Search - The Legend Of Ivanhoe on DVD

An Absolutely Wretched Movie!

06/15/2002

(1 out of 5 stars)

"Is it me, or do all the positive reviews of this movie sound suspiciously like the same review? Didn't each and every one of those reviews contain the following statements: "Wonderful film for the whole family" "Luke Skywalker look a-like" "Ravishing and dazzling Rowena/Rita Shaver" "Real locations" "Cast of thousands." "My whole family loved it"If I didn't know better I would think the PR group for the movie studio got together to plant some reviews in order to sell this movie.Regardless of the reviews, LET ME ASSURE YOU, you will not find any kids (or adults) on this planet that could sit through the monotonous first 20 minutes, let alone the entire film! The pace of the movie is so slow that having a root canal will soon seem like entertainment. The dubbed voices, music, and soundtrack are so terrible it's as if you're watching one movie and listening to the sound-track for another. The Ivanhoe story is so mangled and convoluted as to be virtually intelligible.Don't believe me? Let me give just two examples.1. The movie begins with a painfully drawn-out (and badly-dubbed) conversation around a campfire that attempts to set up the story and background of Ivanhoe. It goes on and on for at least 20 minutes (!) until all you have is a bunch of talking heads. How's that for plot and action?2. Next is the jousting tournament. It is so horribly slow and plodding that it was like watching a nightmare in which the same scene keeps repeating and repeating. Over-and-over you will be treated to most wretched musical fanfare imaginable as one knight after another S-L-O-W-L-Y rides up for battle. Watch in wonder as the entire crowd (which sounds like about five people) roars with cheers as each knight succumbs exactly the same way to the lance of his opponent. This goes on for so long, without variation, that you'll be cheering for the bad guys just to get it over with.PLEASE, do as the other reviewer suggests and buy the 1952 version from MGM starring Robert Taylor and Elizabeth Taylor or the 1982 TV version starring James Mason and Olivia Hussey. They are both masterpieces compared to this."

Voice-over nightmare

William Thomas Hill | Shibuya-ku, Tokyo Japan | 07/27/2002

(1 out of 5 stars)

"Like many young boys, I first read Sir Walter Scott's novel Ivanhoe when I was nine, over forty-five years ago. It was one of those novels that drew me into literature. In fact, it was the very first full-length work of fiction I ever read. Unfortunately, this video utterly butchers it. None of the characters emerge as real human beings. Ivanhoe, himself, is almost a non-presence! And while the background music is very nice, (you may even want to purchase Dave Uhrich's CDs) it is not appropriate to the the video at all (try to imagine Winterhill during a battle scene!). And Isaac and Rebecca?! What happened to them?! At least they remembered to put Rowena in it... though they forgot to give her any character at all. Save your money. Or... buy Douglas Camfield's. That's much better done and it's worlds more fun."

Ivanhoe Without Rebecca

Duncan Palmatier | Moscow, Idaho | 02/20/2001

(2 out of 5 stars)

"Scott's "Ivanhoe" is one of my favorite stories. I have seen every movie version, and I was curious about this one, so, I bought it. This is one of the oddest. It has been dubbed -- badly -- from what appears to be Russian. It is short. To make it short, the story has been gutted. Gone are Rebecca and her father Isaac of York. Since the story centers around Rebecca, and the love of Ivanhoe and Brian de Bois Gilbert (whose name has been altered, for no apparent reason, to "Brian de Buge Gilbert") for Rebecca, it really isn't "Ivanhoe". Also, Gilbert lives in the end. Go figure.I write this review, because I read the other reviews before buying this DVD, and I wonder whether the reviewers watched the same movie that I bought."

Yucks and Yucks!

Ben | 05/06/2001

(1 out of 5 stars)

"Yucks! And yucks again! This is one of the worst films I have watched. Poor acting and cinematography, coupled with bad film to DVD transfer serve to spoil an otherwise wonderful classic by Sir Walter Scott. The English version is dubbed. Save your pennies for the 1952 version from MGM starring Robert Taylor and Elizabeth Taylor or the 1982 TV version starring James Mason and Olivia Hussey."