The old knights of the round table, medieval England film seems to be back in style.  With Game of Thrones, The Pillars of the Earth, The Tudors, and The Borgias earning big numbers on television filmmakers sat up and took notice, so expect a deluge of like minded films.  One of the first is being screened at this year’s Fantasia film festival.

Directed and co-written by Jonathan English (Minotaur), a man who has shown an interest in making films based on times of the past where men were men and fought hand-to-hand combat with swords and shields, the film is quite a bloody feast with plenty of it spurting and limbs (and even a tongue) sent flying.

We are in the early parts of the 13th century in England  with King John (Paul Giamatti - Sideways, Barney’s Version) just having signed the Magna Carta.  He was forced to sign the document, which challenged the all-encompassing powers of the British monarchy, by his subjects or more precisely a gaggle of rebel barons.  Though he has signed the document his people still have to fight against the King in order to gain their rights and defend freedom in the country.

A rather Bad News Bears group of men are stuck with defending Rochester Castle, an important castle in Kent, England, for months against the King’s forces.  King John is not going to accept giving his subjects rights, so he hires a force from Denmark to attack his own men. He wants to resume total control of England once again.  To do so he must take over the strategically placed castle at Rochester.

Several (The Magnificent Seven?) soldiers learn of King John’s plan and they race ahead to Rochester Castle.  There they join forces, if you can call it that, with the Baron’s men.  They are a very odd group filled with idiots, criminals and few top notch soldiers.  However small in numbers they are they are determined to help the severely undermanned Baron Albany (Brian Cox - Troy, The Bourne Identity) defend his castle.

The small group of defenders are led by a knight who does not know the meaning of the word fear named Marshall (James Purefoy - from television’s Rome).  Marshall is a member of the Templar Knights, a Christian group, and all the killing he has to do really disturbs him.  While fighting off the Danes and struggling with his conscience, Marshall has to fight to keep his focus as he is a little distracted by the beautiful Lady Isabel (Kate Mara - 127 Hours, Ironman 2), who is a resident of the castle and the wife of Albany.

After doing some research I discovered much to my shock that the film is loosely based on actual historical events.  A siege did happen of the castle under King John in 1215 and it was a bloody mess.  That is probably, though, where all the accuracy ends.  A few men are able to hold off the much larger forces of the King by pure will and bravery.  Most of the scenes are filled with the sound of iron against iron, men shouting in encouragement, pain or fear and arrows flying through the air.

Ironclad does try to hit all the marks required of an action film of this era.  Yes, there are clichés aplenty.  It is an indie film that tries to do a lot with its relatively small budget.  There is plenty of violence, a little romance and nudity to titillate, an over-the-top evil bad guy, the good guy(s) is definitely an underdog, and several well-known actors amidst its largely B-list cast.  You can almost see director English going through his `check, check, check` motions.

What the film does do well are the battle or action scenes.  Featuring plenty of gory violence for those of you who get off on that sort of thing, the film is often seen through the blood splatters on the camera lens.  You will find yourself watching parts through your fingers or while sharply intaking your breath due to all the gore.  Physical and brutal, it makes you believe in the authenticity of the fight scenes.  They certainly don’t look like choreographed dance scenes.  The weapons are intimidating and the soldiers are just trying to literally in most cases rip each others heads off.  None of the weaponry is there just for show.  Catapults, bows and arrows, swords, and axes are used very effectively.

Where it falters is when the action stops and some attempt at emotionality is injected.  It usually falls flat.  Director English should have stuck to keeping his film a physical one.

Paul Giamatti is wonderful as usual.  Despite the fact that this guy has been in a couple of films where the scripts are not up to the standards of his talents, he manages to elevate whatever film he is in.  Playing what could have been a one-dimensional evil king, Giamatti injects some nuances into King John and while still a disgusting man, he renders him quite interesting.

No way close to a perfect film, but an enjoyable one nonetheless.