Prince Valiant (1997)

Director:

Anthony Hickox

Writers (WGA):

Hal Foster (comic strip)
Michael Frost Beckner (story)

Release Date:

24 July 1997 (Germany)

Genre:

Adventure | Fantasy

Tagline:

He who holds the sword, rules the world.

Plot:

In a time now lost in the mists of memory, the great King Arthur rules in the legendary citadel that is Camelot...

Plot Keywords:

Princess | Prince | Sword | King Arthur | Camelot

Cast

Stephen Moyer	...	Prince Valiant
Katherine Heigl	...	Princess Ilene
Thomas Kretschmann	...	Thagnar
Edward Fox	...	King Arthur
Udo Kier	...	Sligon
Joanna Lumley	...	Morgan Le Fey
Ron Perlman	...	Boltar
Warwick Davis	...	Pechet
Gavan O'Herlihy	...	King Thane
Ben Pullen	...	Prince Arn
Walter Gotell	...	Erik the Old
Anthony Hickox	...	Prince Gawain
Zach Galligan	...	Sir Kay
Hamish Campbell-Robertson	...	Sir Ector
Marcus Schenkenberg	...	Tiny

Also Known As:

Prinz Eisenherz (Germany)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for medieval action violence.

Runtime:

91 min | Japan:97 min | Philippines:92 min

Country:

Ireland | UK | Germany

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Philippines:G | Iceland:10 | Iceland:LH (video rating) | South Korea:12 | Finland:K-11 | Germany:12 (w) | Portugal:M/12 | UK:PG | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Llechwedd Slate Caverns, Llechwedd Slate Mine, Blaenau Ffestiniog, Gwynedd, Wales, UK

Company:

Constantin Film Produktion

Trivia:

The movie was re-cut by the German producers, while the director was away on Christmas vacation. They wouldn't fly him back to Germany to finish the film. Four key scenes setting up its humorous tone and all religious aspects were removed.

Goofs:

Continuity: As Valiant approaches Ilene's dead body he throws the sword. The sword was supposed to be facing away from Ilene. Instead in the next shot it was pointing towards her.

Quotes:

Princess Ilene: I demand to see your king.
Thagnar: Harem.
Prince Gawain: What? You can't do that she's a princess.
Princess Ilene: Who the hell is harem?
[she's thrown into a room full of other woman]
Woman #1: [giggles] I wonder if she's a wirgin.
Princess Ilene: Of course I'm a virgin. I'm Princess Ilene of Brenwyn.
Woman #2: We all had kingdoms once. Now we are all queens for a night.
[Ilene looks around scared]
Monday: I am Monday.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Remake of Prince Valiant (1954)

Soundtrack:

What We Are Waiting For

At last, a Valiant who's not a bumbling fool.

I liked the panoramic artwork which is very like the painstakingly done quarter of a quarter broadsheet spread frames of the syndicated Sunday comics supplements of the '50s. The special effect used to make those artworks seem to melt into reality is awesome. This is rarely, if ever, done now because of economies of print production and advertising. That, by the way is one of the reasons, the cartoonist responsible for the hugely popular Calvin and Hobbes, quit making the offbeat funny series.

The Valiant here is a very competent knight unlike the one portrayed by Robert Wagner in the 1954 film who was nothing short of a bumbling fool who managed to have accidents just when he seemed to be getting the upper hand (e.g. losing his hold on a cliff as he was espying the traitorous transactions of the Black Knight with Norse marauders). Only the superb acting of James Mason as the villainous Black Knight made that older version interesting.

The fight scenes in this Prince Valiant were well executed. Kudos to the arms master for the handsome suits of armor and weapons.

The actress who portrayed Princess Ilene is stunning.