Although I like to privately imagine myself still of that age group acceptably dubbed ‘fanboys,’ I’m probably a bit older than most to be a true card-carrying variety.
Like so many of them, I’ve always loved film – I have tremendous respect for almost any picture that gets churned out by the studios or the indie type. I’ve always been drawn to SciFi, Fantasy, Horror, and generally quirky features which fanboys everywhere tend to worship. I’ve noticed as of late, though, that the older I grow the less inclined I am to give some of the usual fare as much freedom to play fast and loose with what is honestly entertaining.
So … ten years ago, I might’ve laughed myself silly over something as light and superficial as Knights Of Badassdom. But today? Well, today I’ll smile about some of the more successful elements, but I still find myself cringing over screen stuff that’s just callously overblown … which is more than this film should’ve done.
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last three paragraphs for my final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“Live-action role players conjure up a demon from Hell by mistake, and they must deal with the consequences.”
Down on his luck in a dead-end job and recently dumped by his girlfriend, Joe (played with his textbook golly-gee assurance by Ryan Kwanten) finds himself stoned and dragged by his two besties – Eric (the always watchable Steve Zahn) and Hung (Peter Dinklage) – to a medieval LARP (Live Action Role Players) weekend festivity meant to cleanse the kingdoms of evil. The problem is – as explained in the premise – that Eric has accidentally released an authentic demon into the wilds with a spell from an all-new book he’s found. His mistake will require the team to join forces with Gwen (genre favorite Summer Glau), her cousin Gunther (Brett Gipson), and a few others in order to stay alive, experience a short life of adventure, and heroically vanquish the beast.
A few decades back, I can remember penning a review for Bill And Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989). I fondly recall what I wrote, much of it being that there’s a wealth of charm in any scripted idea that surrounds a group of lovable nitwits and plunks them into a situation requiring them to step up, do the right thing, and save the world in the process. It’s that same charm that fuels quite a bit of Knights Of Badassdom’s first half (what I’d term the better half); but once the bloodletting starts and the real bodies pile up, those warm fuzzies kinda/sorta vanish quickly. This tone change causes the picture to splinter into something vastly different all too abruptly, and it never quite recovers.
Like so many of them, I’ve always loved film – I have tremendous respect for almost any picture that gets churned out by the studios or the indie type. I’ve always been drawn to SciFi, Fantasy, Horror, and generally quirky features which fanboys everywhere tend to worship. I’ve noticed as of late, though, that the older I grow the less inclined I am to give some of the usual fare as much freedom to play fast and loose with what is honestly entertaining.
So … ten years ago, I might’ve laughed myself silly over something as light and superficial as Knights Of Badassdom. But today? Well, today I’ll smile about some of the more successful elements, but I still find myself cringing over screen stuff that’s just callously overblown … which is more than this film should’ve done.
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last three paragraphs for my final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“Live-action role players conjure up a demon from Hell by mistake, and they must deal with the consequences.”
Down on his luck in a dead-end job and recently dumped by his girlfriend, Joe (played with his textbook golly-gee assurance by Ryan Kwanten) finds himself stoned and dragged by his two besties – Eric (the always watchable Steve Zahn) and Hung (Peter Dinklage) – to a medieval LARP (Live Action Role Players) weekend festivity meant to cleanse the kingdoms of evil. The problem is – as explained in the premise – that Eric has accidentally released an authentic demon into the wilds with a spell from an all-new book he’s found. His mistake will require the team to join forces with Gwen (genre favorite Summer Glau), her cousin Gunther (Brett Gipson), and a few others in order to stay alive, experience a short life of adventure, and heroically vanquish the beast.
A few decades back, I can remember penning a review for Bill And Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989). I fondly recall what I wrote, much of it being that there’s a wealth of charm in any scripted idea that surrounds a group of lovable nitwits and plunks them into a situation requiring them to step up, do the right thing, and save the world in the process. It’s that same charm that fuels quite a bit of Knights Of Badassdom’s first half (what I’d term the better half); but once the bloodletting starts and the real bodies pile up, those warm fuzzies kinda/sorta vanish quickly. This tone change causes the picture to splinter into something vastly different all too abruptly, and it never quite recovers.
Thematically – much like I wrote with Bill And Ted – these characters are your classic, Grade-A knuckleheads. Real life offers them very little reward or attention, so they’ve understandably embraced the alternatives that role-playing offers them: a chance at individual and collective greatness. As LARPers, they’re committed to achieving more and more skills, to acquiring more and more power they can put to use within the game; and, on that level, each of them is not only understandable but also highly relatable. Their choice – and their respective character arcs – make perfect sense. The audience is drawn to them, in part, because they’re clueless but it’s an inviting and amiable cluelessness – an existence everyone can revere. It’s precisely Eric and Hung’s winning affinity that pushes them to bring Joe into their world: they know that this release from the pain of day-to-day life can bring rewards, and that’s something he definitely needs.
However, once the succubus is loose and roaming the countryside – erm, city park – the film starts to gravitate heavily toward bloodshed. The first few unfortunate victims are dispatched with joy – an almost tongue-in-cheek, winking-at-the-camera hokeyness; once an important death is delivered with bloody surprise, that’s when Badassdom lost its charm for me. Granted, director Joe Lynch went to great pains to try and recover it, but it just never felt right after that moment.
I know those fellow fanboys of mine out there will be disappointed with this review, but I have to call ‘em like I see ‘em. Maybe that makes me a curmudgeon. Maybe that makes me a fuddy-duddy. Even worse, maybe that makes me … old? Still, I expected an awful lot more due to this film’s long-lasting internet buzz as well as the wealth of acting talent up on the screen.
A disappointment, yes, but not a disaster.
Knights Of Badassdom (2013) is produced by IndieVest Pictures and North by Northwest Entertainment. DVD distribution (for this particular release) is being handled by E One Entertainment (aka Entertainment One). As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I still found this is one smartly manufactured piece of mirth, and it offers up some quality sights and sounds – there’s even a handful of practical effects (splatter and gore variety) that are quite good, while some of the brief CGI-style stuff leaves a bit to be desired. If it’s special features you’re interested in, then you have a solid handful to anticipate: besides the usual behind-the-scenes stuff, there are some good interviews with the cast, a celebration of Summer Glau’s “hotness,” and even a San Diego Comic Con panel. Not too shabby.
Mildly recommended.
I won’t hide my disappointment with Knights Of Badassdom (2013). This flick has had an incredible shelf-life so far as entertainment websites are concerned. Having read so much unadulterated praise about this thing and its central performances, I honestly expected more laughs and even bigger moments from it than what was delivered. It musters some occasional charm – much of it in the first half – but so very much of its misplaced violence is probably why this cult flick struggled for so long to find a legitimate distributor. In this era of PC-correctness, there’s an awful lot in here some folks might find objectionable. My advice – always remember it’s a cult flick, and you should do fine with it.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at E One Entertainment (aka Entertainment One) provided me with an advance DVD copy by request for the expressed purposes of completing this review.
-- EZ
However, once the succubus is loose and roaming the countryside – erm, city park – the film starts to gravitate heavily toward bloodshed. The first few unfortunate victims are dispatched with joy – an almost tongue-in-cheek, winking-at-the-camera hokeyness; once an important death is delivered with bloody surprise, that’s when Badassdom lost its charm for me. Granted, director Joe Lynch went to great pains to try and recover it, but it just never felt right after that moment.
I know those fellow fanboys of mine out there will be disappointed with this review, but I have to call ‘em like I see ‘em. Maybe that makes me a curmudgeon. Maybe that makes me a fuddy-duddy. Even worse, maybe that makes me … old? Still, I expected an awful lot more due to this film’s long-lasting internet buzz as well as the wealth of acting talent up on the screen.
A disappointment, yes, but not a disaster.
Knights Of Badassdom (2013) is produced by IndieVest Pictures and North by Northwest Entertainment. DVD distribution (for this particular release) is being handled by E One Entertainment (aka Entertainment One). As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I still found this is one smartly manufactured piece of mirth, and it offers up some quality sights and sounds – there’s even a handful of practical effects (splatter and gore variety) that are quite good, while some of the brief CGI-style stuff leaves a bit to be desired. If it’s special features you’re interested in, then you have a solid handful to anticipate: besides the usual behind-the-scenes stuff, there are some good interviews with the cast, a celebration of Summer Glau’s “hotness,” and even a San Diego Comic Con panel. Not too shabby.
Mildly recommended.
I won’t hide my disappointment with Knights Of Badassdom (2013). This flick has had an incredible shelf-life so far as entertainment websites are concerned. Having read so much unadulterated praise about this thing and its central performances, I honestly expected more laughs and even bigger moments from it than what was delivered. It musters some occasional charm – much of it in the first half – but so very much of its misplaced violence is probably why this cult flick struggled for so long to find a legitimate distributor. In this era of PC-correctness, there’s an awful lot in here some folks might find objectionable. My advice – always remember it’s a cult flick, and you should do fine with it.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at E One Entertainment (aka Entertainment One) provided me with an advance DVD copy by request for the expressed purposes of completing this review.
-- EZ
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