'Knight's Tale' gets Medieval

"A Knight's Tale" opens with a scene showing joust fans singing 'We Will Rock You' while clapping to the beat and doing the wave. How people in 14th century Europe know the lyrics to the 1977 Queen hit, I'm still not sure. But, despite the corniness of the scene, the crowd was only trying to pump up the movie's audience for one of the most fun, entertaining movies so far this year. \n"A Knight's Tale's" combination of action, romance and quick-witted comedy will leave you grinning. Despite a basic plot, and an idea probably inspired from the success of "Gladiator," "Tale" is victorious in entertaining the audience.\nHeath Ledger ("The Patriot") plays William Thatcher, a lowly peasant squire trying to change his status by impersonating a knight, Ulrich von Lichtenstein. Thatcher battles his way through the ranks of jousting, obliterating all opponents except his arch-nemesis Adhemar (Rufus Sewell, "Dark City"). Adhemar and Thatcher wage war both in jousting and in love as they compete for the hand of a Danish noblewoman, Jocelyn (newcomer Shannyn Sossamon).\nThatcher splits his winnings with his helpers Geoffrey, Wat and Roland. The three men provide the comedic aspect of "A Knight's Tale." Chaucer, a herald played by Paul Bettany, is the final thread holding this movie together. His rantings and exaggerations lay the groundwork for the funniest scenes of the movie.\nJousting is the main action attraction in "A Knight's Tale," and the movie does a great job at making you feel the blows that Thatcher hands to his opponents. The sound and visual effects are excellent, and enhance every direct hit. The only problem is you can't tell which knight is Thatcher in most of the jousting scenes; he's only recognized by his men running to him after a joust.\nLedger is a good leading man for "Knight's Tale." He could someday become a big leading man in Hollywood, as anyone who makes women hot and has an ounce of acting ability usually becomes. Ledger should be mentioned one day with Mel Gibson and Russell Crowe as Australia's most famous actor products. Bettany turns in a great comedic performance, while Shannyn Sossamon is the weakest link of this good cast.\nBy no means is "Knight's Tale" a cinematic masterpiece. Some scenes might seem cheesy and dumb. But overall this flick is a fun, feel-good movie you should enjoy watching.