The story was a little difficult to follow, and the fact that the Moors in the film are depicted as caucasian (men with 1980's shoulder length feathered hair no less) doesn't help either visual or story aspect. And therein lies a tale because the acting is below average, hammy, boring and otherwise nearly talentless. Slow motion can only cover up so many sins. Sub par talent isn't one of them.One of the real drawbacks is a lack of cast. By that I mean warm bodys or extras. There're precious few people inhabiting this world, and it seems as though all the fighting is done by a little over half dozen folks (the main characters). There's money in the budget to build a Moor encampment, but no money hire the extras to bring it to life.Still, for all it's flaws, and even though I laughed out loud at a number of the more ridiculous parts (mostly the actors), I could appreciate it for what it is (that, and my buddy loaned me his copy, and I'd hate to tell him I disliked a film he really likes :)). It's a B-movie striving for an A. But striving for an A on money that's little more than a shoestring budget.Some nudity, a good amount of violence, the film was meant for an adult crowd, but if you took away the bare breasts and blood you'd have a film fit for kids. As it is it's designed for adult consumption, but unless you're a fan of the knight genre (by that I mean you really go overboard for all medieval themed films) I wouldn't recommend it.Fun but flawed. Don't bother unless you need some sword play on your TV screen, because it truly is a stupid film.*EDIT* The man who loaned me his tape is actually a private security type as well as an investigator for the Department of Justice. A real jerk.

I enjoyed this film for several reasons. The characters were quite alive and it was very easy for you to feel sympathy for them. The fight scenes were enjoyable and the costuming, while not quite accurate, was very eye-catching.I would like to see this film in the original Italian with subtitles, to see what the translators missed (they almost always miss something).Just because a film doesn't quite mesh with American attitudes or ideals, foreign films often catch a lot of heat and disdain from people who aren't open to such things.This film can easily stand on its own merits and be enjoyed by both fans of fantasy romance and sword action.BTW, why is it that whenever a foreign film is released into the American market, it is deemed either bad or a "B" movie, if it isn't an "art house" type of movie? I do own a copy of this film and have given it as a gift to friends and they too, have thanked me many times for the movie. I'm not out to damn anyone for their opinion, but as a fan international film, I sometimes find that my fellow Americans can be a bit too harsh on cinematic works from other cultures.This film should be given a chance by any fan of medieval fantasy.