Medieval movies

Writer: Naseem Randhawa

The latest Medieval movie "Your Highness", stars James Franco and Natalie Portman, which is expected to be due out this year.

Medieval movies; the sub genre of action movies dedicated to all things Middle Aged leads you to think of the Crusades, King Arthur, knights in armour and fierce battles. You certainly won't find King Arthur or Camelot in any of these movies, but these films will definitely provide you a glimpse into the life of the Middle Ages. If you're clueless as to when the actual timeframe for Medieval period is, it's about that point between the fall of Rome and the death of Queen Elizabeth I, or the years 500AD to 1600AD. So, to relive the good old glory days, (or bad, depending on which movie you watch) here's five Medieval themed movies you just have to catch!

Army of Darkness Bruce Campbell plays Ash, the main character of the "Evil Dead" series as well as in its third sequel "Army of Darkness". Unlike the first two movies that were set in modern times, in "Army of Darkness" Ash is sucked through a portal to Medieval times where he has to help the people living in a walled castle to fight evil demons. In true Sam Raimi style, the movie is an overdose of non-stop slapstick laughter. In the movie that is adapted from its Dark Horse comic series of the same name, almost every line Ash utters is quotable. Set in a poverty-stricken Medieval kingdom, Ash injects modern day references and pop culture, which has garnered the odd infusion, a cult status for the movie. Watch as Ash, battles demons, zombie doppelgangers and a skeleton army. Bruce Campbell has to be the king of B-movies and he doesn't disappoint with this Medieval timed twist. For anyone who enjoyed the "Evil Dead" series, you will definitely enjoy this one.

A Knight's Tale Supposedly when "A Knight's Tale" first hit the cinemas, audiences couldn't quite figure it out. This due to the combination of rock music in ancient times that clashed with the knowledge of history. If you make a movie about people in the Medieval period, you'd usually not have crowds singing Queen's "We Will Rock You", and doing ghetto dances. However the movie fared well with the younger audience and the movie is touted as one of the late actor's best movies. Heath Ledger's character, which goes from rags to riches when he joins a jousting competition to impressing a fair maiden (played by Shannyn Sossamon), shines forth wonderfully in this classic tale.

Braveheart This epic movie features the very best of Mel Gibson's character that includes, passion, action, and gore. The story is based on the true historical account of Scotsman William Wallace from childhood to adulthood as he fights to free his country from the oppression of the English. The story that is set against a darker Medieval period is a heavily laden story of love, patriotism, and justice. It is graphically violent and blatantly displays throat cuttings, battle scenes (that has blood literally splashing onto the camera), beheadings and a traitor's head smashed with a wrecking ball. The movie which was also directed by Mel Gibson, took home five academy awards despite the film being Rated R for "Brutal Medieval Warfare."

Beowulf Written around 700 AD and being composed by an anonymous author, "Beowulf" may be one of the richest Medieval times fantasy story ever told. It is one of the first to tell the story of a warrior who went on a perilous quest to fight demons and dragons. In the hands of director Robert Zemeckis and screenwriters Neil Gaiman ("Coraline") and Roger Avary ("Silent Hill"), the story transcends the Old English poem upon which it's based on. The story follows Beowulf, a brave warrior who under the orders of King Hrothgar, slays a gruesome monster called Grendel. There are three groups who are fans of "Beowulf"; those who loved the "Polar Express" (similar creators, same animation), those who have a knack for mythology and legends, and also those who love Angelina Jolie. However despite all that, the real reason to see this movie is because the film is a visually stunning video game adapted for the big screen.

Robin Hood Directed by comedian Mel Brooks, the old story of Robin Hood has been given a fine twist as the witty film showcases Brooks' legacy of wacky, outrageous films following "Spaceballs" and "Dracula: Dead and Loving it". Actor Cary Elwes who plays the golden-hearted bandit, brings hilarious comedic timing to literature's most heroic and stern characters. Popular comedian David Chappelle, who made his acting debut with this movie, brings some 'soul' to the cast with his impersonations of politician Malcolm X and lines such as "awww, white men can't jump!". Cary Elwes's line; "Unlike some other Robin Hoods, I can speak with an English accent!" which poked at the last "Robin Hood" movie as a direct reference to the fact that Kevin Costner as Robin used an American accent. Do give this movie a watch if you're into watching a good Medieval movies with a bunch of laughs without minding the inaccuracies of historical facts all that much.

Notable mentions: "The Count of Monte Christo", "Dragonheart", "Ever After", "Shakespeare in Love", "Monty Python and the Holy Grail"