Customer Reviews

Sword of the Valiant - The Legend of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(11)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

I've waited for this film to come out on dvd for a long time. I remember first seeing it when I was kid on occaision when it was shown on channel 5 (Washington, DC Fox affiliate). It would be shown every year, and then it stopped airing and I had almost forgotten about it. Well anyway this film tells the tale of Sir Gwain and the Green Knight in a pretty straight forward play of events. The synthesized music was what drew me in even though it's mildly cheesy. This film was overlooked I guess by MST3K but it's really not a bad movie. It's just something to watch while doing laundry. The guy that plays Oswald looks a little too old to be the son of Baron Fortinbras, among other goofy oddities that are in this film. Peter Cushing plays some seemingly gay regent who has some of the best lines in the whole film. Pretty good for the price.

This movie is a view of the ideal medieval knight in the ideal medieval world and his adventures while out on a quest. The movie is one of the strangest to ever come out of the eighties, but also leaves an impression on you. Full of unusual and magical characters, this film is like an Odyssey of the middle ages. Without Sean Connery, I doubt this movie would have ever been viewed. He truly makes this movie as the mischevious enigmatic spirit we call the Green Knight.

Sub-par adaptation of the immortal medieval classic, SIR GAWAIN AND THE GREEN KNIGHT. The high point of the movie comes early, when the mysterious Green Knight (essayed by Sean Connery)barges into King Arthur's court and offers a bizarre behading challenge to the astonished Knights of the Round Table. Only the young Gawain (played by Miles O'Keefe) will accept the challenge and strikes off the Green Knight's head. But to Gawain's amazement the Green Knight picks up his head and puts it back on, and Gawain is honor-bound to offer his own throat to the challenger's axe. The Green Knight gives Gawain a year to prepare and a riddle to solve, however,and for the rest of the movie we follow Gawain's adventures in love & war as he struggles to interpret the riddle and prepare for the final showdown with the Green Knight.

Unfortunately, most of the movie is unremarkable, to say the least. O'Keefe is an acceptable Gawain and you couldn't ask for a better actor to play the Green Knight than Connery, but the lackluster script and direction, combined with what must have been a sorry budget, doom their efforts and those of everyone else involved in the film. Sets and costumes are adequate, but the plot is convoluted and rather boring and not at all faithful to the great source poem. Indeed, much of the plot is apparently inspired by the tale of Gawain's cousin, Yvain, instead. The climax makes little sense and betrays the original tale, while the ending is supposed to be melancholy but just disappoints like so much of the rest of this film. Perhaps worth a look for curiosity's sake or for the very good first act if you don't expect too much.

This movie is best enjoyed with small children or drunks. The premise: A slightly homo-erotic-tailored Sean Connery as the green knight (think armored Zardoz) decides to challenge the nearby king's court to a game of wits and bravery. The challenge is answered by Sir Gawain, Miles O'Keeffe, whose ridiculous 80's hair stretches credulity more than the unicorns and witches. If you're prepared to laugh and enjoy the great overplayed soundtrack this film has to offer, like so many funnier repeats of the 1981 Excalibur, this is a movie for you.

Was dissappointed in this movie. Was actually embarrassed for Sean Connery. It wasn't a role I would have expected he would have accepted. It lacked continuity and was downright boring.

My daughter needed this DVD for school and the library had none. It was mailed so quickly, I was thrilled.

Do not be misled by the cover art. Sean Connery has a relatively small role in this dreadful 1984 adaptation of "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight." Nevertheless, Connery displays far more charisma in his limited footage than the film's wooden star, Miles O'Keeffe. The legendary actor earned a cool $1 million for six days' work on this cheesy Golan-Globus production. Despite Connery's presence, "Sword of the Valiant" never warranted a U.S. theatrical release and made its unceremonious home-video debut in 1985.

Have you ever watched Mystery Science Theater and wondered were do they find such horrible movies to make fun of? Well This could easliy be one of them, the first time I saw this film I'd had a few drinks and my buddy and I were looking for something to watch on T.V. late at night. He was flipping threw the channels and I saw Sean Connery in what appeared to be a green seqence dress with horns coming out of his head??? Yeah, so we had to stay up and watch the whole thing. The story is about a king who is bored with his kingdom and knights and says his knights have no pride nor valor anymore and just as he says this in strolls Sean Connery as I described previously and challenges the kings knights for a feat of courage. Only Brave Sir Gawain, yes you read that right Gawain, Stands up to the challenge he looks like someone straight out of a 80's rock video mabe Poison or Whitesnake. the story goes on and is totaly absurd with magic and sorcery. My Favorite scene is When Brave Sir Gawain is challenged by the evil Black Knight and just as there about to fight the Black Knight rides away, it looks like the horse they used decided to just gallop away and the director didn't feel like saying cut. Then the Black Knight comes back and Anounces Oh We Shall Fight. This movie is only good if your looking for a movie sooo bad you can laugh at it. That's why I had to buy it.

While Sean Connery is only an occasional (although principal) character, no collection would be complete without this film.

Based on an Arthurian (and actually older) legend, it is an entertaining tale of chivalry, knighthood, passage rites, mystic happenings and a bit of the old Gods.

Connery appears as a central figure in the form of the old Celtic Green Man - or as so named in this film, the Green Knight.

Careful not to lose your head! /;)

This movie is a terrible adaptation of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. I never would have spent $17.00 for this pathetic movie, a real waste of time and money.