Movielogr
Ironclad (2011)
Directed by Jonathan English
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Overview
In the year 1215, the rebel barons of England have forced their despised King John to put his royal seal on the Magna Carta, a seminal document that upheld the rights of free men. Yet within months of pledging himself to the great charter, the King reneged on his word and assembled a mercenary army on the south coast of England with the intention of bringing the barons and the country back under his tyrannical rule. Barring his way stood the mighty Rochester castle, a place that would become the symbol of the rebel’s momentous struggle for justice and freedom.
Rated R | Length 121 minutes
Actors
James Purefoy | Kate Mara | Jason Flemyng | Paul Giamatti | Brian Cox | Derek Jacobi | Charles Dance | Aneurin Barnard | Jamie Foreman | Mackenzie Crook | Rhys Parry Jones | Vladimir Kulich | David Melville | Annabelle Apsion | Steffan Rhodri | Daniel O'Meara | Bree Condon | Guy Siner | Marcus Hoyland | John Pierce Jones | Jeff Jones | Ceri Mears | Kenneth Collard | Wyn Bowen Harries | Dewi Williams | John Weldon | Laura Sibbick | Edward Manning | Simon Nader | Steve Purbrick | Peter Bartfay | Dan Burman | Ian M. Court | David Harkus | Gerald Royston Horler | Rhys Horler | Rhi Louise | Stuart Mager | Christian Morgan | Stevie Raine | Carlton Venn
Viewing History (seen 1 time)
| Date Viewed | Device | Format | Source | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 07/27/2011 | TV | Blu-ray | Owned | 3.5 stars |
| (Average) 3.5 stars |
Viewing Notes
The Medieval actioner IRONCLAD is a true example of a movie overcoming it’s low budget to bring epic and well staged action to the screen. This exercise is far more successful than last year’s “Romans-on-a-mission” flick CENTURION.
Where Neil Marshall relied heavily on CGI blood & gore in CENTURION, IRONCLAD’s writer/director stages some intense battles while not compromising the practical gore and splatter.
While this flick is not going to win any script writing awards, the story is serviceable. One dimensional characters are rounded out by great character actors like Brian Cox and a slew of “Oh, hey! That guy!” actors. James Purefoy is playing on the same note he did in SOLOMON KANE (badass soldier with religious faith issues) and he gets the job done.
A handful of actors bring more to each character than what the script brought, I’m sure. The main example of this is Paul Giamatti as the evil King John. He’s unchained, ridiculous and awesome.
IRONCLAD is a fun, medieval romp with plenty of action, simple story and minimal CGI. It does have some pacing issues, underdeveloped heroes, and a dumb “love story” woven in. The negative is outweighed by the sheer entertainment the rest of the movie brings. It’s a shoestring epic done right.
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