The King's Guard (2000)

User Rating:

2.3/10   

Director:

Jonathan Tydor

Writer:

Jonathan Tydor (writer)

Release Date:

1 August 2000 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure

Tagline:

What is romance and adventure without a little swordplay?

Plot:

A princess falls in love with her father's swordsman. |

Plot Keywords:

Independent Film

Cast

Eric Roberts	...	Augustus Talbert
Ron Perlman	...	Lord Morton
Lesley-Anne Down	...	Queen Beatrice
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
David Beecroft	...	Sgt. Drummond
Brian Cousins	...	Otto
Gerald Patrick Cox	...	Sir Gerald
Kit Davlin	...	Ardon DeAvalon
Abba Elfman	...	Adam
Jason Faulske	...	Bandit / Swordsman
Delia Ford	...	Peasant Woman
Casie Fox	...	Katie McDear
Mark Gadbois	...	White Flag Bandit
Robert G. Goodwin	...	Master Robert
Khrystyne Haje	...	Roxanne
Matthias Hues	...	Angus
Chase Jazzborne	...	Bandit / Swordsman
Ashley Jones	...	Princess Gwendolyn
Monty Jordan	...	White Flag Bandit
Rebecca Kirkland	...	Lady-in-Waiting
Jason Lewis	...	William
Eric J. Long	...	Giant Swordsmen
Jon Napier	...	Jonathan Poselwaite
Earl Robinson	...	Singbe-Donald
Trevor St. John	...	Capt. John Reynolds
Chris Torres	...	De La Cruz
Alex Van Amburg	...	David Thorpe
Skip Wilder	...	Lt. Thomas Blackwell

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for violence.

Runtime:

Australia:92 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Australia:PG | Germany:12 | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

San Diego, California, USA

Trivia:

Although Eric Roberts received top billing for the movie, he first appears 25 minutes into the film and has less than 30 lines of dialogue.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: In the scene where the black guy runs from the stronghold, a barbed wire fence can clearly be seen in the background.

Quotes:

[Talbert has just stabbed a very obese servant]
Augustus Talbert: Bleed, fat man!

Soundtrack:

You Are My Heart

For ten year old Muskeeters.

Treachery, villainy, swordplay, noble secret love and a princess in peril: what more could the average ten year old would-be Musketeer ask for?

Set in the days of chivalry at sword point, "The King's Guard" is the tale of the "last stand" of a princess (Ashley Jones) being taken to a marriage that will save her father's throne and the young noble Guard (Trevor St. John) who secretly loves her, against the traitorous ex-Guard (Eric Roberts) who wants her and the greedy Lord (Ron Perlman) who wants her dowry.

This movie has nice costumes and I think that's where most of the money went. Ninety-nine percent of it takes place in one setting. There are no horses although the DVD cover shows them. The acting runs the spectrum from almost-painful-to-watch (Jones) to oh-good-someone-knows-what-they're-doing (Perlman, Roberts). The sword play, although decently choreographed, is done too hesitantly by most of the actors to be truly exciting.

People who are into the Renaissance Faire, SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism) and LARP (Live Action Role Playing) scenes may be able to glean some inspiration from the costumes and sword play.

Although there is much fighting there is no blood or gore so this would be an excellent family movie for anyone with young children going through a swashbuckling phase.

Worth a rent for gamers, worth a rent/buy used for youngsters.