Synopsis: In 13th-century England, a small group led by a Templar Knight (James Purefoy) fight to defend Rochester Castle against the tyrannical and sadistic King John (Paul Giamatti).There are quite a few things about this film that are really derivative and predictable. OK, maybe more than a few. Few against many, forbidden love, ridiculous strategic moves by the antagonist... but if you like brutal medieval violence, this is a film for you. It's got violence by the buckets.
The cast is very good, with James Purefoy reliable as ever in the main role and the same for Paul Giamatti. The supporting actors are also very likable with Kate Mara as the sexy female and plenty of good roles by others in the respective fight camps. The fight choreography and cinematography are both solid too and it feels like a major release more than the small budget film it actually is.
There are some sequences of too much boring yakity-yak between the bloodshed, but there's enough brutal, bloody violent action to more than make up for it. Arms and legs are hacked and chopped off at an alarming pace as blunt force objects, sharp objects, fire and even catapults are used against the human body. Squeamish? Stay away. This is physical, graphic and brutal.
7/10
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