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'Black Knight' a dull trip to fantasy world
Martin Lawrence in 'Black Knight.'
20th Century Fox/Regency
Go to "Black Knight," expect to do a lot of heavy sighing and checking your watch.
Martin Lawrence plays Jamal, an employee at a dilapidated theme park called "Medieval World." After he sasses the boss, he's sentenced to the dreaded moat-cleaning detail. While fishing trash out of the water, he spies a shiny amulet and falls in as he reaches for it.
When he surfaces, he is in an idyllic lake in the forest and encounters a scruffy man (Tom Wilkinson of "The Full Monty"), whom he naturally mistakes for a street person. It turns out he's in the 14th century, but he doesn't figure that out right away, assuming the castle and people he encounters are part of Castle World, the theme park set up to compete with Medieval World.
The guards at the castle assume he's a messenger from France bringing word of the Duke of Normandy's arrival to marry the king's daughter.
From there comes the requisite fish-out-of-water, stranger-in-a-strange-land series of skits, none of which is funny, unless you're the 4-year-old who was sitting behind me cheering and hooting at Lawrence's funny faces, comic acts of violence and clueless outbursts.
Does it really matter that the amulet signifies membership in an outlaw group planning to assassinate the evil king and restore the rightful but deposed queen to the throne? That the homeless man is Knolte, a legendary knight who was assumed dead after the queen's overthrow? That, of course, Lawrence will somehow best the menacing knight loyal to the despotic king - with the help of a young, beautiful accomplice?
The film trots along with its goofy scenes until it climaxes in an incongruously violent clash between the queen's loyal rebels and the king's forces - kind of a "Braveheart" Extra Lite.
Of course, the evil knight loyal to the king shoots an arrow into Knolte, and Jamal gets revenge by slaying the knight. A host of suspense cliches follow, along with a groaner of a "twist" ending.
The only reason "Black Knight" scores even one star is because Lawrence, despite his inexplicable choosing of this film to showcase his comic talent, is a generally likable and amiable actor.
His personality - and his past successes - will catapult him past this sad imitation of a comedy.
| 'Black Knight' |
Director: Gil Junger
Stars: Martin Lawrence, Tom Wilkinson
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for language, sexual and crude humor, and battle violence
