Nothing really works in this jousting adventure – about a 14th-century squire (Heath Ledger) who pretends to be a knight – although just about everything is tried. Ledger delivers an unironic, Charlton Heston-like performance, the soundtrack is full of campy ’70s rock standards and writer-director Brian Helgeland tries in vain to give the lackluster battle scenes a Gladiator sheen. What’s meant to be eyebrow-raising fun only results in
ridiculousness.
