Rated PG-13 - Running Time: 1:35 - Released 11/21/01
BLACK KNIGHT
Rated PG-13 - Running Time: 1:35 - Released 11/21/01
Black Knight, the medieval fish-out-of-water comedy
starring Martin Lawrence, is proof of my personal theory that
for every one quality film available to the viewing public, there
are at least 10 worthless filler movies made solely to attract
the undistinguished tastes (and dollars) of indiscriminate moviegoers.
Written by Darryl Quarles, Peter Gaulke, and Gerry Swallow, and
directed by TV director Gil Junger, whose only other film to date
has been 1999's 10 Things I Hate
About You, this movie brings new meaning to the word "waste,"
blowing a million dollars' worth of period sets and costumes (which
are easily its most impressive elements), using up tons of film
and equipment and the expertise of industry technicians who could
be put to better use, and wasting an hour and a half of my time,
which I could be using to do something more enjoyable, like trimming
my toenails. Well, it takes that long to really manicure them
properly.
Blending a hollow, sophomoric plot with the energetic yet inconsequential
performance of its star, Black Knight casts Lawrence as
Jamal Walker, a disgruntled employee at a medieval-themed amusement
park in South Central L.A., who falls into the moat and emerges
in 14th-century England. After going through the obligatory period
of thinking everyone's just putting him on, he learns from a comely
young chambermaid named Victoria (Marsha Thomason) that he is
in the court of King Leo (Kevin Conway), a corrupt ruler who usurped
the crown from its rightful owner, the queen. Along with his arrogant
and merciless knight Percival (Vincent Regan), Leo is in the process
of crushing a popular rebellion of which Victoria is a part. So
Jamal, mistaken for a French dignitary and given the royal treatment,
is pressed into service by Victoria to help unseat the cruel monarch.
This movie is about as forgettable as they come. Featuring get-out-of-the-way performances by most of its supporting cast, it allows Lawrence to do more of his "black man surrounded by hostile crackers" schtick, most of which fails to register a chuckle. I don't know which is more tiring—watching Lawrence jump around, groan out Ebonic slogans, and mug for the camera, or watching the rest of the cast members (especially Tom Wilkinson, who plays a friendly but down-on-his-luck knight) try to maintain their dignity. An apt assessment of the film is spoken by one of its characters, who mistakes Jamal for a court jester: "You have to admire his commitment—it's no longer funny, but he refuses to give up on the joke." *½