Why Did I Buy A KNIGHT'S TALE Again?

What's it About: A peasant takes the place of a dead knight in a jousting tournament and gets a taste for glory. He travels the country in an attempt to win tournaments and the heart of a beautiful woman.

Why I Bought it in the First Place: It was a pretty good movie, I liked it well enough and it was $3 at Half Price Books.

What I Think of it Now: It's actually quite enjoyable, though it's far from a perfect movie. The main problem I have with this movie is that it's just super long. At about two hours and fifteen minutes it takes up a sizable portion of your evening. The thing is, I'm not even that sure what could be cut. It's long, but it's also very dense. Another issue is that it never quite makes it. Let me explain. It's never quite funny enough to be a comedy. It's never quite romantic enough to be a romance. The thing it does best is being a sports movie, which I think it was it was originally going for. It almost feels like the other elements, especially the love story, were added after the fact. Because of this, the movies strongest point, the sports scenes, feel watered down.

It might sound like I really didn't like this movie much, but the  truth is, I really like it. Especially Paul Bettany as Chaucer. He adds a sense of humor to the film that it seems to be lacking in other areas. He is very funny and has two speeches that will go down as some of the best in the movies. Heath Ledger is also very enjoyable to watch. He plays a very believable peasant turned jouster. As the emotional center of the movie, he keeps the audience engaged in what's happening.

One of the more interesting aspects of this movie, and one that many people dislike, is the films use of a "modern" soundtrack over scenes taking place in the Middle Ages. I actually really enjoy this. I believe the director said in the commentary that the use of classic rock was supposed to mirror the change in attitude happening at the time and to bring the movie closer to the audience watching. I think it works perfectly.

Will I be Keeping It: This one I think I will. I only paid $3 for it, so if this is a matter of entertainment to cost, it's a very good deal.