Valerio

Robin Hood meets King Arthur, as performed by the Batley Townswomen's Guild?

The film is ludicrously bad, in too many ways to list. However, the leading actors give it their all, and they have nothing to be ashamed of.

The result is surprisingly enjoyable, and I might even watch it again on another day when my brain (like King Arthur at the start of the film) needs a complete rest.

Other than that, I have nothing to add to the reviews by Jonathan Dabell and Paul Round, which are both spot-on.

I forget the details of the novel, so can't comment on the quality of the adaptation. The characterisation was not deep, so I expect something was lost there: every character was easily identifiable with s single foible or virtue, and I found this rather annoying. But the dramatic weakness made for good comedy. Similarly double-edged was the handling of the plot: every development was so clearly signalled that there wasn't the slightest possibility of anyone in the audience getting lost - not even me, and I too frequently get lost in the plots of films! But again it made it all seem rather superficial. Apart from these criticisms, though, I thought it was well-nigh perfect: not a classic, but a delightfully amusing and vivid period piece, which I would watch again with pleasure. Brilliant performances by all the cast, and handled with a sure touch by the entire production team.