Sir Walter Scott's Ivanhoe
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Movie Reviews of Sir Walter Scott's Ivanhoe
Movie Review: The worst book-to-movie adaptation I've ever seen!
Summary: 1 Stars
(Written by my wife before she got her own Amazon account.)
This movie is good only for its depiction of the midieval period. However, as an adaptation of a classic novel, it is absolutely terrible and utterly disappointing. I loved the BBC's Pride and Prejudice, but what they did to Ivanhoe was a massacre. The plot was changed in so many, UNJUSTIFIABLE ways that they completely took the spirit of the book away. They added a little too much murderous intrigue and too much physical romance between Rebecca and Ivanhoe. That, and while I liked Susan Lynch for her acting, she really didn't look the part of the drop-dead gorgeous Jewess she was supposed to be. (Rowena, however, was pleasantly much prettier than the cover pictures show her to be.)
Overall, the book was an awesome story and needed very little alterations. The BBC took a dependable title and made their own story up, destroying the real Ivanhoe and everything in it. I was disappointed over and over again as I wasted six hours of my life on this movie, and I was relieved when the movie was over.
Movie Review: Ivanhoe Goes To War
Summary: 1 Stars
Ivanhoe is a classic story, loved by children and grown-ups alike. By what misguided arrogance do screenwriters think they can write a better story than the original author? The attempt to introduce new motivations for the characters leads to a plot full of holes and empty of the delight and careful craftsmanship of Sir Walter Scott's book. The tenor of the film is monotonously angry and the battle scenes are a tedious, cheesy hacking and hacking. The male roles look and act so alike that one cannot tell them apart. The last scene with Eleanor from A Lion in Winter has nothing to do with anything and disconnects both John and Richard from the characters they have played all through the rest of the movie. If you like Ivanhoe, reread the book. If you do decide to buy this, do yourself a favor, at least, and fast-forward the battle scenes. You won't miss a thing and you'll be able to get to bed on time for a change.Movie Review: boring
Summary: 1 Stars
As another reviewer noted, the DVD transfer is quite terrible -- its really a mediocre VHS transfer.
There's something boring about this whole movie, but it is hard to put one's finger on it -- it may be that we are just spoiled for bigness with such themes as the Crusades, etc. It needs a whole pile of money thrown at it. This version is grubby (which is more like reality, but who wants reality? And Monty Python kind of killed the grubby peasant movie style anyway). The Robert Taylor Ivanhoe is a completely ridiculous movie, but it has a whole lot of zing to it (especially Elizabeth Taylor at her most incredibly luscious, omigod) that this TV thing doesn't have.
Movie Review: disappointing
Summary: 1 Stars
I had high hopes that this version would be true to the book, but I guess that is too much to ask in a movie. I have read and reread the novel, and this version strays in certain aspects. I was glad they included Gurth and Athelstane, but I did not appreciate their subplot of Ivanhoe trying to clear his name of treason, which is completely invention. The word that comes to mind for this version is "crude." I know that medieval life was probably very crude, but I do not appreciate seeing it on screen. Give me the idealized MGM version any day.Movie Review: The worst adaption of the book ever!
Summary: 1 Stars
My family rented this DVD because we were pleased with A&E's various other BBC productions. This is horrible! Every character in the movie is covered in filth. The script is awful. The writers have the characters speak as if they live nowadays. The acting was terrible. Prince John instead of being a villain was a fool. The sets were cheep and the fighting scenes were awful. The cinematography was also awful. Very poor adaptation that was so stupid as to be ridiculous.