Last Knights

Its cast aside, Last Knights proves as square and blandly manly as an old “Prince Valiant” comic strip. Mr. Owen’s hairdo and the faint smile edging his lips are more fetching than anything about Val, and the movie’s violence is more explicit than in most vintage comics, but “Knights” also works by combining narrative simplicity with moral certitude and appealing graphics.

The medieval-tinged adventure Last Knights will test your patience for speeches about honor, grim declarations of loyalty and pre-battle glowering.

Last Knights is little more than a dutifully compiled collection of genre conventions, its tale of a group of brave knights seeking vengeance for their fallen leader so undemanding that it’s almost charmingly pedestrian.

It will be hard for audiences to remain even vaguely attentive during this slog of a feudal vengeance tale.

This ponderous drama from director Kazuaki Kiriya quickly gets weighed down by its own blood-drenched armor.

this old-school international hodgepodge production is weighed down by a lumbering humorlessness and a glacial pace that makes it seem far longer than its 115 minutes.

Familiar in its outline but unusual in the details, Last Knights feels like a year’s worth of post-midnight cable TV viewing run through a blender and served warm for your viewing amusement.

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

When the knights rise after the fall of their master. I had a feeling that I know this story from somewhere else like a deja-vu, but more than that I felt it should have been a ninja story than the knight's. So when I checked the crew list and I found the Japanese director who made 'Goemon'. That's not at all, it was indeed a version of the Japanese classical hit 'The Loyal 47 Ronin'. Honestly, I haven't seen that, but have seen the other versions like the Keanu Reeve's recent '47 Ronon' et cetera. It was the story **** of knights led by Raiden played by Clive Owen. After their master was tricked to death by a corrupted minister in the court of law, everyone thinks the knights would avenge for it. But that does not happen and as the years pass, slowly the hope fades away. And then comes a twist with some good action sequences before the end credits roll up. It was a great story, but the transforming it from a ninja tale to a knight's did not give that solid revenge seeking effect. Because the ninja fights are kind of stylish, because the stunt choreography and costumes for ninjas has changed in the present scenario. Whereas the knight's remained same for the decades, that means it was a very normal like a medieval European sword fight. So you can call it a realistic, yet there's a filmy thing which lacks in it. That's fine because the entire film was almost a slow drama. So don't assume it is a complete action film. In that perspective, it will definitely disappoint a few viewers, but I think it is still worth giving a try. The cast and the production were awesome, but still there's something is holding back it to the B movies list than an A. And finally, seeing the way it ended, I think there will be another film to follow. 6/10

With distinct visual style Last Knights is a decent light fantasy flick, although the narrative might feel too familiar and slow. It's odd that a medieval fantasy movie with respectable cast nearly flies off radar. Last Knights is not an epic tale, in fact the plot heavily resembles that of 47 Ronin and considering even Keanu Reeves' journey is inspired by multitude of per-existing works, this plot is unoriginal at best. The pacing is slow, creating a rather bloated runtime. Still, the cast as well as cinematography produce nice atmosphere, especially in latter half, just making Last Knights a moderately enjoyable popcorn flick. Raiden (Clive Owen) is a commander with a dark past, he was taken by his lord Bartok (Morgan Freeman) and granted opportunity to lead the knights. As a man of integrity Bartok openly opposes Minister Gezza Mott (Aksel Hennie), this doesn't end up well for him as he loses his land and riches, amongst other things. Thus the tale of coping and possible vengeance begins. The premise is far too predictable, more so if you have watched 47 Ronin, the screenplay almost mirrors one another. Clive Owen has the rugged commander look, but he doesn't seem engaging. I can't help but seeing the solemn Keanu Reeves' persona as neither of them barely exhibits any meaningful expression. Morgan Freeman is as dependable as ever, he's charismatic and does pretty much what one expected. As for the villain, Aksel Hennie performs admirably. He does seem corrupt, conniving and slightly paranoid. The script gives him ominous vibe that audience would love to hate. Supporting cast is oriented towards the mix of European and Asian, props for the casting department to pull off the eclectic assemble. They also have some experience in action movies and TV shows overall, so it’s not all obscure faces. The setting puts emphasis on hybrid culture, architectures and costumes appear to be from ancient Persia with an oriental touch. It's a quaint atmosphere and presents a few lavish set pieces. Cinematography uses grayish filter for most of these areas and outfits, in exception of certain characters or definitive environment which are more vibrant. While it looks presentable, the plot may deter some audiences. Its script tries to engage with intriguing lines, and it's mildly successful. Unfortunately, the film spends more than half of its runtime stuttering to find its rhythm. This is made worse by the outdated screenplay, the plot devices are not only foreseeable, they are also heavy-handed in execution. The last act fares better as it offers more polished action sequences, although there is no surprise twist to be had here. Last Knights is made from tired elements of the genres, it doesn't do enough for a fascinating spectacle. However, with a presentable graphic and production design, it’s barely sufficient for a light watch.

How people can say that it's a good movie? Maybe it's not awful, but it's bad. When I sarted to watch it, I thought: "Well, it's gonna be a well-made medieval epic movie...", and the film said: "F*%k you, the man-who-is-watching-me! I'm gonna be a political drama with a little bit asian epic film-style action!"... the biggest disappointment of the year.

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]