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Plot Summary
It is the year 1215 and England is on the brink of a bloody Civil War. The Magna Carta, a landmark contract between the King and his subjects, upholds the rights of the people of England and promises to bestow a fragile peace on the kingdom. Yet, barely four months since putting his royal seal to the charter, the sly and deceitful King John (PAUL GIAMATTI) amasses a powerful mercenary army and plans to destroy all those who signed the legendary charter, in order to once again seize absolute control of the country. Hearing news of their despised ruler’s intentions, a Templar Knight (JAMES PUREFOY), hastily assembles a band of noble barons prepared to hole up inside the virtually impenetrable walls of Rochester Castle in order to protect the people’s rights. There they must rely on their superior swordsmanship and sheer determination to defend their freedom, defeat the forces of an oppressive King and bring justice to the people of England.
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Screenwriters
Rotten Tomatoes Movie Reviews
TOMATOMETER
43%- Reviews Counted: 56
- Fresh: 24
- Rotten: 32
- Average Rating: 5.2/10
Top Critics' Reviews
Rotten: The action is cluttered and the story overly compressed, with a lot of yammering about who's aligned with whom and why (no wonder Mr. Giamatti's eyes keep rolling) in between the geysers of red.
Rotten: Ironclad might be the perfect actioner for gorehound fanboys gaga for medieval trappings, but all others may find this British-American-German co-production a bit of a drag.
Fresh: A gore-filled guilty pleasure...
Fresh: This English sword-battle drama is a mess. But there's a violent simplicity and a lack of pretentiousness that's refreshing.
Customer Reviews
Brilliant but flawed...
Great story, albeit fictionalized of course, terrific script, and outstanding acting. Giamatti was fantastic as King John, delivering his lines fiercely, with ruthless delight. Great bloody battle scenes, but flawed by the decision of either the director of the DP to overly utilize te shaky-cam technique. Much of the action was lost in all the blur and grit flying around during the shaky-cam scenes, to the point of being a major distraction at times. Apart from that, the cinematography was excellent mostly. For the most part, a terrific film, and well worth a rent if you're a fan of the genre.
Brilliant Gore
It is amazing to grow up and witness the advancements in special effects, the action is brilliant but steer clear if you are looking solely for amazing substance. While it is no Braveheart, it has much more meaning than a Centurion type flick, without sacrificing the blood and guts of medieval action films.
It is a snap shot of real history
Some comments about the story line not being so amazing … well, go spend some time on Wikipedia - this does depict the story of King John and the turmoils of this era. It is gruesome and I am glad I am not living in these times. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
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