at least if you are not really into pain. Or with the Scavenger's daughter, the Scold's bridle and the Iron Maiden, they couldn't hurt quite as much as watching this insipid movie. It is based on one idea, one really simple idea: Put actors into a medieval setting, but let them talk and basically act like contemporary TV characters. You can take an old script that was too bland to even use it for a TV soap, change the parts to king, princess, knight and troubadour. That's all. Imagine the men's stupid hairdos that make them look like hillbillies - and what's funnier than that. Don't overdo it like those Monty Python guys, using gags and stuff. The viewers are already laughing about the hairdos, don't over-strain them.
That is no exaggeration. The dialog and the storyline are extremely dull. How did the writers manage it to get their script accepted? With no images to distract from the trite content this seems to be an impossible task. Yet they succeeded. They probably put an image of a medieval hairdo on every single page.
Though "1 1/2 Ritter" is an intellectual disaster, the lack of money hasn't been the problem here. The art department's work looks alright. There are lots of well known German actors - acting stupid. Is this the most embarrassing role poor iconic Udo Kier ever agreed to stain himself with? Probably not. It's still a pity. The most dignified acting is delivered by Dieter Hallervorden, who's been infamous for his silly comedies in the Eighties. Compared to "Zeroes" comedies like "1 1/2 Ritter" they don't look half bad. A good thing for Mr. Hallervorden, annoying for nearly everybody else.
The only thing remotely interesting about this movie is the startling lack of any redeeming qualities and therefore the question: How could this happen?
