Themes: Knights and Ladies, Fish Out of Water, Time Travel
Main Cast: Martin Lawrence, Marsha Thomason, Tom Wilkinson, Vincent Regan, Kevin Conway
Release Year: 2001
Country: US
Run Time: 95 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG13
Plot
Screenwriter Darryl Quarles follows up his smash hit Big Momma's House (2000) with another raucous Martin Lawrence collaboration. Lawrence stars as Jamal Walker, an employee at a medieval-themed mini-golf course who wakes up in 14th century England after a blow to the head. Jamal has soon allied himself with a peasant girl and a broken-down ex-knight to defeat the evil King Leo (Kevin Conway) and his bullying minion, Sir Knolte (Tom Wilkinson). In the meantime, Jamal busts some modern dance moves on the medieval dance floor and encounters such intriguing residents of the period as knaves, peasants, archers, jousting knights, maidens, a princess, and even a giant. Black Knight (2001) is the sophomore directing vehicle of longtime television producer Gil Junger, who joins Lawrence in replacing the team originally attached to this comic vehicle, director F. Gary Gray and star Chris Tucker. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
Review
A dispiriting trend from the late '90s has seen countless films chart the interplay of a sassy fast-talker and his polar opposites, and Black Knight is about as good, as bad, and certainly as obvious as these movies get. Those who saw the trailer probably even guessed the inevitable title before it hit the screen at the trailer's end. Eras and cultures have clashed so often on film that the lines practically write themselves, and what screenwriter Darryl Quarles adds to this one is Martin Lawrence's specific speech flourishes and trademark put-downs, which have traditionally brought in audiences. Still, the 33 million dollars it did make was pretty short of a king's ransom, suggesting that casting Lawrence is not by itself enough to guarantee a hit. Setting aside knee-jerk critical snobbishness, Black Knight accomplishes its goals in the most basic sense, in all of the most basic ways. In fact, it's so single-minded that it mostly dispenses with the usual opening scenes in modern times before Lawrence plunges into a theme park moat, which zaps him from South Central Los Angeles to 1326 England. Viewers won't care so much for an explanation of that, or why the screenplay never comments on his apparent time travel. If anything, they'll scratch their heads more about why the great Tom Wilkinson signed on to the project. But this film was not made for nit-pickers, and Lawrence's core audience should be happy enough. ~ Derek Armstrong, All Movie Guide
Jeannette Weegar - Princess Regina; Daryl Mitchell - Steve; Michael Burgess - Ernie; Isabell Monk - Mrs. Bostwick; Helen Carey - The Queen
Credit
Stephen Cooper - Art Director, Sheila Jaffe - Casting, Aaron Ray - Co-producer, Marie France - Costume Designer, Rick Johnson - First Assistant Director, Gil Junger - Director, Ernie F. Orsatti - Second Unit Director, Michael R. Miller - Editor, Martin Lawrence - Executive Producer, Jack Brodsky - Executive Producer, Peaches Davis - Executive Producer, Jeffrey Kwatinetz - Executive Producer, Randy Edelman - Composer (Music Score), Leslie Dilley - Production Designer, Ueli Steiger - Cinematographer, Arnon Milchan - Producer, Paul Schiff - Producer, Darryl Quarles - Producer, Michael Green - Producer, Peg Cummings - Set Designer, Carl Rudisill - Sound/Sound Designer, Ernie F. Orsatti - Stunts Coordinator, Darryl Quarles - Screenwriter, Peter Gaulke - Screenwriter, Gerry Swallow - Screenwriter
Jamal Walker (Martin Lawrence) is an everyday slacker with a job at a crummy theme park called Medieval World, which is receiving big competition from another theme park, Castle World. Jamal's life is dramatically altered while cleaning a moat surrounding the park. He finds a medallion in the moat and while trying to pull it from its spot he gets sucked into a past world. Awakening in England, 1328, he bungles his way through this strange new world. Armed with his modern-day lifestyle, he quickly learns he is sort of a fish out of water. He is first met by a tramp named Knolte, to whom he gets some money. The citizens of England believe him to be a FrenchMoor, from Normandy more specifically, because of his skin color, odd dress, language, and manner.
Jamal is soon taken in by the reigning king, King Leo (Kevin Conway). He is assumed to be a messenger from Normandy who the king believes to be bringing news of an alliance between England and Normandy. Although Jamal thinks that all people around him are just the actors in a theme park (which makes him treating all of the people in a funny way), he changes his mind when he witnesses the beheading. He soon nicknames himself "Sky Walker" and, after gaining trust from the king by accidentally preventing the assassination of the king by the conspirators, Jamal is made head of security for the king. While all of this is going on, Jamal finds out about the ruthless way the king came to power by overthrowing the former queen. He finds out this information from Victoria (Thomason), a chambermaid, and Sir Knolte (Wilkinson), a former knight of the queen who has become an alcoholic and who he met at the beginning of the movie. Through their help and his own realization of the situation Jamal soon understands he must help overthrow King Leo and help restore the queen to power. He manages to convince decimated rebels to gather their forces and overthrow the king. Then he falls asleep and awakens encircled with his co-workers and medical team who saved him from drowning in the moat which causes doubt whether he really travelled to the medieval times or was just dreaming. Also when he come back to the present he successfully helps his boss in their business. The movie ends with Jamal falling into the moat again and getting sucked in ancient Rome trying to escape lions in gladiator arena.
Critical Reaction
The film garnered mostly negative reviews, receiving 13% on Rotten Tomatoes[3], where the "critical consensus" was stated as "Black Knight feels like a lazily constructed movie, filled with lame gags and constant mugging from Lawrence."
The idea that the king expects an alliance between England and Normandy is historically false, because in 1328 England was already ruled by a line of Norman kings (following their conquest of England in 1066).
YTMND depicts Leeroy Jenkins as the main character of this film.
