Ironclad - Unexpectedly competent, sometimes rousing straight-to-disc release that features some of the bloodiest, goriest Medieval battle scenes played out on film since Braveheart- there are some shots in here that are outright gruesome. Several small doses of humor helps to balance the experience. The excellent production values are probably what surprised me the most.
James Purefoy (HBO's Rome) is a believable Knights Templar hero while Kate Mara (Shooter- I've always had a thing for her) does a solid job of looking pretty and speaking with an English accent :). Paul Giamatti, as the brutal King John, and the always wonderful Brian Cox are great in every scene they're in. Jason Flemyng, Derek Jacobi and Charles Dance are some of the other actors therein that you might recognize.
Negatives- Purefoy's a little too silent throughout, some supporting characters are a bit too threadbare and there's quite a bit of creative license apparent as far as history is concerned. That said, this is one of those "movies for guys who like movies" type of action films that us cro-magnons don't get to enjoy but every so often. It's a solid action entry with extreme grit. It makes the crappy The Eagle (starring some shithead underwear model) look like inept child's play. --
7.5
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