AKA When Templars Attack!
The plot: It's 1215, and King John of England is disgusted by the fact that he has been coerced into signing the Magna Carta, a document which renounced certain royal authorities and gave the 'free man' more rights than had ever previously been allowed.
In a tyrannical reign of terror, we join the fracas as King John is in the midst of attempting to execute all Magna Carta sympathisers in a bid to seize back total power and declare the document null and void.
Step forth a motley gang of rebels led by Albany (Brian Cox) determined that the law should pass, and with the French on their side who are just as eager to oust King John as those over whom he rules.
Albany and his men take Rochester Castle, booting out King John's loyal Danish soldiers before fortifying the castle in preparation for King John's attack, knowing that all they need do is hold out until the French arrive and victory will be theirs.
Gritty and violent, this is an interesting movie, though not altogether successful.
The dialogue is a strange mix of Ye Olde Worlde with the occasional modern turn of phrase, in particular the use of conjunctions.
The battle sequences, though well choreographed and ferociously gory are undermined somewhat by the directorial decision to adopt the 'shaky-cam' approach, rendering much of the mayhem virtually unwatchable, which is a shame as the bits that could be discerned were fiery indeed.
With a veritable cavalcade of fine British actors, including the omniscient Derek Jacobi in fare such as this, the scenery chewing is set to max, with Paul Giamatti as King John, Brian Cox and the aforementioned Jacobi trying to out-thesp one another throughout.
Though hardly Earth-shattering, and adding little to the genre, this nevertheless passed a couple of hours rather efficiently and, were it not for the annoying directorial style of the battle scenes, this would have rated one point higher.
Decent.
3 out of 5
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