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I gave it three stars but it's more like two and a half. It's watchable but not exceptional. My three ultimate top all time movies are "Doctor Zhivago" , Lawrence of Arabia, and Patton. That is the triumvirate representing the standard by which I judge all other movies. Ironclad is a long way from the quality of the triumvirate. Ironclad is set in 13th Century England after King John's forced signing of the Magna Carta. The movie suffers from some miscasting. Paul Giamatti is a good actor but doesn't seem to fit the role of King John to me. It was awkward at best. Case in point ; take for example the brilliant casting of Roger McGoohan as Edward Longshanks in Braveheart. McGoohan actually 'was' Longshanks ; without a doubt. Unfortunately you don't get that feeling from Giamatti as King John. The hero character is quiet, brooding Knights Templar fresh from the Holy Land. Oddly the Knights Templar are characterized as being super human medieval hit men. Ironclad credits itself with being "The best battle scenes since Lord of the Rings and 'A brutal Exhilarating film : Seven Samurai meets Braveheart." What is brutal is the acting (or lack thereof) and it is nowhere near 'Seven Samurai' or 'Braveheart' by any stretch. It does however have an adequate if not great battle scene(s) and why do people buy these kind of films ? The battle scenes of course. I believe Alexander, King Arthur, and Kingdom of Heaven all came out between Lord of the Rings and Ironclad ; all with superior battle scenes and all being better movies overall. The 13th Century is not my field of historic expertise so I couldn't tell you if there are any historical inaccuracies. I'd say nothing blatant unless you want to count the fact that by the time of the Magna Carta the Crusades had been over for some time and the last Crusade was not scheduled for some time after the Magna Carta. All that being said ; I must, however, commend the choreographer of the battle scenes in the castle siege scenes. The more realistic the violence the better and the battle portion of Ironclad delivers on that. The movie that comes to mind when I think about a comparison is "The Rose and the Sword" with Rutger Hauer and Jennifer Jason Leigh because it somewhat accurately portrays life in the (late) Middle Ages. Ironclad reminds me of 'The Rose and the Sword' not because of any similarity it might have but because of what it lacks . Ironclad needed a Rutger Hauer. None of the characters really stick out as being phenomenal to watch therefore the strength of the movie has to rely on the battle scenes. If it were virtually deplete of battle scenes like the movie "ARN" it would suffer the fate of not being included in my collection. I added Ironclad as movies of this period don't come around that often. We grab them if they have any merit at all. Ironclad is not Braveheart. King Arthur does have the best battle scene I've seen. Ironclad does have good costuming and realistic scenery: The castle for instance. It would have benefited from a darker atmosphere. By comparison; Ironclad ; is not an epic classic and doesn't hold a candle to King Arthur for example much less the a really great movie like Lawrence of Arabia or Casablanca. It is not in a class with those. If you are a connoisseur of good battle scenes and can tolerate sitting through all the fluff in the way of getting to the battle scene then Ironclad is worth a try.Read full review
Great historical rendition with excellent acting by Brian Cox, Paul Giamatti and James Purefoy. Quick, but accurate depiction of period castle siege warfare. Sprinkle in the addition of hot little Kate Mara and what’s not to love??
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
One of my favorite movies but very hard to find! This copy is perfect and I wish I could find more of the same! Thank you arrived early and very good quality!!!
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
Prelude to the story, England in the year 1215 has been under the reign of King John for 16 yrs. The most villainous of England's monarchs, John was renowned for losing wars with France, levying crippling taxes, and sleeping with the wives of barons. The barons finally rebelled against their King, and became locked in a bloody civil war that would last 3 years, and decimate both armies. In time, the Knights Templer were drawn into this conflict; with the help of these highly trained warrior monks, King John and his royal army were eventually defeated. It was agreed that John could remain on the throne on one condition; that he would sign a document upholding the rights and privileges of all free men, which ultimately limited the power of the monarchy. The Magna Carta was sealed at Runnymede on the 15th of June, in the year of our Lord 1215 A.D. It will be remembered throughout history; what is not remembered is what King John did next. King John would make a bargain with Denmark to employ 1,000 Danish mercenaries under command of Captain Tiberius to reclaim England for John. Probably the best 13th century medieval portrayal of life in the early middle ages. The ultimate portrayal of King John goes to (Paul Giamatti); my favorite part was with his long violent yet passionate rant about the line and divinity of kings and the noble order and lineage of Aquitaine. For the most part, if you like blood and gore, and you like to see limbs hacked off, then this movie is a definite must for you. And it's nice to see that finally there is a director who knows medieval history.Read full review
If you have a taste for history and the medieval period, and if you like true stories, you will probably enjoy this movie. It is a good quality production with a fine cast and it was well written. I was pretty well hooked in the first 10 or 15 minutes. I would recommend this picture.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
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