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A Knight's Tale Blu-ray Review |
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A Knight's Tale Blu-ray
Sony Pictures | 2001 | 132 mins | Rated PG-13 | Sep 19, 2006
A Knight's Tale Blu-ray ReviewSans extras, this Blu-ray release of 'A Knight's Tale' delivers a decent technical presentation.Reviewed by Martin Liebman, December 8, 2009 If the nobles find out who you are there will be the devil to pay. Hand it to Writer/Director Brian Helgeland (Writer, The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3; Director, Payback: Straight Up) for thinking outside the box, even when the general outline for his 2001 motion picture A Knight's Tale is a hard-rock, free-flowing, but otherwise standard rags-to-riches tale. Starring the late Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight), A Knight's Tale is a fine example of competent but not necessarily essential or particularly memorable cinema, even considering Helgeland's unique approach to the story and its era. The film is more of a curiosity than it is a success, but credit it for daring to break from the monotony of Hollywood and at least attempt to inject some originality and verve into a basic cinematic motif. Daring to be different -- no matter how goofy or out of place the results may be -- deserves kudos in this age of remakes, re-tellings, sequels, prequels, and material that borrows heavily from other media.
Jousting has solidified itself as a favorite sport in medieval times, and while nobles and peasants alike cheer on their favorite combatants, only those of noble blood may participate on the field of battle. That's all about to change when young William (Ledger) dons the armor of a recently-deceased jouster and fights in his stead. With the help of his companions Roland (Mark Abby, The Full Monty), Wat (Alan Tudyk, Serenity), and the famed poet Jeffrey Chaucer (Paul Bettany, Firewall) who forges for William a falsified "Patents of Nobility," the commoner competes in more events and quickly rises to the top of the sport and earns a throng of adoring fans. He soon finds himself drawn to the rich and royal Jocelyn (Shannyn Sossamon, One Missed Call), much to the chagrin of true nobleman Adhemar (Rufus Sewell, The Legend of Zorro), beginning a rivalry between the men both in the jousting ring and for the young lady's heart. With his skill and popularity on the rise, it seems that only the untimely exposure of his true roots as a simple peasant could knock William off his high horse. A Knight's Tale opens innocently enough, beginning with something of a lighthearted swagger that suggests the movie is shooting for some off-the-cuff, none-too-serious sort of tone but in the midst of a definite period piece that boasts strong production values and solid acting. All is well, good, and as-expected until...Queen's We Will Rock You suddenly begins blaring through the speakers; not only is it overlaid atop the film, but the crowd itching to witness the latest joust breaks out in accompanying song and dance. For those going into A Knight's Tale blindly, it's a jolting experience to be sure, on the same level as the as introduction of more modern technology in Judy Taymor's Titus or the sudden twist in Robert Rodriguez's From Dusk Till Dawn that takes that film from chilling kidnapping picture to grotesque Vampire outing. The film's collection of songs seem more appropriate to be heard pouring from stadium speakers at Heinz Field during a Steelers-Browns matchup; nevertheless, the aforementioned We Will Rock You, in addition to Low Rider, Taking Care of Business, and The Boys are Back in Town, for instance, all manage to integrate into the film well enough to the point that, after the first few "jolts," they settle into the theme and style of the picture and never really cause much of a distraction. Speaking of the picture's theme, it's rather basic. Following a standard three-part structure that sees the rise, success, and possible failure of a hero of lesser origins, A Knight's Tale conveys a story of spiritual, mental, and romantic growth, and the perseverance to prevail even in the face of challenging circumstances and a world not ready to accept a break from the norm. Indeed, A Knight's Tale is a blunt metaphor for bucking the system, following dreams, and proving that being a good and honorable man isn't about blood, titles, or birthrights, but rather strength of spirit, character, and the path a man -- not society -- chooses for himself. At its center, A Knight's Tale reinforces its thematic structure through a series of flashbacks to William's youth that aren't necessary to the story-at-large but do lend to it some appreciated weight. The material comes together slowly but surely as the story progresses, the culmination doing well to pull, but not yank, on the heartstrings, and such a subtle approach allows the film to venture into something of a deeper and more meaningful element without necessarily breaking away from the joviality and lighthearted nature of the picture. Indeed, the emotional core is more an asset to the picture than a hindrance, and even with a runtime that exceeds two hours, neither this nor any other element of the film slows it down to a point where the pacing suffers. More superficially, A Knight's Tale makes for solid but not necessarily rousing entertainment. The jousting segments and the verbal duel between William and Adhemar are nicely played, and both Heath Ledger and Rufus Sewell play the parts with a serious overtone but a subtle yet noticeable lighter underbelly that injects just the right amount of verve to the parts. Additionally, A Knight's Tale features a stellar supporting cast, each player a benefit to a script that's not particularly strong but certainly witty, and their ability to so effortlessly convey the wink-and-a-nod mentality of the production is, perhaps, the film's greatest strength. Alan Tudyk, Mark Addy, and Paul Bettany all contribute to the film's tongue-in-cheek overtone, and each actor appears suitably pleased to be playing in the film and, perhaps more importantly, game for its somewhat unique style. Director Brian Helgeland gets the most out of what is otherwise a ten-minute story, and his ability to spread it out without the picture overstaying its welcome -- particularly considering its relatively long length for a picture of this sort -- proves his mettle as both a writer and a filmmaker. His action scenes well done and the more dramatic and comedic elements handled with equal grace, his and his casts' contributions make A Knight's Tale a stronger film than it likely deserves to be. Video  A Knight's Tale gallops onto Blu-ray with a good but slightly underwhelming 1080p, MPEG-2 encoded, 2.35:1-framed transfer. The transfer offers solid levels of detail and a bright, crisp color palette, and while the image is both at-a-glance and upon closer examination superior in every regard to its standard DVD counterpart, it never reaches the same level of excellence as most of Sony's transfers of a more recent vintage. The abundant array of colors is the film's most standout visual trait, and it's also the Blu-ray disc's strongest attribute. From the lush outdoor greens to the earthen tones of the dirt jousting tracks and all the many hues found throughout the transfer and in-between, the 1080p encode handles them well. Detail is solid across the board as well; every dent in armor, fine texture in wood grain, and grime on peasant clothing is nicely rendered. Nevertheless, the print exhibits plenty of noticeable but not necessarily distracting or deal-breaking artifacts. Additionally, grain is minimal, but the transfer appears just the slightest bit artificial with a slight digital feel to it. Blacks and flesh tones are generally stable and true. This is good transfer all around but not as nicely rendered as some of the best transfers Sony is known for. Audio  A Knight's Tale trots onto Blu-ray with a nicely presented PCM 5.1 uncompressed soundtrack. From the more raucous crowd scenes to the most delicate atmospherics, this track handles everything asked of it with relative ease. As to the latter, listeners will often feel immersed within the cozy confines of various outdoor locales; buzzing insects, a gently flowing stream, chirping birds, and a light breeze all work in conjunction to create a pleasant and wonderfully lifelike ambience. In contrast, the more aggressive musical numbers -- and the modern Rock beats in particular -- enjoy a full and room-filling presentation. Making extensive use of the surround channels, the people's in-rhythm chanting, clapping, and stomping -- not to mention the guitar licks to follow -- as demonstrated during We Will Rock You are heard and felt all around the soundstage, all delivered with a pristine clarity. Dialogue reproduction is strong in every instance, and even voices heard inside a cavernous chapel in chapter three gently echo throughout the soundstage, effectively placing the listener amidst the cold and gray stone walls. Bass gallops into the track from time to time, the stomping of the horses participating in the jousts delivering a particularly satisfying low end. All told, A Knight's Tale makes for a solid sonic experience in every regard. Supplements  No extras are included. Final words  Not a great but a surprisingly decent and above-average picture, A Knight's Tale isn't for all tastes but audiences willing to completely suspend disbelief and accompany the film's characters on Writer/Director Brian Helgeland's medieval Rock journey just might be pleasantly surprised with the results. Regardless of one's reaction to the picture, there's no denying the film's valiant effort to buck the system and offer something fairly unique to an otherwise rather stale stable of motion pictures that follow formula through and through and year after year. With a good cast and solid direction, A Knight's Tale's flaws are often overshadowed by the film's jovial tone and different approach to an old story. Sony's Blu-ray disc is one of the earlier releases in the format's life. The MPEG-2 encoded 1080p picture isn't quite up to par with the studio's more recent efforts, but it's a bright and colorful outing that should please most viewers. A strong uncompressed soundtrack is another highlight, but fans will be disappointed by the complete absence of bonus materials. A Knight's Tale is an easy candidate for a potential future double dip, and until then, the occasional rental or purchase at a bargain-basement price of this featureless release should tide fans over. 
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