Ironclad – Bis zum letzten Krieger

Eine erstklassige mittelalterliche Prügelei. Das Einzige, was mir nicht gefallen hat, waren ein paar Momente, die einen gewissen Fernsehcharakter hatten. James Purefoy hat mich nach der Rolle von Solomon Kane wieder begeistert, der exzellente Brian Cox und Paul Giamatti auch. Die einfache Handlung mit dem Thema "der König ist ein Arschloch, aber wenn es uns gelingt, diese Burg zu verteidigen, ist es vielleicht sein Ende" hat sich dank des angenehmen Drehbuchs, das jeder Figur genug Raum gibt, als eine sehr gelungene Geschichte entpuppt, die trotz der zweistündigen Laufzeit nicht langweilig ist. Die Schlachten sind unglaublich hart (z. B. das Halbieren des Barbaren mit einem Zweihänder) und es wird nicht an Blut gespart. Aber nichts passiert nur des Effektes wegen, alles hat hier seinen Platz. Genau wie die, na ja, man kann sagen romantische Handlungslinie. Ein Lob hat nicht nur der Regisseur verdient, sondern auch die gelungene Musik von Lorne Balfe. Vier starke Sterne.__PS: Bei der Szene, in der die Armee der Barbaren während der Belagerung der Burg angefangen hat, etwas aus Holz zu bauen, das groß war und bei der Eroberung der Burg helfen sollte, habe ich gelacht. Daran war aber die Erinnerung an Die Ritter der Kokosnuss von Monty Python schuld. (15.11.2011)

Megashitstain Paul Giamatti (as King John) hires a bunch of Danish mercenaries and, with the Pope’s blessing, sets out to punish everybody who... just everybody. A bunch of guys, who for money or personal reasons don’t agree with the king’s intentions, decide to stand up against him. A solid screenplay, darn good actors and proper butchery full of heads split open, severed limbs and impaled bellies. A shame about the shaky shots during the battles, but as I say, spurting blood and burning pigs raise the standard. In these sequences, Ironclad comes exceedingly close to historical fact. Do you know that when I was child, I once secretly ate every urn of my father's beloved honey peaches. And the next day he brought before me a servant girl that he had accused of the crime. And he placed her hand on the table and he drew his knife... and he delivered the punishment. And that night, unable to contain my shame, I confessed to him that it was I, his son who had committed the crime. But you know what his response to me was? "I know. I know. And that is why I only cut off her finger. You see John, any action against the throne must be punished ruthlessly. For that is the only way to maintain the absolute power of a King." (16.09.2011)

In the last few years there’s been plenty of action films set in the middle ages (or in antiquity) and I can’t say I really enjoyed any of them. Dirty clowns swinging swords around are generally not my cup of tea. What I appreciate in Ironclad  is the uncompromising brutality of a wind up Paul Giamatti and the idea of setting most of the action in a besieged castle. I actually don’t know whether I want to give it thumbs up (3*) or down (2*), I just don’t care. But if you enjoy medieval battles, go for it. (14.07.2011)

Ironclad begins like with the open ending of Scott’s Robin Hood, even in the same vein, so the impression of a "direct sequel" in a low-budget guise is almost complete. Don't expect historical fidelity, but a tedious, bloody romp with cluttered editing. (18.07.2011)

Outrageous carnage. I feel that after Solomon Kane, James Purefoy has devoted himself to the historical “off road” genre for life. That’s not bad, his hero has depth, he's not a fool like in the 2011 remake of Conan the Barbarian, a minimum vocabulary is not harmful at all, quite the opposite. The excellent chemistry between the lead actors is definitely worth mentioning. Well, it can be done without a million words. The action is okay (within the budget), there are several truly wholesome details like a person split in half, and an unusually grand and monumental music for a rather intimate affair with a British feeling (thumbs up). Paul Giamatti overacts and Kate Mara is charming (thumbs up as well). Perhaps a bit more flashy than effective, but in my opinion, it exploits everything that could be done within the genre. (12.11.2011)